ORA Good Cat Review: The Purr-fect Cat A option?
Born and bred in (Chinese) captivity, we examine the traits of this newest feline friend on the block.
Ever since I first caught a glimpse of the ORA Good Cat in early 2022 whilst on assignment with OneShift in Bangkok, Thailand, I had been anticipating its launch on our shores. In fact, I was delighted to hear that the distributorship of the Good Cat would be taken up by a very familiar household name, Cycle & Carriage. This bodes well with some of the adjectives that make up the ORA abbreviation – ‘Open, Reliable and Alternative’.
Where is the ORA Good Cat made?
The Good Cat, or Haomao is produced by ORA, the electric vehicle arm of Great Wall Motors (GWM). For those who are wondering, GWM is currently the 8th largest auto-maker in China, and was the first Chinese auto-maker to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Good Cats are assembled (or born?) at ORA’s factory in Jiangsu, China. I know the ‘Made in China’ label might be scoffed by some, but trust me, you’ll be hard-pressed to tell its origins if you were to have a feel of the Good Cat in person.
On the outside, its soft curves and cute looks feel really refreshing – there is a European and neo-classic feel to it. There are few other designs out there that are able to bring as wide a smile to one's face as the Good Cat.
With a range of pastel colours to choose from, this cat has certainly melted the hearts of many. Styled by former Porsche designer, Emanuel Derta, you can see where the inspiration of its chrome-ringed oval shaped front headlamps come from.
The ORA Good Cat feels expensive on the inside. Our test car was specced with a dual tone beige-brown leather interior, and this colourway makes its cabin feel light and airy. Its dash is laid out simply and is highlighted by unique touches like retro-styled toggle switches and a “floating” centre console with a rotary gear selector. Everything feels good to the touch and well put together.
Is the ORA Good Cat Practical?
For reference, the 5-door Good Cat is approximately the size of a 5-door Mini, Sköda Scala or Honda Jazz Crosstar. It might have a small external footprint, but no rear passenger space is sacrificed in the Good Cat. I am about 1.8m tall – and with the driver’s seat adjusted to my driving position, there is more than sufficient knee and head room in the back for passengers of a similar height.
The rear hatch closes at a touch of a button – an extremely useful feature which is uncommonly found in cars of its class. Other than having to get used to the large lip of its boot when loading bulkier items, the Good Cat will prove helpful in the weekly family grocery run.
How fast is the ORA Good Cat?
The Good Cat is rated at 105 kW of power (which loosely translates to 140 bhp), which slots it neatly into the Category A COE band for BEVs. The century sprint is completed in about 11 seconds.
Just like any BEV, with most of its torque available from low speeds, the Good Cat pounces faster than the numbers suggest. There is sufficient power for overtaking manoeuvres in local traffic conditions. If you want more, just toggle to its ‘Sport’ mode and you’ll feel an extra bit of kick.
Personally, I liked leaving the Good Cat in its one-pedal drive mode. Braking feels progressive in this mode and it is really easy to get used to, especially if you are a driver who is transitioning from the traditional 2-pedal setup.
Steering is light and direct, which makes the Good Cat an excellent city runabout. With its small footprint, you will have no trouble moving this cat into any parking space.
What is the range of the ORA Good Cat?
On paper, the Good Cat is good for 420 km on a full charge. We started our test with 415 km indicated on its 10.25 inch single panel instrument cluster, and ended with about 200 km of range left with just below 50% of capacity available. Based on this rather unscientific test, the Good Cat offers pretty excellent real-world range!
How long does it take to charge ORA Good Cat?
Maximum charging speed is rated at 64kW, which means that at its peak, the Good Cat will charge up from 15% to 80% in 42 minutes. Considering the 400-odd km of available range on full, if you are charging your Good Cat on a daily basis or even during the lunch hour, the Good Cat will have more than enough charge to get you through most commutes around Singapore.
Should you buy the Good Cat?
If you are looking for an entry level, Cat A (pun intended) BEV, this feline is an extremely friendly option. It boasts an impressive list of standard safety equipment like a 360-degree View Camera, Auto Parking Assist and Lane Change/ Keep Assist that will keep you in check.
Its cabin is a comfortable place to be in, especially with that dual-panel panoramic sunroof and soothing ventilated seats with massage function. The Good Cat brings luxury to a new class of buyers, given that these are features you’d only typically find in cars of a higher price range.
I know COE is at an all time high, but coming in at $166,999 (at the time of writing), the Good Cat offers relatively good amount of value for its price. Might this be purr-fect option if you’re looking to adopt a small, cute city runabout? We’ll let all you curious cats out there decide!
Photos by Joel Foo and James Wong
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