Test drive: The Ora Good Cat – A perfect EV under RM200k?

PETALING JAYA, June 23 — You must have heard or seen about the Ora Good Cat, a pretty cute and funky looking electric car (EV).

It is one of those EVs — or BEV (battery electric vehicle) if you want to be more technically-correct — that is sold under the RM200,000 mark here in Malaysia.

The prospect of having an EV has been an interesting idea for the last year or two but the prices which remain premium remain an issue, as with any other new tech.

Enter the Ora Good Cat, priced from just under RM140,000.

To those uninitiated, the car is an offering under Great Wall Motor, now known as GWM, with the Ora, the sub-brand for EV cars.

The Ora Good Cat is a blend of retro and modern styles that will get you attention. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

Stylish yet quirky

We had a go at the Good Cat 500 Ultra, which retails at RM169,800.

For RM30,000 extra over the base Good Cat 400 Pro, there’s a bigger battery (63kWh compared to 48kWh) with the driving range of up to 500km, as the name suggests.

The Ora Good Cat offers a blend in styling, with retro elements can be seen through its round-shaped headlights, five spoke wheel design, and hatchback body style with dual-tone colour.

Meanwhile it offers modern aspects like LED headlights, a light bar for the tail lights, and a clean, minimalist interior design.

There are also premium touches to the car, such as the diamond-like textures on each corner of the front bumper, a wide area of leather wrap around the cabin, leather seats, and a huge panoramic sunroof.

A couple of prominent things I liked about the Ora Good Cat at this point is how spacious the cabin is, both in front and in the rear.

There was a generous amount of headroom and legroom, with great visibility outside.

A minimalist interior design. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

I also liked the fact that you do not need to press any button to start the car up. It is ready to be driven the moment you unlock and get into the car.

Just engage into Drive and you’re good to go, which works in a similar manner like most EVs.

There was actually a power button located down the right-hand corner of the dashboard near your knee, but it is not a mandatory button to use.

Anything particular that I disliked?

Well, I found that the warning from its safety features like the Front Collision Warning to be too intrusive and sensitive.

Other cars also have a similar feature but in the Good Cat, the audio warning could actually disrupt the peace and comfort of passengers.

The air-conditioning settings are also buried deep inside the infotainment menu, a common trait for cars that are designed to have a minimalist cockpit.

Tapping a couple of times on the 10-inch screen just to adjust the temperature was not something very practical, especially when you are driving.

The Ora Good Cat is a good entry level EV. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

Living with the Ora Good Cat

The Ora Good Cat behaves in similar fashion like any other EV cars of its categories, attractively ideal for inner city drives but is not so much for highway cruising.

The 63kWh battery churns out 143hp and 210Nm of torque, equivalent to a 1.8-litre naturally-engine I would say, but since it is an EV, peak power came from zero rpm, making the Good Cat zippy and fun around town.

You accelerate effortlessly out of junctions to get up to speed for a more confident drive.

With no roaring engine, the refinement was top notch.

I found myself willing to go out for grocery runs more than ever with the Good Cat, being comfy and easy to drive, and a great daily runner.

And don’t forget the attention you will get with this car.

People tend to stare and give extra glance due to the vibrant look of the Good Cat.

Even kids walking with their parents by the road side grin and point.

Safe to say you unconsciously make people’s day simply by driving the car.

One thing that is not so ideal with the Good Cat is hitting the highway.

Since there is no gearbox, the linearity of the motor speed made it less efficient to travel at high speed for prolonged time.

You’ll be fine if you cruise below 105km/h.

Beyond that, the battery percentage and range is drastically eaten up.

An attractive looker, the Ora Good Cat is a good choice for inner city driving. — Picture by Amirul Hazmi

It’s better to accelerate full throttle from standing still than highway cruising with this car.

Lastly and quite importantly, is the charging element.

The car is capable of 6.6kW AC charging and 60kW DC fast charging.

I managed to charge the car up using a DC fast charger. It took around an hour and 5 minutes to charge from 17 percent (80km range) up to 85 percent (410km).

I was billed around RM79.20 for 43.12kWh of juice or 330km additional range.

If we are to compare this to petrol cars, it is not going to be very cost-friendly since charging is still an open market, so the rate really depends on the operators.

However, EV car owners would not use DC charging on a daily basis, opting instead for overnight AC charging instead, which is also better for the battery, which would lead more cost-effective compared to fossil fuel.

Owning an EV however is more than just reducing fuel expenses.

With its premium looks, well built and packed with all the latest technology you could find on any other car today, the Ora Good Cat is one of the most attractive cars for those who have just jumped on the EV bandwagon.