After witnessing great success with the ORA Good Cat EV in Thailand, GWM is all set to expand its lineup with the introduction of ORA Grand Cat EV, which was recently previewed at GWM’s ‘Light Your Future’ event, during this year’s Thailand International Motor Expo held earlier this month.
Grand Cat EV is known as the Lightning Cat back in its home market, and was officially launched in early November priced between 189,800 and 269,800 yuan (PKR 61.64 lac and PKR 87.61 lac).
Visually, the Grand Cat EV looks like a stretched and widened version of the Good Cat with similar design cues such as roundish headlamps and lack of a front grille. However the Grand Cat is even more distinctive thanks to its frame-less doors and prominent crease that runs from just ahead of the front wheels to the end of the rear doors.
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The side profile shows a curvaceous, coupe-like roof-line that that gives us a hint of the original Porsche Panamera. Progressing further, there is a fastback-like rear end with oblong-shaped taillights flanking the tailgate that integrates an active rear wing.
Exterior of Grand Cat EV
In terms of dimensions, the Grand Cat EV measures 4,871 mm long, 1,862 mm wide and 1,500 tall. The Grand Cat is 636 mm longer and 37 mm wider than the Good Cat, but stands 96 mm shorter than its sibling. Grand Cat’s wheelbase spans 2,870 mm, which is 220 mm longer when compared to the Good Cat.
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To put it in perspective, the 11th gen Toyota Corolla has a wheelbase of 2,700 mm while the 11th gen Honda Civic we have here has 2,736 mm wheelbase, which means the 2,870 mm of Grand Cat is way generous than both Corolla and Civic resulting in an exceptional space for the occupants.
Interior of Grand Cat EV
Inside, the Grand Cat sports a more upmarket cabin than the Good Cat EV, boasting a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that is divided into three circles, a more premium three-spoke steering wheel and a freestanding wide 12.3-inch touchscreen, a panoramic sunroof and rear air vents. More importantly, the display unit of the Grand Cat EV during the show was a right-hand-drive example.
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The Grand Cat comes available in three electric powertrain configurations in Chinese domestic market. The standard range option features a 63.9-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that provides up to 450 km of range following the WLTP standard (555 km CLTC) and powers a front-mounted electric motor rated at 201 hp (150 kW) and 340 Nm of torque. Then comes a long-range version that uses the same electric motor but steps up to an 83.5-kWh LFP battery for even better range of 600 km WLTP (705 km CLTC).
ORA Lightning Cat in China
Lastly, the performance variant adds another electric motor to the rear for all-wheel drive and boasts a total system output of 402 hp (300 kW) and 680 Nm enabling a 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h. However, this comes at the expense of range, which goes down to 495 km WLTP (600 km CLTC).
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Features include LED lights, leather upholstery, powered front seats with ventilation and massage functions, dual-zone climate control with a PM2.5 filter and fragrance delivery, four drive modes and a wide range of driver assists (adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, cornering assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, etc.)
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
