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2022 GWM Ora Cat detailed: Chinese Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq Electric rival ready to pounce into Australia

The Ora Cat can travel up to 400km on a single charge thanks to its 63kWh battery.

Great Wall Motors (GWM) will launch its premium Wey and electric Ora brands in Europe, with the latter expected to arrive in Australia in the near future to shake-up the burgeoning tailpipe emissions-free market.

In the past, GWM has made no secret of its ambitions to launch its Ora electric car brand in Australia to sell alongside its already-established Haval SUVs and upcoming Tank off-roaders, and the Cat revealed in Munich is its best shot yet at stealing sales away from the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric.

Also known as the Good Cat in Thailand and Haomao in its native Chinese market, the Ora Cat measures 4235mm long, 1825mm wide, 1596mm tall and has a 2650mm wheelbase, making it slightly shorter than its aforementioned rivals, but also wider and taller.

As a full electric model, the Ora Cat features a 126kW/250Nm powertrain, which drives the front wheels for a zero-to-100kmh/ acceleration time of just 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 160km/h.

With its 63kWh battery in tow, expected driving range is up to 400 kilometres as tested on the more stringent WLTP standards, which more than matches the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric’s 315km and 373km claims.

Equipment includes a 20.5-inch dual screen and 18-inch alloy wheels, but full specifications are yet to be revealed.

Powering the gargantuan screens is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor though, while GWM has tapped Intel Mobileye for its intelligent driving systems, which includes automatic parking and reversing.

Other safety equipment includes a surround-view monitor, driver attention alert and six airbags.

However, the biggest question mark over the Ora Cat might be its price.

GWM Australia will likely position the Ora Cat as a more affordable option to the Leaf (from $49,990) and Hyundai Ioniq Electric (from $49,970), and could even undercut the MG ZS EV SUV (from $44,990 drive-away).

Order books for the Ora Cat open in Europe at the end of the year for delivers in the first half of 2022, while an Australian arrival could come soon after.

Though Ora has revealed cars in the past like the Black Cat and Punk Cat, it remains to be seen if these retro-styled models will make it to markets like Europe and Australia.

Alongside the Ora Cat, GWM will also bring its Wey Coffee 01 to Germany – the first time the premium brand has left its home market of China.

Roughly the same size as a Toyota Kluger, the Wey Coffee 01 features a plug-in hybrid powertrain, delivering 350kW/847Nm from a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motor combination.

Wey claims a 150km all-electric driving range thanks to a 41.8kWh battery, while the landmark 0-100km/h acceleration can be achieved in just 5.0s thanks to all-wheel-drive traction.

Unlike Ora however, it is understood that the Wey brand is not under consideration for an Australian-market debut.