A new electric ute from Volvo's Chinese owner Geely – with more than 300kW, and based on car-derived underpinnings – could be months away from Australia.
Electric Cars
The Radar electric ute from Chinese car giant Geely – destined for Australia as the Riddara – could be in local showrooms by the end of this year, pending any delays.
Plans to sell the Riddara ute in Australia have previously been confirmed, after going on sale in the right-hand-drive Thai market last year.
Now it has been revealed the Riddara RD6 is due to arrive in Australia "hopefully this year", according to a brand representative speaking to Drive at the Shanghai motor show last week.
The Riddara official said electric and just-revealed plug-in hybrid variants of the RD6 are on the wish list for Australia, but it is yet to be confirmed if one or both will make it to market initially.
The RD6 – based on car-derived, not heavy-duty ladder-frame underpinnings – will be marketed locally under the Riddara brand, selected for export markets due to a trademark clash with the Radar tyre maker.
However, the official said Riddara may lean on elements of the Geely dealer network, which recently opened its doors in Australia with the EX5 electric SUV.
Prices and model range details are yet to be announced for local showrooms, and Geely Australia has not commented on plans for the brand beyond confirmation from head office in China that the ute will be sold here.
In Thailand, prices range from 899,000 baht ($AU42,000) for the entry-level rear-wheel-drive model with a 63kWh battery, to 1.299 million baht ($AU60,500) for the flagship, all-wheel-drive grade with an 86kWh battery.
A top-of-the-range Geely EX5 is priced from 949,000 baht ($AU44,200) in Thailand, or $44,990 plus on-road costs in Australia, suggesting local pricing for the RD6 could be close to Thailand's RRPs.
It would make the Geely-built dual-cab the cheapest of the few electric utes on sale, undercutting the SUV-ute mash-up that is the Deepal E07 ($64,900 plus on-roads).
Measuring 5260mm long, 1900mm wide and 1865mm tall, on a 3120mm wheelbase, the Riddara RD6 is similar in size to a Toyota HiLux, but swaps its ladder chassis for a car-derived platform used by other Geely group electric cars.
Internal dimensions of the tub come in at 1525mm long, 1425mm wide and 540mm high, making it slightly smaller than the trays of a Ranger or HiLux.
Entry-level electric models overseas use a 200kW/385Nm rear electric motor connected to 63kWh or 73kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs, good for rated driving ranges in NEDC lab testing of 373km and 461km respectively.
All-wheel drive is available through dual motors – developing 315kW/595Nm combined – matched with 73kWh LFP or 86kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries offering claimed NEDC ranges of 424km and 455km respectively.
Revealed at the Shanghai motor show was a plug-in hybrid RD6, claiming a 1000km driving range in hybrid mode from a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, electric motor and LFP battery.
Rear-drive electric versions quote a 500mm maximum wading depth and 2500kg braked towing capacity, increased to 815mm and 3000kg respectively in all-wheel-drive models, which also sit 9mm higher and add off-road drive modes.
A payload of 1030kg is quoted across the electric range in Thailand.
Riddara quotes 0-100km/h acceleration times of 7.3 and 4.5 seconds respectively for electric models with rear- and all-wheel drive.
DC fast charging is claimed at up to 90kW for the 63kWh pack, 110kW for the 73kWh battery, and 100kW for the 86kWh unit, for 30 to 80 per cent recharge times of 32, 30 and 32 minutes respectively.
Available features in Thailand include a 14.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch instrument display, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats, ventilation for the front and rear seats, and leather-look seats.
There are no locking differentials or low-range capabilities, but a selection of off-road traction-control modes is included in all-wheel-drive versions.
More details of the Riddara RD6 ute are due closer to its mooted Australian launch by the end of this year.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
