2022 GWM Ora Ballet Cat specs revealed for the Chinese market

Key specification details for the 2022 GWM Ora Ballet Cat have been announced.

The five-door retro-inspired electric hatch will go on sale in China in late March, in spite of concerns surrounding its similarities to the Volkswagen Beetle.

A spokesperson for the German brand told Carscoops it is investigating the vehicle “with regard to any violations of utility model or design rights of Volkswagen AG and reserves the right to take any necessary legal steps.”

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As the so-called ‘feminine’ version of the GWM Ora Punk Cat – which debuted at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show – the Ballet Cat swaps the Beetle-inspired circular headlights and tail-lights out for a horseshoe-like set.

There are also fewer lashings of chrome trims and minor tweaks to the front and rear bumpers, along with two-tone paint and more-intricate alloy wheels.

The dimensions for the Ballet Cat are similar in nature to small hatchbacks – such as the Hyundai i30, Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla – at 4401 millimetres long and 1867mm wide.

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At 1633mm high and a wheelbase measuring 2750mm, it could also pass off as a small or medium SUV – with the skateboard EV platform allowing for the capacious footprint, much like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

It will be offered with a single 126kW/250Nm electric motor powering the front wheels, combined with the choice of a 47.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or 59.1kWh lithium-ion battery.

The electric driving range is said to be in excess of 500 kilometres, with a top speed of 155km/h.

Chinese pricing is yet to be announced, but it isn’t likely to stray far from the related Punk Cat, which starts at ¥103,900 (AU$23,122) and goes up to ¥143,900 (AU$32,024).

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Above: GWM Ora Cat 01

While the GWM Ora Ballet Cat and Punk Cat are both highly unlikely to extend beyond Chinese borders, the electric vehicle marque is gearing up for a local launch.

“Under the overwhelming wave of electrification, as one of the important areas of Great Wall Motor's global strategic map, the Australian market has laid out the line-up of electrified products prospectively,” the company announced in a statement.

“In 2022, the first batch of electric models will be launched in Australia, including the pure-electric brand Ora.”

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The first model to arrive will be the GWM Ora Cat 01 (pictured above), which offers the choice of 48kWh or 63kWh battery packs supplying a 126kW/250Nm motor driving the front wheels.

Although it is priced at around £25,000 in the UK (AU$46,000), the hatch could undercut the $44,990 drive-away MG ZS EV when it arrives locally, making it the cheapest electric vehicle in Australia.