Australia is on Geely’s radar for its fledgling electrical ute model.
Radar Auto confirmed in April it might construct its solely product, the RD6, in right-hand drive, and export it underneath the Riddara nameplate.
However in the identical month, the corporate additionally quietly confirmed Australia can be among the many export markets for the model.
“With a extra aggressive new product and repair system, Radar Auto will speed up its enlargement into abroad markets, repeatedly increasing to markets in Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, Thailand, Center East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, and different international locations and areas, and perfecting its international structure,” the corporate mentioned in a press launch.
The corporate hasn’t launched any additional data on launch timing, or which variants of the RD6 it should convey right here.
Geely registered a trademark for the Riddara identify in Australia in March 2023. It’s nonetheless registered and guarded.
It cancelled its trademark utility for the Radar identify in Australia in November 2022 following opposition to its registration from Omni United, a Singapore-based tyre firm that has a tyre sub-brand referred to as Radar Tires.
The RD6 is the primary car from the electrical “way of life car” model, established in 2022.
It rides a model of Geely’s Sustainable Expertise Structure (SEA) referred to as the Multiplex Connected Platform, which options MacPherson strut entrance and multi-link impartial rear suspension.
SEA underpins a raft of vehicles and SUVs, which contrasts the RD6 with electrical utes just like the LDV eT60 that use a standard body-on-frame ute platform.
The RD6 is obtainable in both single-motor rear-wheel drive or just lately revealed dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations, although solely the previous has been confirmed for export markets so far.
Specs for the RD6 are as follows:
| RWD | AWD | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 200kW | 315kW |
| Torque | 385Nm | 594Nm |
| Battery | 63kWh lithium iron phosphate 86kWh ternary lithium |
73kWh lithium iron phosphate 86kWh ternary lithium |
| Claimed vary (CLTC) | 385km (63kWh) 517km (86kWh) |
460km (73kWh) 520km (86kWh) |
| 0-100km/h | 7.3 seconds (63kWh) 6.9 seconds (86kWh) |
4.5 seconds |
| Payload | 775kg | 815kg-865kg |
| Towing capability | 2500kg | 3000kg |
For rear-wheel drive fashions, the model claims a kerb weight of 2065-2090kg, in addition to 220mm of floor clearance.
The RD6 is across the similar measurement because the Nissan Navara, with a bath barely smaller than these of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
| Radar RD6 | |
|---|---|
| Size | 5260mm |
| Width | 1900mm |
| Peak | 1865mm |
| Wheelbase | 3120mm |
| Tub size | 1525mm |
| Tub width | 1450mm |
| Tub top | 540mm |
The RD6 is obtainable with vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, with a most output of 15kW from the quick charging port, 6kW from the discharge panel within the tub, and a pair of.2kW from the panel within the 70L storage cavity underneath the bonnet.
Relying on the variant, there’s both a 12.3-inch or 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system, in addition to a selection of three.5-inch or 10.2-inch digital instrument clusters.
The corporate says the RD6 has Degree 2+ autonomous driving functionality, with out there lively security expertise together with adaptive cruise management, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep help, rear cross-traffic help, and site visitors signal recognition.
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RD6 Horizon
Different out there gear contains matrix LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, and power-adjustable, heated and ventilated entrance seats.
It’s unclear how the RD6 can be distributed in Australia, although Geely-owned manufacturers like Volvo, Polestar and Lotus already function right here and Zeekr can be right here earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
Native trademark filings and job advertisements additionally point out Geely may convey its namesake model right here.
Whereas there’s a bevy of electrical utes out there in markets just like the US, there’s only one right here: the slow-selling LDV eT60. Simply eight of those had been offered right here within the first half of 2024.
LDV plans to launch a new-generation electrical ute in 2025, and fellow Chinese language model JAC has additionally indicated it desires to convey an electrical ute right here.
