Author: Knight Errant

In recent days, I have been driven crazy by several “cats”. Using “units” to modify cats, you can probably guess who is the “culprit” behind this.

Yes, it is Euler Motors, which uses “the car brand that loves women more” as its slogan.

Although I am not sure if all female friends are crazy about cats, in Euler’s view, there must be an equal sign between the two. This can be seen from the fact that it joyfully associates all car models with “XX cats”.

From Euler R1’s renaming as Black Cat, to White Cat and Good Cat (recently added White Cat’s Wildcat and Good Cat GT), and Punk Cat and Ballet Cat, which have appeared but not yet officially launched, their perseverance tells us that the number of cat members in the Euler family will only increase, and the models will become richer.

Now, with the Chengdu Auto Show opening soon, Euler’s latest cat model, the Lightning Cat, has started a new round of publicity. The first appearance of Lightning Cat can be traced back to the Shanghai Auto Show in April this year. At that time, with its streamlined design, it attracted the attention of many people, and even in the eyes of some people, it saw the shadow of many classic car models.

From the latest official pictures, the new ice powder diamond color added to the Euler Lightning Cat not only looks full of girlishness, but also adds a touch of luxury to the whole car. Coupled with the retro styling and elegant color wheels, there is really a feeling of modern girls wearing cheongsams swaying their bodies in the disco.

The highest level of Lightning Cat’s appearance is its side, the coupe design, coordinated front and rear proportions, and the glass sunroof that runs through the entire roof make people unconsciously produce a visual and psychological comfort and satisfaction. In addition, hidden door handles and frameless doors will also be standard features of Lightning Cat. Although the official has not announced the specific size of Lightning Cat, the wheelbase is known to be 2800mm, and it will probably be positioned as a compact sedan in the future.

When it comes to the tail of the vehicle, it may be the most controversial part of the NIO Lightning Cat. From different angles, it seems that you can find some familiar feelings. The breakage of the glass skylight, combined with its design at the connection point of the body, will remind people of the early Volkswagen Beetle; the design of the tail, combined with the curve treatment of the side, will remind people of Porsche Panamera; and the elliptical taillights seem to have a taste of the Continental GT. Actually, it’s hard to define for the Lightning Cat whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, because there is no clear boundary between reference and imitation, it depends on whether a tacit understanding can be formed between the seller and the buyer.

Walking into the car, the interior of the NIO Lightning Cat is surprising. Without exaggeration, it is NIO’s masterpiece so far in terms of interior design. The color matching is bright, the materials are exquisite, and the stitching and texture treatment of the seats, steering wheel and other places are quite delicate and in place; at the same time, metal materials are also used in the power window buttons, steering wheel buttons, center console area, etc., so the entire car has a high-end sense without worry.

Like mainstream new energy vehicles, the NIO Lightning Cat has almost no physical buttons retained, and only retains an air conditioning adjustment knob in the center console area, and other functions are concentrated in two screens of different sizes above. However, surprisingly, the Lightning Cat did not use a large LCD instrument panel, but instead used a three-barrel design, which was quite retro.

It is certain that the NIO Lightning Cat will have a four-seat model in the future, and the rear seats are also independent integrated seats. Considering that a wide and thick central armrest is set in the center of the rear seats, it is definitely not because the body width is not enough that the car is not made into a five-seat model, but because the official wants to make it a comfortable car for everyone in the car, and will not compromise. In addition to the luxurious interior atmosphere and avant-garde exterior design of the Lightning Cat, both inside and outside are in line with the attitude of GT sports cars, so the positioning and pricing of the Lightning Cat model may bring some surprises.

Based on available information, the Ora Lightning Cat will be equipped with dual motors and four-wheel drive, and can achieve a maximum range of 700 km. The performance version of the vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds.

In addition to the Lightning Cat, Ora recently released information about another new vehicle – the Ballet Cat. However, compared to the Lightning Cat, the Ballet Cat does not bring much freshness, as it has almost the same design as the previously unveiled Punk Cat, but with more retro details, resembling the Volkswagen Beetle. So it is very likely that the Ballet Cat and Punk Cat will be products of the same series, just with different design styles tailored to different consumer aesthetics, similar to the idea of different exterior kits for the same model in traditional gasoline-powered cars.

In addition to its focus on sedans, the Ora family’s SUV models are also still under development. Yesterday, Ora officially named its new compact SUV the Cherry Cat, which is the renamed version of the Ora Big Cat that was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier. According to information filed with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Cherry Cat will offer two range versions, with a range of 470 km and 600 km, and will be available in two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

The Black Cat, White Cat (including the Lynx), Good Cat (including the Good Cat GT), Punk Cat, Ballet Cat, Lightning Cat, and Cherry Cat (formerly the Big Cat) make up the latest cat-themed family of Ora. If the names of the earlier cats were still understandable, Ora’s completely unleashed naming conventions at the end of the lineup are really a bit mind-boggling. And all of Ora’s confidence ultimately comes from the support of Great Wall Motors behind it.

From Haval Big Dog, Great Wall Motors has found a new way to break the mold in model naming, with a shocking and unyielding attitude. Tank Tank 300, Tank 500, Haval First Love, Haval Chitu, Haval Mocha, Haval Divine Beast, and Euler’s “XX Cat” are all the same routine. It’s hard to say how much of an effect this naming strategy, which infuriates straight men, will have on the entire Great Wall Group’s sales, but it is certain that many people have gradually gone from surprise, curiosity, and excitement when they first saw “Big Dog” and “Tank” to becoming increasingly indifferent today.

Creativity, when played well, is called creativity, and when played loosely, it becomes the story of the boy who cried wolf. Backed by Great Wall Motors, Euler has enough strength to make products a testing ground, and from the sales point of view, the naming of the Cat series has no negative effect on Euler’s overall sales. It’s just that as “cats” become more and more numerous, the marginal effect of consumers’ sensitivity to names has gradually decreased. Will it confuse car owners in the future? Digging deeper into the women’s market segment is a smart idea, but in addition to focusing on names and appearance, understanding the true core of women’s needs is the real support for this brand to go further. From replication to innovation, Euler has a long way to go.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.