Chinese EV brand Ora arrives in Singapore with dealer Cycle & Carriage, and a tentative launch of its funky Good Cat model later in 2023

SINGAPORE
UPDATE: Originally this story reported that the Ora Good Cat is about to launch here, but the Good Cat’s debut will happen some time in the second half of 2023.

Chinese electric car brand Ora is set to make its bow in Singapore, with the impending launch of the Good Cat small electric hatchback. CarBuyer understands that Cycle & Carriage has been appointed as the brand’s official distributor in Singapore, and will launch the Good Cat here some time later this year.

Ora is one of the sub-brands from Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor (GWM), and it focuses on stylish urban electric vehicles (EVs) in particular. Its current lineup notably follows the feline theme, and some of its other models available in the Chinese domestic market include the retro-inspired Ballet Cat, and the sleek and sporty Lightning Cat.

Official local specs for the Good Cat have yet to be revealed, but the car has already gone on sale in Malaysia, with two variants available there, according to our colleagues at Top Gear Malaysia. The base model offers 400km of range, while the top-spec variant delivers 500km of range. The car’s power output of 105kW/143hp means that it will fall under COE Category A, putting it in competition with European compact EVs such as the Peugeot e-2008 and Opel Mokka-e.

The Good Cat will have to fight off another electric feline in the form of the Peugeot e-2008

In Malaysia, pricing for the Good Cat starts at RM139,800, or around S$42,000. With all the relevant taxes added in, the Good Cat’s final sale price in Singapore should probably come in at just under S$180,000 with COE, notably undercutting other EVs like the BYD Atto 3 and MG4 EV, both of which fall under COE Cat B.

As the car’s name suggest, the Good Cat’s styling is supposedly inspired by felines, with its front round LED headlights said to resemble a cat’s eyes. The car’s rounded curved styling theme is meant to evoke a softer and gentler vibe, while the rear features a unique LED taillight strip that’s incorporated into the lower section of the rear windscreen. Two-tone paint schemes are also available to further highlight the car’s playful nature.

The interior of the Good Cat is decidedly more modern, with a large 17.25-inch integrated display that consists of a 7-inch digital driver instrument display combined with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Standard features on Malaysian-spec cars include Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, wireless mobile phone charger, panoramic sunroof and a PM2.5 filter for the air con, while the top-spec 500km variant also adds electric massage seats for the driver.

The Good Cat also comes with an impressive list of driver safety assistance systems, with standard items on the Malaysian cars including adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, forward collision warning with emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, to name but a few.

The MG4 EV is another recently-launched Chinese EV that’s boldly styled

The arrival of the Good Cat could signal the start of a Chinese EV revolution here in Singapore, with more cutting edge and high end models aiming to appeal to tech savvy buyers. BYD has already spearheaded the Chinese wave with the launch of the Atto 3 which has garnered strong sales locally since its launch last year, and will complement its lineup with the equally-futuristic Seal and Dolphin models later this year. Fellow Chinese brand MG has also launched its new bold-looking MG4 EV, which marked a major departure from the conservatively-styled models that it has offered here previously.

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