Ora Funky Cat Review: Cute, Cheap, but Half-Baked

You will be forgiven for not knowing about the subsidiary of China's Great Wall automotive. After making a car that the Italian firm thought looked similar to its Panda, the company struck a partnership with BMW to make the Mini Electric in China. It is the giant's newest electric offering.

It is called the Funky Cat and it is the first time that she has ventured into Europe. Thanks to its cute design, friendly price point, and tech heavy specifications, the car has found fans all over the internet. We spent some time with it after it became available in the UK.

The Funky Cat has an advantage over its competitors. With few options to throw on top, it is considerably cheaper than its more established competitors. This platform is purpose-built for an electric powertrain, so batteries won't be a problem.

You might wonder what the catch is when you look at the specifications. A 48kWh battery pack sends 171 PS to the front wheels, which allows for a sprightly 8.3-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 99 mph. The range is almost 200 miles. The battery tops off in less than 45 minutes on a 100 kilowatt DC charge.

That is fairly average for an EV. It's the tech inside that's impressive, including a voice assistant, cameras that can tell if you're tired, a 10.25-inch screen, and more.

There are a few flaws in the car. The paint looks like an orange peel if caught in the right light. Even though they want you to think their quilted interior fabrics are premium, they don't. The badges on the first edition cars subtract more than they add. It's a sweet little thing, but it wouldn't be out of place in a Grand Theft Auto game.

Its tech is close to being there. You need to rely on Ora's navigation efforts because there won't be Apple CarPlay orAndroid Auto until the first half of 2023. Audio instructions are often confusing and at one point it warned of a congestion.

The interface of the screen isn't intuitive. Loaning the car to a friend will result in calls asking how to swap between the two screens. The car has a 4G connection that allows internet radio and over the air services. There will be more available via paid subscription in the future. If the signal is patchy, web radio won't work. The Funky Cat is better suited to buffer because it is slow to buffer.