Ora Ballet Cat receives power upgrade, may be renamed Ora 6

Ora — a brand under Great Wall Motors— is updating its electric city car, the Ballet Cat, launched in 2022. According to China's MIIT vehicle certification database, the refreshed model has been filed and is expected to launch by 2026. The core upgrades focus on enhanced powertrain performance — and potentially a new name: Ora 6 — aligning with the brand's broader shift away from animal-themed names toward a standardized numeric naming convention.

The current Ora Ballet Cat entered the Chinese market in 2022, with an official price range of ¥193,000–¥223,000. Its design pays homage to Volkswagen's Beetle, featuring soft proportions, pronounced wheel arches, an almost vertical windshield, and a fastback roofline. Marketed primarily toward female drivers, it previously offered features such as a 'Lady Driving Mode' (automatically increasing following distance), an in-cabin selfie camera, and a 'Gentleman Mode' (one-touch activation of cabin heating and seat warmers to ease menstrual discomfort). However, market reception fell short of expectations: per China EV DataTracker, cumulative deliveries between July 2022 and June 2026 totaled just 8,523 units.

Despite weak sales, GWM has opted to retain and refresh the model. Certification documents confirm the new version mounts a permanent-magnet synchronous motor codenamed QT36TZ220001, boosting peak output to 150 kW (~201 hp) — up from the current 126 kW (169 hp), an increase of ~40 hp — and raising top speed from 155 km/h to 180 km/h. The battery pack uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells supplied by GWM subsidiary SVOLT, though exact capacity remains undisclosed. Dimensions remain unchanged: 4,401 × 1,853 × 1,681 mm (L×W×H), wheelbase 2,750 mm, curb weight 1,750 kg; 18-inch wheels are standard, and the charging port stays mounted on the front fender.

Notably, the Ora brand is accelerating its naming-system overhaul: the Ora 5 hatchback has already launched in Europe; the upcoming Ora 7 will be a fully electric station wagon; if the Ora 6 moniker is confirmed, the Ballet Cat will serve as a pivotal transitional model within this numeric lineup. This move likely signals Ora's departure from 'cute-animal' branding toward a more international, standardized product identity.