The Geely contingent is showing its might at the ongoing Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) with no less than three brands, including the main Geely Auto marque and the upmarket Zeekr. Completing the trifecta is Riddara with its sole offering, the RD6 that was launched back in Thailand in October.
Believe it or not, this electric pick-up truck is the first such vehicle to be sold in Thailand, beating competitors such as the JAC T9 EV, Maxus T90 EV (the combustion-engined version is sold in the Land of Smiles as the MG Extender) and the forthcoming Toyota Hilux BEV and Isuzu D-Max EV. Its Japanese rivals are set to enter production this year but until then, the Riddara is still king.
To recap, the RD6 is the first global model from Riddara, a new Geely pick-up truck brand that was renamed from Radar after a trademark dispute. It’s based on the Multiplex Attached Platform (MAP) and uses the front section of the Geely Haoyue/Okavango/Proton X90, attached to a pick-up bed. As such, this is a monocoque truck with independent MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension.
As you can see, this RD6 is slightly different from the one that’s sold in China, and that’s because it’s based on the newer Horizon, bringing with it the massive illuminated Riddara script on the grille, a black roof option and a new triangular design for the available 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels.
Inside, you’ll find a brand new dashboard and door cards, the former incorporating a full-width air-con vent design, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and a freestanding infotainment touchscreen. There’s also a “floating” centre console with a Qi wireless charger on all but the base model.
The RD6 shares its powertrain with cars built on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), such as the smart #1, Volvo EX30 and Zeekr X. That means the base models get a single rear motor that produces 272 PS (200 kW) and 385 Nm of torque, getting the truck from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. Four-wheel drive variants add a second motor to the front, bringing total outputs to an impressive 428 PS (315 kW) and 590 Nm and nearly halving the century sprint time to 4.5 seconds.
Elsewhere, the 63 and 73 kWh batteries are lithium iron phosphate (LFP) packs that provide a range of 373 and 461 km respectively (424 km for the AWD 73 kWh model). The top-spec AWD 86 kWh variant uses a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, enabling the truck to travel up to 455 km on a single charge. These figures are on the NEDC cycle, so expect real-world range to be quite a bit lower.
Charging speeds vary depending on the battery fitted. The 63 kWh pack can support up to 90 kW of DC fast charging, taking 32 minutes to top it up from 30 to 80%, while the 73 kWh battery bumps up the input to 110 kWh and marginally shortens the charging time to 30 minutes.
Presumably due to the NMC chemistry, the 86 kWh battery can only accept up to 100 kW, so the charging time goes back up to 32 minutes. All RD6s can be AC charged up to only 6.6 kW, charging the battery from 20 to 100% in 7.8 hours for the 63 kWh model, 9.3 hours for the 73 kWh variants and 11 hours for the 86 kWh version.
The RD6 has a water wading depth of 500 mm for the 2WD models and 815 mm with 4WD, the latter thanks to an extra nine millimetres of ground clearance and increased sealing for better waterproofing. The 4WD variants also bump up the towing capacity from 2,500 to 3,000 kg and add snow, mud, cross-country and water wading drive modes. All models come with a bed cargo capacity of 1,200 litres and have a payload of 1,030 kg, making them proper one-tonne trucks. Oddly, only the top-of-the-line model has a 70 litre front boot.
Standard kit includes full-LED head- and taillights, 17-inch alloys, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, a six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, faux leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and CarbitLink smartphone screen mirroring, four speakers and a reverse camera.
The 73 kWh model adds 18-inch alloys, keyless entry, a powered passenger seat, a 14.6-inch touchscreen, bed lighting, remote app control, six speakers and a 360-degree camera system with a “transparency” mode. There’s also a 22 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, including 15 kW through the charging port, 6 kW through a 230-volt outlet in the bed and another 2.2 kW through two more 230-volt sockets in the front boot and cabin.
Stepping up to the 4WD variant nets you the aforementioned illuminated grille, side steps, a tow hitch, front and rear seat ventilation, one-touch seat recline and eight speakers. Only the 86 kWh model gains aluminium roof rails and a tailgate pull-out ladder.
All but the base model get a full range of driver assists, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, lane change assist, a front departure alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, rear collision warning and a door opening warning. Airbag count is four for the base model and six for the others.
Prices start from 899,000 baht (RM117,000) for the base rear-wheel-drive model with the smallest 63 kWh battery, rising up to 999,000 baht (RM130,000) with a 73 kWh pack. Opt for four-wheel drive and the cost goes up to 1,149,000 baht (RM149,600), while the range-topping 86 kWh 4WD variant retails for 1,299,000 baht (RM169,000).
Despite being on sale in right-hand-drive form, there’s no word on whether the truck will be offered in Malaysia as yet. A significant complication is the ending of tax incentives for CBU fully-imported EVs by next year, which would price the RD6 out of its intended market. If it does end up coming here, it will provide some strong competition to the aforementioned JAC T9 EV, which is priced at RM199,888.
