Volkswagen won’t be happy with Great Wall’s EV Beetle clone

Great Wall has cloned the classic Beetle as a four-door EV

A few days ago, Chinese automaker ORA gave us a sneak peek of their upcoming model. At the time, it didn’t have an official name, but it looked very much like a clone of the classic Volkswagen Beetle. With the 2021 Auto Shanghai now in full swing, the car has finally been revealed in full. The company also got an official name, and it’s called the Punk Cat. Perfect match for the Good Cat, don’t you think?

But naming aside, the Punk Cat looks very much like the classic Beetle we’ve all come to know about, only this one has four doors. From the two-tone paint to the shape of the body to the chrome bumpers, it’s very much ‘the people’s car.’ Upfront, there are two large round headlights mounted on the fenders, a signature design cue of the Beetle. Noticeably, it even has a small windshield and bumper guards like the classic VW.

Along the side, there are retro touches including, the bullet-style side mirrors and the chrome trim. It’s also hard to miss the wide fenders. At the rear, there are more Beetle-inspired design cues. The most obvious being the small taillights mounted on the fenders. There’s also a black trim that runs from the roof down to the rear, hiding the rear window.

Inside, it has more retro goodies. If the two-tone colorway isn’t throwback enough, there’s the large round steering wheel with chrome trim pieces and the pattern of the seats. Keen-eyed readers would also notice the parquet floor mats. The only not-so-retro piece is the giant touchscreen infotainment system at the center and the power-window switches.

No official details were mentioned regarding the Punk Cat’s powertrain. However, it will likely be similar to the one offered in Good Cat that recently debuted in Thailand. For reference, that model has a combined output of 145 PS and 210 Nm torque with a maximum range of 501 kilometers.

While most Chinese automakers stopped copying the design of other vehicles, it seems some, like ORA, are having a hard time kicking the habit. With that, the folks over at Volkswagen will certainly have something to say about the Punk Cat.