Ora Cat to be launched in UK early next year – review

EV-only Chinese brand, Ora, is to release their first model to the UK and Republic of Ireland markets early next year.

Prices will start at around £25,000, probably climbing to 30-ish for the top of the line model with all the extras and a bigger battery.

That’s not cheap compared to Ora’s previous model, the £7,000, China-only R1, but in the landscape of EVs currently on sale in Europe, it’s still right down the low end.

In fact, it places the Cat firmly into Volkswagen’s ID.3 territory, a car it has much in common with on paper.

Both pull off the same ‘small outside, big inside’ TARDIS trick thanks to bespoke EV architecture, and both offer extremely impressive range if specced correctly.

But inside, the two cars could not be more disparate. Where the ID.3’s cabin is let down by a sea of bland-looking, cheap-feeling plastics that leave you wondering if VW forgot to save any budget for the interior at all, the Ora cocoons you in premium materials.

The seats are wrapped in a soft leatherette as-standard and finished with a diamond-stitched pattern not unlike that found in Bentleys.

There are faux-wood inlays in the doors and centre console. Two large screens, also provided as-standard, serve the infotainment and gauge cluster.

Fully Charged’s, Jack Scarlett, said: “I’m sure many were hoping for a cheaper, more basic package from China’s first EV to land on UK soil. Those will come, but I think Ora has judged its first offering to perfection.

“No, it’s not dirt cheap, but it’s a very impressive offering for the price. Moreover it will serve as absolute proof to any remaining sceptics that Chinese car makers are more than capable of building products that can stand toe-to-toe with their European counterparts when it comes to quality.”

Watch the full video review below: