Say what you want about the car, but there’s no denying that the ‘Ora Good Cat‘ name is definitely unique. It appears, though, that the cat-chy name didn’t really resonate with buyers in Europe, as parent company Great Wall Motors (GWM) has decided to scrap it for a much more boring ‘GWM Ora 03’ in the region, Autocar reports.
The move is part of the ‘One GWM’ initiative – a push by GWM to bolster its brand strength in Europe. Alongside the Good Cat, the upcoming Lightning Cat will also be renamed as the GWM Ora 07, while the Wey Coffee 01 and Coffee 02 SUVs will be called the GWM Wey 05 and GWM Wey 03 respectively. Meh.
Both of these brands will now be sold under the same so-called “master brand”, which GWM said shows its “commitment to a more cohesive and recognisable global presence, particularly in the European market”.
The company also says that the approach will “increase the visibility of the Chinese automaker and allow GWM’s partners to apply a synergetic and efficient commercial approach from distribution down to dealer level”. Reading between the lines, the move could also be a cost-cutting measure for its dealers to sell models from both brands in the same dealership. Or maybe we’re just too cynical.
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While the rebranding is set to take effect in the UK from January 2024, there will not be any immediate changes to retailer branding and marketing activities in the country, according to a GWM spokesperson.
Ora and Wey will remain two separate brands, the company says, but are united by features common to all GWM models: “High-end technology such as advanced driving assistants, exceptional design, outstanding interior material quality and NVH, long-lasting quality and uncompromising safety, with several five-star ratings from Euro NCAP crash tests.”
There’s no indication yet if the new names will eventually make it into other regions. Here in Malaysia, the Ora Good Cat was unveiled nearly a year ago in two variants. The cheaper 400 Pro variant boasts a 47.8 kWh battery pack for a driving range of 400 km (NEDC), while the 500 Ultra gets up to 500 km of range (NEDC) thanks to its larger 63.1 kWh battery pack.
Selfishly, we hope that the feline-inspired naming scheme will remain on its cars here in Malaysia, at least to match its unique appearance. Otherwise, the cat-branded floor mats won’t make much sense, right?
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