Ora Cat (EV) - It's NOT An MG4 Rival 

A no goer at that price especially with that battery size

No, no no no - Its a £18-22k car with nice seats. Elephant in the room here is Dealers, Parts availability and probably most of all - Residual values. No doubt Chinese cars will eventually dent the market as Japanese did in the late 20th century. But they had to buy their way into the market, lots of kit for little money - Until they became properly established. This at a price higher than an ID3, noisier, with less range, smaller battery, slower charging, smaller boot and zero credibility in the UK marketplace is a non starter. £22k tops might buy it a place with gamblers.

Too big for a city car, too small for a family car, range too short for an only car, What's the opposite of a Goldilocks product ? Heritage borrowed from various brands and stitched together like Frankenstein's monster. Porsche front and Nissan Leaf rear - nice! I think it's ugly but others will love it) Not that quick, Tech no better than average Dealer network? maintenance? Warranty support?? "Let's pitch it as a premium (aka over-priced) brand, give it a stupid name and see what happens, 30% of the Honda E market ain't that many cars ! lol

apparently its a lot cheaper in china, below 20k euro - so where did 15k euro go, tariffs?

Sorry but anyony with a PC can see that ORA is half the price in China. They could have sold it below the MG and it would have raised a lot of interest. For me £32k upwards is too expensive.

So it costs more than an MG4, but has worse range, much worse charging and worse boot space, but it is "funky" and has a nicer interior......think this might be a bit of a harder sell than ORA expect in the UK...

This sells for about £17-18K in China. Apart from shipping, who's getting the margin?

I can understand why Ora are discouraging the comparison with MG; this over-priced pretentious Funky travels far fewer miles, charges slower, has no heated seats or steering wheel, and a much smaller boot. The video reports of slow throttle response, sub-standard handling, and that stupid direction indicator put more nails in the coffin. When I sat in one at Fully Charged in Farnborough, I was shocked at the rough plastic seams of the cheap centre console and massively shocked when they told me the price. It was top of my list a year ago but it's now nowhere close at more than £30k.

It is not an MG4 rival, the MG is far better looking and would be my choice

theyve killed it stone dead by doubling the price in a global market, just for the Brits...

It's just too expensive. Which is a shame as there is a lot to like about it! But 170-190 miles, realistically, and just over 60kw rapid charging? That's not in the technical ballpark of cars at that price or, indeed, many cars cheaper than it. At £25k I'd have chewed their arms off for one.

Nice car but they've misread the market at that price.

Ora ‘Funky’ Cat… The funny thing is, it is only £13,000 in China. Granted, the Chinese version probably hasn’t all the bells & whistles that the UK version has, but that is one hell of a price hike 😳😬

This over the MG4? Not a chance. MG4 everything.

We still need a really good 13-15k new ev on the market. When? No idea

I like it, but I don’t think it’s good value of money. There are better ones out there for the money. I’d have a DS3 over that

like many ev designs its quite bland on sides and rear , in fact a bit UGLY , it reminds me a of a old suzuki swift . Headlights with the indicators daft GIMIC (why fit doors in windows kinda thing ) , the boot is A DRAWBACK far to SMALL for size or bulk of car , at £ 32 k plus the entry model in UK doesnt get 200 miles a on full charge . Come winter it will doing sub 150 on a full charge. Would have been be better to enter the UK mkt stripped down (as in the base chinese model) coming in at sub £17- 20 k sterling . THESE AT 32 K STERLING PLUS WILL BE A RARE SIGHT .ON UK roads . At present UK has over 9 other brands sporting a ev model , in the price range. funky cat LOL

Far too expensive with a Sales Prevention Officer naming it “Funky” and No choice as to Models with a reasonable range, base model only available in the U.K. Dealers making far too much margin as they are £15k in China- typical. MG4 is a reasonable alternative.

Not a fan and too expensive.

If this had been £25k then I would have said this will fly out of showrooms for it's looks alone which will appeal to people who like they styling of Fiat 500's/Mini's/Jukes etc, but just don't see that many people paying £7k more for a chinese brand they have never heard of over an MG4. If you can spend £32k on a small car you're looking at a much more established brand in my view...Renault Zoe, Fiat 500 etc

I genuinely don’t see the point of this car. It doesn’t do anything better than its competitors. Massively overpriced.

Just released in Australia and around $3 to 4,000 cheaper than an MG4 also just released but is the Hi-Spec Essence model.

I like the car a lot... But it is the same size as an id3, with half the boot, 95% of the price and 70% of the range! I can't make that work, maybe the long range version would make us interested in a car with no boot!

Damn right its not a rival to MG4. It is front wheel drive, has a poor range, pathetic charging speed, a tiny boot and the most annoying indicators on the market.

Way over priced. These Ora Cat's were meant to be 25k

A premium car this size should be £40k to £50k?????? Really??. That motor shouldnt be a whiff over £21k . I cant believe this is on its way to £35k. Goodness me. EV inflation is something else! (heres looking at you too Volvo EX90! 🤪)

Your right it’s certainly not an MG4 rival in anyway

Hey EVM, love the channel and this review. A couple of issues, the elephant in the room is price, this car is far too expensive for a "second car" which is not sufficiently versatile & family sized. It has a confused and mixed USP, a very poor value proposition, its not in the value segment but not good enough, in terms of Sharp looking or equipped (small battery 48kW ?) nor badge /. brand desire to be premium offering and there in lies the rub. Its an Expensive middle ground offering from an unknown Chinese brand. The rear is (in my opinion) its worst angle, when your only plus point is its nicer than a Nissan Leaf, that is not a design achievement to crow about. I tend to also agree the 18" alloys are so awful. Your initial opening comments are in fact correct, but perhaps for not the reason you stated, it is NOT an MG4 competitor, no where close in terms of a clear segment it is aiming to conquer (e.g. the value proposition) The looks are obviously a very personal aspect but its not "premium". So its not a value proposition nor a premium vehicle which puts it in no-mans land. An "average" EV with a splash of design flair (the front only). The only things you state is that its a "meh" car...does nothing badly, and nothing really well. It will appeal to "non car" people who like a specific design and colour combo. This is such a shame as it held so much promise, but ultimately I feel it is the wrong car for the wrong market at the wrong price. "You will not see many on the road"....such an understatement :)

As usual rip off Britain compared with the price in other countries we are being taken for a ride.

Well i think we can agree, 😂 it definately is not a MG4 competitor, nor I think much else really. Until they actually get my MG4 for me, I am still looking to see if anything else comes close or better so thought this might be interesting, Nope!. Although have to say do like the interior of that model, but then thats why my MG4 (when it comes) will have the grey/white 2tone interior instead of the horrible all black.

You're damn right it's not an MG4 rival. It's way smaller and way more expensive. It's not even in the same ballpark.

Norway £28k - feels like rip-off prices right now but doubt it will last.

Saw the Funky Cat at Fully Charged live and I was impressed with the interior design and quality. Downsides, the boot is tiny, the range is not great - 170 miles according to EV Database. Even with a small battery it charges slowly - 47 minutes 10-80% I hear what you say about it aiming for a premium market, but they have got the pricing all wrong. The launch model should be £25k, they need to sell some in order to start building the brand. £32k for a short range, slow charging, small boot car from a brand no one in the UK knows is too much

Nice enough car but the price is too high was originally touted around the £25k mark at £32k it'd be a no from me.

I test drove the Extended Range here in Australia. To turn the indicator off after a lane change you have to tap it in the opposite direction, not keep tapping it in the same one. The extended range is A$47k drive away with a free 7kW wall charger (not installed). You can easily keep it going all the time even by just plugging in the Type 1 standard wall charger every time it’s home in the garage. It’s unlikely to be an issue unless you take a long trip. 420km range is ok for the size car (think Corolla or Golf dimensions). In addition to your Auto/Normal/Eco/Sports modes there are also 3 steering wheel modes you change separately - Sport/Normal/Comfort. Also I believe it charges at 75kW here. And the warranty is 7yr unlimited km plus 8yr on the battery. This vehicle has only just arrived in Australia and there are 2 be 4 models. The Standard range 310km, Extended range 420km, Ultra 420km and GT 400km (due to sunroof and other weight).

I can't believe the UK price. Has it dropped in the 11 months since this video was made? We are in New Zealand and a friend purchased one, same model and specs, last Saturday for $NZ 37,000 that is £18,000 There is a soon to be scrapped, by our new incoming government, rebate of $NZ 7,000. So with out that $NZ 44,000 or £21,000 going forward.

GWM has made some errors in their marketing here. The CATS are a series of different cars in China. Also leasing companies in UK seem to only have the basic entry level version of this car. UK should have gotten the larger battery version but I suspect that UK government has hit them hard with import taxes. The ten minute PM Truss declared China as an official enemy and the current government is still full of such nutters. They should have launched the entire selection at once to show the broader concept of the ORA CAT cars. The most exciting of which is the ORA PUNK CAT (real retro to the future and more premium finish) and what is called ORA LIGHTNING in China, appears to be called Grand Cat in Thailand and has been implied to be called NEXT CAT in The West. Lightning was fine it is an affordable sports-sedan, after UK Gov it'll be semi-affordable. There is also for the ladies BALLET CAT in China. UK claims to have a pro EV policy but the transition can only happen if cars that begin affordable are allowed to land affordable.

I've driven both and the Ora's quality is visible superior, plastics and and software in mg are cheaper and has lags. The 9nly thing is Ora is not that easy to get used to.

At time of writing the lease costs (48 month) for the Funky Cat are about 25% cheaper than alternatives like the MG4. So the "list price" doesn't tell the full story

I don;t understand why other reviewers keep claiming it's on par with the MG4, it;s more expensive, smaller and is far less practical as an EV. also we get ripped off in the UK massively considering how cheap it is in China.

Its refreshing that GWM, Hyundai, Citroen are not churning out endless boring SUVs in different sizes. I hope it spurs the other manufacturers to start showing some imagination

Well - now in Feb 2024 - no deposit £179.99 @ 5,000 miles for 2 years leased.

If they hadn't put the price up so much we were going to get one, and nickname it Rita

Another 30 grand ‘premium’ car. No ta. MG are the only company going in the right direction

Is it me, or is the ORA badge on the back not central? It looks like the L fell off, but that said, I'm not going to Google oral cat. Nice video as always.

Those indicators would do my head in!! Why would anyone buy this over the MG4???

About 15 percent over priced. Unless there is margin for discounts not for me MG4 more to offer

For me, it actually is a MG4 rival. My car needs 2 seats (the kids are going their own ways) and space for 2-3 weeks of baggage. Both cars will have enough space for the once-a-year haul trip to the Hardware Store or Ikea. For me it all comes down to range, charging speed and driver assistance. The first is similar (with Ora's bigger battery announced at least for Germany), charging is clearly pro MG, so it comes down to driver assistance. MG Pilot atm is a straight path into suicide (waiting for the coming update), Ora is supposed to be quite good here, at least that's what the German Importeur says...

My main takeaway from this review is that it's not a competitor to MG. Good luck with that.

To expensive for what it is, should have been £26000

Fiat 500 or Zoe but with better access and a nicer larger interior and I kind of lik the out side.

you could class it as a second car, if its a car for £13-£14K like in china..

If it had the bigger battery at that price, very interested, although would prefer the GT trim. With that range, not interested at any price but it's competing with the Solantis cars and it's way more expensive than those and no dealer network. No thanks

I like the looks but the range for the price is disappointing.

Lol. They can aim for what they like but it’s how the public perceive it that counts and unfortunately for them it will be perceived as a fairly expensive car from an unknown Chinese brand with a slightly iffy name. I think they have bumped up the price as they know they can and dreamt up a ‘we are a premium brand’ to try and justify it. And to say they are not in competition with MG is nonsense as I am in the market for a car in this price range and in my mind they are and they have lost already.

Too expensive. I'll be getting the BYD Dolphin.

.. It DOES look a bit 'old Leaf' at the back... but praise the Lord those HIDEOUS Leaf rear lights are absent....! I, completely irrationally, loath and detest those lights.....

I couldn’t decide for ages wether to get one of these, a BYD atto or an MG4.

I like the Cat's appearance because it bucks the current trend towards angular cars. Nice paint job on the launch model and smart looking interior.

The indicators have a light shove for 3 flashes, harder for longer. So if you press again for stop, it understands it as 'do another 3 flashes'.

I quite like it, it's got a new mini/ beetle esq styling.

A good little car for city driving, but it's overpriced.

Ora have a >60kWh version of this they left at home . With the bigger battery version at 30k it might be a more interesting proposition . 25k for this (which is the price banded around when they initially launched it last year) .as for retro looks Mini-e Fiat 500 Electric have that sorted . This is a Nissan Figaro attempt at retro

If you’re torn between a Porsche and a Mini, Ora has got you covered with the Funky Cat. The Chinese are aiming square for the premium car segment owned by VW and BMW. Whether they succeed, only time will tell. Looks like a fun car to drive!

Im a car guy mechanic with 20 years experience and I would have one for sure in green with the two tone green and cream! It’s a good car already seen reviews in china by WHEELSBOY.

I don't know why they changed the name. Should have left it as Good Cat. In reality I would probably just debadge it just leaving the Ora bit. There is only one model so it doesn't really matter having the name.

I dont´t like it. For that price range I prefer a corsa

Does it know if you have covid and then lock you inside for a week?

There is nothing premium about this

🤔3:12 are you going for "shorter Johnny Smith" vibe, with that notebook? 😉

used the word average a lot, looks premium interior but let down by some scratchy plastics,outside cannot makes it mind up borrowed looks from several cars, slow charging, average handling performance, expensive not for me...I would buy MG4 above this (if the chinese version is £13,000 this is a complete rip off)

I imagine a 5 year old one will be a great buy. I suspect there won't be that many on the roads though. MG are attracting buyers because there's nothing else offering the same thing at the same price. This is quite a risk for anyone shelling out cash. I guess if you are leasing as a company car driver it may be ok because you aren't taking that risk.

I’m not so sure we are brand snobs anymore. Most of us will go for good quality and price over badge. When I was young, no one would be seen dead in a Kia/ Hyundai or Skoda. My only worry with this brand would be dealer backup and parts in the longer term

I think they've blown it with the pricing. Over 30k for this totally unknown Chinese brand? - no. Too close in price to leaf, ID3 and so on. A year ago when they were first mooted they were going to be 20k-£30k. *Unless* this is the top-of-the-line launch edition and the cheaper ones come out soon, this'll sink without trace.

Andy we need cheaper ev's,32k their taken the michael expecially it's 13k in china !!!

Love the styling and well equipped it’s just the cost like all electric cars.

Is it 7k better than an mg4?.......Nah

Really great that you included a reasonable PCP example. Would be great if you could keep that up in other videos. After all, that's the real cost for most private buyers.

Always loved your no frills plain speaking approach reviews. If I could be so brazen to suggest an enhancement. I find myself being distracted and trying to come up with practical suggestions to help with your strange wardrobe choices. I hope you don't take offence. Great review. Colin

It’s just not desirable .

Bulb you can replace youself £1, LED headlights shaped to the car so you can't replace them that admittedly last forever, or 2 days out of warranty as it's better known, replace the whole assembly for £3000 requiring the dealer to set the serial number in the ECU, much more environmentally friendly. When are people going to push back on this rubbish?

At £25k it'd sell in bucket loads. At that price, no a little too much.

looks like a 911 from the front😂

Remember when they all told us how much more space a ground up would have compared to an ICE?

Wait for the new DS3 E-Tense! It has (and had in fact) nothing to do with the C3!

They're targeting both the Mini, and the Fiat 500 ranges. Not sure why you thought it was a rival to MG4? The front looks very similar to a mini, while the rear end looks like the larger of the 500 range.

Reminds me of a kia soul. Short and tall with small boot.

"definately not been made by Tesla" when commenting about the panel gaps. And that's from a Tesla owner.... It looks quite quirky, and that alone will appeal to some. The price leaves it rather uncompetitive though.....

The quality of Chinese cars has come a long way. A budget Toyota assembled in South East Asia will never make it to this level. It is amazing how the Chinese hire the best designers and engineers to bring their cars to another level. GAC Motor's Head of Quality came from Honda and their Head of Design came from Mercedes. Chinese cars, esp the EVs are going to take over the world's automotive market.

ORA Lightning/003/Next whatever, is more interesting, but probably priced to the moon.

On the MG4 front the cat is definitely not an alternative as the 4 has a decent enough boot to be a credible family car. The cat looks like a honda E, fiat 500e, mini electric competitor to me. Totally see where you are coming from the design, it is the love child of an original leaf and a Porsche!

Thats a great car. Beautiful and a wonderful size for most people who need an efficient car.

If you are going to bring a brand new vehicle into a new market then you have to dangle a carrot to get people to overlook the fact it's an unknown with no history or dealer network. Kia did it on price and a 5 year warrantee back in the 90's, respect is earned. I suspect they will sell some purely because EV's are in high demand and short supply. Had it been £25k they would have sold more, had it been sub £20k they would have sold them faster than they could ship them. It's a nice looking car but I wouldn't buy one.

There is something off about the outside of that car but it looks really nice on the inside. I think that infotainment screen looks like a usability disaster though - imagine trying to fumble around trying to touch on that while driving.

MG 4 not a killer.

8 Months ago this looked and sounded like a good proposition for a second car but in the light of the MG4 it's too little range and reputation, (do they have 5 dealerships signed up or is it a breathtaking 6?), for far too much money. The marketing of this car has been a disaster from start to finish. The importer has set an 'aspirational' price for a car that is simply not worth what they're asking for it. Heads need to roll IM Group marketing Dept.

£32 K 😮😮 v £26 k for MG4 🤔

Over priced

Made in China by a Chinese company. Exterior looks ripped off from Porsche and Mini. No thanks !

One thing you could do to differentiate yourself from other reviews, and also be really helpful…. Spend a lot more time on the apps. We’ve got a Honda E for example and the app as shockingly bad. And a Tesla, which highlights how bad the Honda is. It’s be good to know what the app of given cars is… what features it has, and how well it works. Honda E for example you can warm it up or cool it down, but can’t set the temps. You get the idea. Would be very helpful 👍