How should the Ora Ballet Cat be evaluated? Can the Lightning Cat Travel Edition become a best-selling car?

The Great Wall Motor booth at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show was full of highlights, featuring the "dual-bridge" Tank 300 and a 3.0T-V6 power platform, as well as a domestically produced 4.0T-V8 engine. However, off-road vehicles remain a niche market segment and did not attract extremely high levels of attention. The buzz around new energy vehicles was significantly higher, prompting many media outlets to shift their focus to Great Wall Motor's subsidiary brand Ora's booth. Wei Jianjun also interacted with the media at the Ora booth.

During the discussion, the focus was on the Ora Ballet Cat model. Wei Jianjun expressed that the main reason for the vehicle's less-than-ideal sales performance was primarily due to insufficient marketing efforts. He also believes that this car is a classic design and will remain timeless for years to come.

Can this viewpoint be agreed with?

It cannot be denied that the design of the Ora Ballet Cat is indeed very unique, bearing some resemblance to the styles of the Volkswagen Beetle and TATRA T87&T97. The Beetle itself borrowed design elements from TATRA T87&T97, and the two automobile companies even ended up in court over this design inspiration. However, all of this is history long past, and merely having a similar style is not something to be criticized. Therefore, cars with such inherently retro styles indeed do not become outdated, as they do not adhere to the contemporary design trends of the times. To a certain extent, the factor affecting the sales of the Ora Ballet Cat may indeed be related to the vehicle's retro design, as retro products also fall within the "niche market" category.

Furthermore, most people in this retro "niche market" are veteran car enthusiasts, primarily male. However, Ora has been emphasizing "her economy," and the name Ballet Cat also gives people this impression.

If the Ora Ballet Cat were to adopt rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive systems, with the rear-wheel drive version achieving a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 7-8 seconds and the all-wheel drive version reaching approximately 5 seconds, and if it were equipped with a front double-wishbone and rear five-link independent suspension system, it would likely become a best-selling model in the "niche market" segment, provided the price and battery range remain unchanged.

Furthermore, if the battery range could be increased by an additional 100-150 kilometers for both versions, even with its retro design aesthetic, it has the potential to become a mainstream best-selling vehicle.

The Lightning Cat Travel Edition, unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show, retains the design essence of the sedan version, with the main body remaining largely consistent. A station wagon essentially elevates the trunk area and connects it to the passenger space, with an interior layout similar to that of an SUV. This design provides a larger three-dimensional trunk space and significantly expands storage capacity when the rear seats are folded, offering greater practicality.

Its cargo volume is increased by 25% compared to the standard sedan model.

The powertrain of the Travel Edition is also noteworthy, featuring a dual-motor all-wheel drive platform. With a combined maximum power output of 300 kW, it achieves a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.3 seconds, delivering impressive performance.

The CLTC range is 600 kilometers, which objectively meets the needs of travel.

The specific configuration and price have not yet been confirmed.

However, the Ora Lightning Cat sedan all-wheel drive high-performance version can be used as a reference. The 2024 model is priced at 272,800 yuan. The vehicle is equipped with an intelligent assisted driving system and a lidar. It is worth paying attention to whether this important configuration can enhance the capabilities of the vehicle's intelligent driving system.

Indeed, the Lightning Cat's front-wheel drive variant adopts a front-wheel drive layout. However, this model is positioned as a sporty vehicle with only moderate dimensions (487118621500mm). It is reasonable to believe that automotive enthusiasts who favor this model would likely prioritize driving dynamics. Moreover, premium electric vehicle consumers generally tend to be driving enthusiasts. Consequently, the current mainstream premium electric vehicles predominantly adopt rear-wheel drive for their two-wheel drive variants, and even mainstream manufacturers are gradually shifting toward rear-wheel drive platforms, as evidenced by BYD's recent adoption of rear-wheel drive architectures in their models.

Therefore, both the Lightning Cat and the Ballet Cat might benefit from considering upgrades to their drivetrain configurations. Enhancing driving engagement could potentially attract broader attention and expand their market appeal.