Geely Riddara RD6 2025 Review

The 2025 Geely Riddara RD6 is priced from about $60,000 in China and other markets.

Add a little more for the Ultra 4WD model tested here, which gets an 86kWh battery with 455km of claimed range according to the NEDC test cycle.

For that outlay you get the usual generous smattering of gear, including electrically adjustable seats and trim that looks vaguely like leather.

There’s also a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch central infotainment screen.

The Riddara RD6 is known as the Radar in China and it’s not yet locked in for a launch Down Under – although all the signs are looking positive. For markets such as Australia, though, it’ll be the Riddara name that’s likely to be used.

If it’s ute performance you want then the Geely Riddara RD6 delivers.

The car we drove was a dual-motor top-of-the-range Ultra and its dual electric motors make a combined 315kW, about double the output of a diesel-powered ute.

Throw in near-instant powertrain response and there’s none of the diesel laziness in the way it leaps off the line. Instead, it’s clean, purposeful thrust on the way to 100km/h in a claimed 4.5 seconds.

Few people will expect more from a ute.

The Riddara RD6 also sits on the road flatter than an average ute, in part thanks to its independent suspension. The weight of the battery pack lining the floor also helps with keeping things less lurchy through the bends.

We should point out that our drive was brief and limited to a vast car park with witches hats to simulate corners. It was far from representative of what most Aussies will expect of a ute, but it was enough to soak up the flavour.

And while we didn’t test the off-road credentials, on paper it looks solid.

It’s claimed to be able to climb a 95 per cent gradient, which is about 44 degrees. That’s very, very steep; the tyres are likely to struggle for traction before the motors give up.

It can also wade through up to 815mm of water, which is more than most off-roaders (some will get to 900mm, but they’re a rare breed). And there’s 225mm of ground clearance, which is in the hunt with accomplished 4x4s.

The RD6 has a generously sized and practical cabin. It’s roughly the same exterior dimensions of a Ford Ranger, but inside it feels like there’s more space.

Instead of a large transmission tunnel on the floor there’s a lot more foot space, something the person sitting in the middle of the rear bench seat will appreciate.

Elsewhere it’s trademark Chinese electric car with a digital instrument cluster and a large entertainment screen in the centre.

But the layout is fresh and functional, the tech ever present. And it’s ready to carry plenty, with a payload of 1030kg.

The Geely Riddara RD6 is more of a lifestyle ute than the workhorses that make up the bulk of ute sales in Australia. And that means some compromises along the way.

While its payload exceeds one tonne, for example, the Riddara RD6 is rated to tow 3000kg, which is half a tonne less than most utes.

Towing that much is likely to yield below a couple of hundred kilometres of cruising range from the battery pack.

Speaking of which, the Riddara RD6 claims 455km of NEDC range, which likely translates to less than 400km once you test it to the more realistic WLTP standard. That won’t really cut it for many, less so once you start towing.

That said, Geely execs have confirmed that a range-extending plug-in hybrid version of the ute, not unlike the BYD Shark 6, is on the cards. An RD6 PHEV could be expected to have around 800km range.

But there are times, too, when the all-electric Riddara RD6 dual-cab ute feels like it has too much grunt.

Before you go accusing me of being an old man, hear me out – because it all comes down to being able to confidently utilise all its grunt.

If you unleash that full 315kW/595Nm while exiting a corner, for example, the front inside wheel can scrabble for traction.

And while utes typically aren’t the last word in outright traction, grip levels didn’t feel particularly high.

Again, our test was brief, but convincing the RD6 to change direction takes some encouragement.

In some ways I’m probably judging it to a higher standard, in part because it doesn’t really behave like a regular ute. That said, it’s partly a result of a suspension tune that’s less dynamic than what the rest of the car is capable of, but also a product of having so much power to play with.

And while most of the figures look good, the width of the load area didn’t seem as generous as the utes Aussies know and love.

Whether you should park a 2025 Geely Riddara RD6 in the driveway right now is a moot point because they’re not available here.

That said, the wheels are clearly in motion to bring the Riddara to Australia – the name was trademarked for local use and there’s clearly interest.

There are tweaks that could make it a more convincing thing, especially dynamically, but the foundations are there for something of a game changer in the ute market.

The bigger question is perhaps whether Aussies will embrace a ute powered only by electrons...

2025 Geely Riddara RD6 at a glance:
Price: From about $60,000 (estimated)
Available: Not yet confirmed
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet motors
Output: 315kW/595Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 86kWh NMC
Range: 455km (NEDC)
Energy consumption: N/A
Safety rating: Unrated

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