Few electric cars manage to attract as much attention as the ORA Ballet Cat. Since its presentation, this Great Wall Motor (GWM) model has been popularly known as the ‘Chinese Volkswagen Beetle’ due to its obvious aesthetic inspiration in the iconic German model. Now, the brand has decided to update it with an update that improves one of its most important aspects: the power of its engine.

The renewal has already appeared in the approval documents published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT). Although on the outside it hardly presents any changes, it does incorporate more powerful mechanics that will allow it to offer superior performance without modifying its philosophy of an urban electric car with a marked retro approach.

A mechanic with a fair set-up

While the model remains practically identical to what is already known, the main novelty of the new ORA Ballet Cat is found under its bodywork. The electric motor goes from developing 169 HP to now delivering 201 HP. This represents an increase of 32 HP compared to the version marketed until now. This is thanks to the renewal of its ‘zero emissions’ block, which is now called ‘QT36TZ220001’.

At the moment, Great Wall Motor has not announced changes to the battery or its approved autonomy. Everything indicates that it will maintain the LFP chemistry accumulator supplied by SVOLT. It is expected that its official capacity and autonomy (in case there are changes) will be confirmed in a matter of a few months, when its arrival on the market is official.

Where it does continue to stand out is in its design. The Ballet Cat maintains an aesthetic clearly inspired by the classic Volkswagen Beetle, with round headlights, very soft shapes and an easily recognizable silhouette. All this accompanied by numerous retro-inspired details both on the exterior and in the cabin, where rounded shapes and a much more casual image predominate than that of most current electric cars.

Specs that feel familiar

It also preserves its dimensions practically intact. The model measures 4,401 mm in length, 1,867 mm in width and 1,633 mm in height, while the wheelbase reaches 2,750 mm. As a reference, it is very close in dimensions to a Volkswagen ID.3, for example. This allows it to offer a fairly spacious cabin and position itself within the compact electric segment.

The ORA Ballet Cat was born with a very different approach from other Great Wall Motor models. Instead of betting on a futuristic design, the company decided to create a car with a markedly nostalgic image, especially aimed at those looking for a different vehicle with a lot of personality.

Despite this, this update shows that Great Wall Motor is still committed to keeping one of its most unique models alive. The increase in power will allow it to offer a somewhat more agile drive, while the rest of the vehicle maintains a recipe that has managed to clearly differentiate it within the Chinese market. It is also expected to maintain its current price of 193,000 yuan (about 24,970 euros at the current exchange rate).

A car that remains focused on the Chinese market

Although the Ballet Cat continues to be a niche product, it also reflects an increasingly common trend among Chinese manufacturers: developing cars with their own identity and away from conventional designs. In this case, also, recovering the spirit of one of the most recognizable automobiles in history to completely adapt it to electric mobility. Its marketing, however, remains limited to the Chinese market. The brand has not announced plans to sell this model in Europe, where it does sell other members of the family, such as the well-known ORA 5.