GWM ORA made its entry into the UK market with ORA Funky Cat late last year and has built a reputation based on its distinctive style, high specification and exceptional value. This position has been affirmed by the UK’s leading consumer organisation, Which?, who have awarded ORA Funky Cat with a Best Buy in the medium-sized Car category.
ORA Funky Cat achieved an overall test score well above the average for other new and used cars tested by the organisation. At the time of writing, ORA Funky Cat is also rated by Which? as the best new electric car for under £35,000, beating two key electric rivals. Additionally, ORA Funky Cat has been ranked the fourth best medium-sized car overall, across all fuel types.
GWM ORA’s launch model excelled in areas such as driving dynamics where it achieved a five star rating for its ‘smoothness of power delivery’. Commenting on the driving experience, Which? reported: “ORA Funky Cat’s performance is ideal for easy everyday driving. In typical EV fashion, it feels especially spritely at low speeds, and has sufficient reserves for safe overtaking and acceleration even at higher speeds.” The review goes on to say: “During cornering, the ORA Funky Cat feels both agile and predictable, and the steering is responsive.”
Commenting on the Which? Best Buy Award, Toby Marshall, Managing Director, GWM ORA UK said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the rating that ORA Funky Cat achieved as part of the Which? in-depth review. Known as being one of the most credible and trust-worthy sources of information for consumers in the UK, Which? has really shone a light on some of ORA Funky Cat’s most impressive features. It is also testament to the hard work of GWM teams across the board in creating such a highly commended electric car. With this in mind, I look forward to introducing more of our fantastic GWM ORA products to the UK market very soon.”
Which? goes on to round off its review of ORA Funky Cat by saying “ORA Funky Cat is a credible new addition to the UK EV market from a fledgling manufacturer, and a worthy Best Buy model. It will appeal in particular for its nippiness and agility.”
This news comes as GWM has recently announced a strategy update for its automotive subsidiaries across Europe, evolving from a ‘house of brands’ to a ‘branded house’ architecture. In the UK market, GWM will adopt a phased approach to the implementation of its new brand strategy, with a focus on introducing a new naming convention for GWM ORA products initially. GWM ORA’s launch model, ORA Funky Cat, will adopt the model name ‘ORA 03’ from January 2024, with additional models to follow this same approach.
Currently, GWM ORA UK has two models on sale in the UK, ORA Funky Cat First Edition and the newly launched First Edition+ which is limited to just fifty units. As the brands second ever model to go on sale in the UK, ORA Funky Cat First Edition+ is available with an MSRP of £33,795. This new variant features a very high standard specification offering fantastic value for money. Most notably, the First Edition+ variant hosts GWM ORA’s 63kWh battery, offering 260 miles of WLTP electric range. In addition, customers also benefit from features like heated, cooled and massage front seats, heated steering-wheel, panoramic sunroof, automatic tailgate and automatic parking assistance.
ORA Funky Cat First Edition+ also shares a lot of technology with the brands first launch model, including: wireless phone charging, facial recognition, electric front seats, app integration and ‘Hello ORA’ intelligent voice assistance. In addition, GWM ORA is currently testing wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which will be available across the full range once the update has gone live.
The brands first model, ORA Funky Cat First Edition continues to offer exceptional value for money, with business and personal leasing customers able to drive away from just £199* and £239** per month respectively. This makes ORA Funky Cat one of the best value ‘family sized’ BEV’s currently available in the UK leasing market.
