Paris showcase also includes a development of first Ora set for sale here in January.

ANOTHER electric car brand within the Great Wall Motor group seems to making noises about availing its fare in right-hand drive, a potential that might well put New Zealand in the picture. 

The impression from Wey, a premium brand in China, is that rather than start with a wholly battery-compelled car, it might begin its push with a plug-in hybrid sports utility it is displaying at the Paris motor show. 

Talk about prospects for the Coffee 01 (above), a sharp-looking medium five-seater, came at that event.

The model marries a 152kW 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine combined with a 40kWh battery and twin electric motors on the front and rear axles to deliver a total output of 375kW and an impressive electric-only range of 150km. The company quotes a 0-100kmh time of five seconds.

Although it is strong in China, with more than 400,000 sales, and has been quietly infiltrating into Europe since 2017, a year after its founding, Wey has not until now been involved in GWM’s right-hand-drive activity. 

With its own Great Wall product now well known, the conglomerate is now looking to serve up Ora cars, the starter being the Good Cat, also alternately badged as the Funky Cat in some export countries (and Haomao at home). While pricing here is still being sorted, GWM country manager, Todd Groves, has been quoted say the model – which is set to avail in two formats – might kick in around the $50,000 mark. The Cat is expected to launch locally in January 2023.  

Interesting, a concept nominated as a development of that car is also at Paris. The Next Ora Cat (above and below), which appears very close to being production ready, amounts to an elongated version of the Good Cat hatchback, but 636mm longer and 37mm wider.

Next Ora Cat is intended to rival the Ioniq 6, which Hyundai is about to launch here next year – with display debut at the national Feildays at Mystery Creek at the end of next month – and  Tesla’s Model 3. 

As with the Good Cat, the Next Ora Cat appears to borrow some design inspiration from Porsche, transposing the oval headlights mounted on pronounced front wings and a domed rear end with flip-up spoiler onto a compact sedan body.

Inside, there’s a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster within three interlocking circles. This and a three-spoke steering wheel sit ahead of the driver with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen mounted centrally above a high centre console that houses physical climate control dials.

Ora claims the four-wheel-drive electric powertrain uses two motors that can deliver a combined 300kW and 680Nm of torque, enough for a 0-100kmh time of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 180kmh. The car’s 83kWh battery is capable of a 450km range, although that’s under Chinese testing conditions.

Coffee 01, meantime, is already being set to go on sale in Germany and the firm has identified Israel and the United Kingdom as its next markets. Israel drives on the right.

Wey Coffee 01 aims to be seen as a premium proposition so is big on tech, with four interior screens (the main one being a hefty 14.6-inch unit), an augmented reality display, face recognition technology, Wi-Fi and over-the-air software updates. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality are standard.

It’s going to be followed, within a year, by a smaller two-wheel-drive PHEV, the Coffee 02, which will have equivalent spec to Coffee 01 and also more or less match it in performance aspects.