While Geely is just getting the ball rolling here in New Zealand with its sharply-priced EX5, it has big plans for the future. And part of those ambitions is to offer a ute here in NZ. One of Geely group’s brands is Radar Auto, which according to its website is – “a high-end new energy outdoors lifestyle vehicle brand, created for a new generation of global consumers that demand vehicles that are as sustainable as their adventures into nature”. One of its models is the Radar RD6, a double cab pick up.
Talking with NZ Autocar Managing Editor, Richard Edwards, recently at the pricing announcement of the EX5, Giltrap Group head of retail, Dane Fisher, said a ute is certainly part of the brand’s growth plan here in NZ.
“A ute is absolutely essential to gaining significant market traction here. Although the current electric ute is under a separate Geely division, we’re actively evaluating options. I believe it’s inevitable that we’ll include a ute in our lineup—it’s simply a matter of when rather than if.”
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Last year, a statement online read; “Radar Auto will accelerate its expansion into overseas markets, continuously expanding to markets in Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, Thailand, Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America.” So we guess it’ll be coming at some point then.
The RD6 leans more into the lifestyle side of the pick up world, it having a unibody design rather than the usual separate chassis construction used by Hilux and Ranger. And neither does it have a diesel engine, rather it uses motors and batteries to do its thing.
But the stats are convincing. Size wise it has similar dimensions to Hilux and Ranger and comes in both rear and AWD configurations. With dual motors, the AWD has as much as 315kW and close to 600Nm. The rear drive model gets 200kW and 384Nm while battery packs range in size from 63 to 86kWh. The RWD model has a tow rating of 3000kg, and a payload of 865kg.
Pricing will prove critical as always for the Geely ute, and whether there is a genuine appetite for an all electric pick up in NZ is yet to be determined also.
