Ora, the electric car brand that's part of China's Great Wall Motors and which launched into the Irish market last year with the quirky Funky Cat hatchback, has announced a significant price cut.
Range of 310km
The basic Funky Cat model, which uses a 48kWh battery pack and which has a range of 310km on the WLTP cycle, has seen its price fall from €33,995 to €29,995. That's actually less than the original launch model price of €31,995.
The larger battery version, with a 63kWh battery and a 420km range, is currently priced from €37,995.
Pat Ryan Managing Director of GWM ORA in Ireland said, "We are immensely proud to have launched the ORA brand into Ireland. The Funky Cat is a superb car offering heaps of technology and safety features - being voted the NCAP Best in Class Small Family Car. We are delighted to announce a very competitive price reduction and very attractive finance rate for the 241 period. We look forward to welcoming customers into our showrooms over the coming months."
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
The Funky Cat has also had an equipment upgrade, and now comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which was missing from the early models. Other standard equipment on the €29,995 version includes quilted man-made leather seats, which are also electrically adjustable, 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree parking camera system, wireless phone charging, and voice recognition.
The Funky Cat is also getting a special finance package offer for the upcoming 241 registrations in January (even though it's still only October...). The Cat will be available with monthly repayments starting from as little as €199 on either a PCP package or a more traditional Hire Purchase scheme.
Four-door saloon coming
Next up, Ora will launch its four-door saloon, which will be a rival to the Tesla Model 3 and the incoming BYD Seal. Although its name has not yet been confirmed - it's known as the Lightning Cat in China - we do know that it will come with a choice of two-wheel or four-wheel drive, and a range of more than 500km on one charge.