A new Chinese electric car has gone on sale in Ireland with a name that will certainly cause instances of "a what?" response when owners mention their new motor, writes Brian Byrne.
The Funky Cat is built by Ora, an electric cars subsidiary of Great Wall Motors and is being distributed here by the IM Group. There are currently dealers in Dublin, Cork and Galway — the Linders Group, Blackwater Motor Group, and Connolly Motors respectively.
Available with two range options, the model prices start at €31,995 after subsidies for the 300 PRO 48kWh version with a rated range of 310km. A 400 PRO+ version has a rated range of 420km from its 63kWh battery and costs €39,995. A 5-year unlimited mileage warranty is standard, and the battery is warranted for eight years or 160,000km.
The styling is retro in places, especially the front end which has a deliberately soft look to keep with the marketing emphasis on the Funky Cat being a 'companion' and 'friend' for its owner. In size, while the styling makes it look small, it is in the same space as a Volkswagen ID.3, the Cupra Born, and the Megane E-Tech.
At a first drive event yesterday the immediate impression was of a high quality fit and finish interior, with very simple controls and an intuitive touch-screen infotainment system.
