Ora lets its Next Cat out of the bag

CHINESE brand Ora will expand its UK range beyond the single-model Funky Cat First Edition that goes on sale from 8 November, priced at £31,995.

Ora unveiled its Next Ora Cat concept in Paris, a compact four-door saloon with styling cues inspired by the Funky Cat hatch, which will join the city-focused EV.

Ora UK sales and marketing director Toby Marshall said: “Before long, we’ll have a whole range of cars in the line-up; the Next Ora Cat will be part of that, around quarter four next year.”

The almost-production-ready concept features an 83kWh battery and a dualmotor set-up that delivers up to 402bhp and 680Nm of torque, which is enough for a 4.3-second 0-62mph time, Ora says.

With a claimed 267-mile range and 80kW charging, the battery can be topped up from empty to 80 per cent in 55 minutes. Interior tech includes a 10.25-inch digital dash, a 12.3-inch infotainment set-up, a 360-degree camera and face-recognition tech.

Marshall added: “During the course of 2023 we’ll launch the rest of the Funky Cat range as well.” This means a biggerbattery model badged ‘400’ in Europe, which offers up to 260 miles of range from its 63kWh pack. The Funky Cat GT will join it, with the same battery feeding a 169bhp motor for an 8.2-second 0-62mph time. Range drops to 248 miles.

While UK customers will be able to buy online, Ora will ramp up its bricks-andmortar presence, too. “We’ve appointed three dealers already and we’ll have four before the end of the year,” Marshall explained. “We’re building it organically as demand builds, specifically in EV hotspots in the country to make sure we have good coverage.”

“The compact saloon has styling cues inspired by the Funky Cat hatch”