Radar RD6 2023 Review – International

The 2023 Radar RD6 is the first model from fledgling lifestyle brand Radar, which is part of Geely’s auto empire that also harbours brands such as Zeekr and more familiar marques including Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co, Lotus and Proton.

Currently, the Radar brand is more focused on lifestyle models rather than full-on commercial vehicles, along similar lines to the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

Certainly, the Chinese brand is marketing the RD6 in its home market as a recreational vehicle that’s perfect for camping and beachgoing.

As such, the full-electric RD6 has launched in China with only a single-motor/rear-wheel drive powertrain, ruling out serious off-road adventures, however a dual-motor powertrain with 4WD is set to arrive soon.

Classified in China as a mid-size pick-up, the RD6 ranges in price from RMB178,800 ($A37,925), up to RMB268,800 ($A57,015), before subsidies and on-road costs.

The RD6 Maker edition tested here comes in at RMB198,800 ($A42,160).

The 2023 Radar RD6 we’re driving here is a pre-production model, but the specification aligns closely with the mid-series Maker grade, which is a step up from the entry-level Sailing variant in the four-model range offered at launch in China.

All versions come with voice control, synthetic leather upholstery, an electric driver’s seat and driving aids such as hill assist, auto-hold and hill descent control.

The RD6 Radar Maker offers a larger 86kWh battery pack compared to the Sailing (63kWh).

It also has vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability via a panel in the ute bed, where you’ll find a pair of 16A outlets as well as two 10A and two 12V sockets. V2L allows owners to draw power from the battery to run electrical appliances and other items, which is handy when camping etc.

There is also an opening panoramic roof and electric adjustment for the passenger seat, although on our pre-production version the passenger seat was manual-adjust only. Our test model also gained a roof rack which should come as standard only on the higher Enjoyment version.

There is also a 70-litre frunk for storage up front.

The Radar RD6 comes in China with a four-year/100,000km warranty while the battery pack is covered for eight years/200,000km.

Currently, the 2023 Radar RD6 has yet to go through any official safety tests and so doesn’t have an ANCAP rating or similar.

At the Maker spec level, the RD6 really gets the bare-bones treatment. Airbags, for example, are limited to dual front airbags for the driver and front passenger.

The higher-spec Enjoyment model adds side airbags, while the range-topping Yueno adds curtain airbags, which we’d expect to be fitted on Australian-bound models.

It’s a similar story when it comes to active safety. Although our ute did have blind spot warning indicators, the cruise control is only a basic system.

Features such as lane departure warning, front and rear collision warning, lane keeping assistance, active braking and traffic sign recognition only come into play once you reach the Enjoyment grade.

Furthermore, the Maker makes do with just a reversing camera rather than 360-degree view or ‘transparent chassis’ – again, these are the preserve of higher trim levels, and we’d expect that models heading Down Under would come with the highest level of driver assist safety systems.

The tech highlights in this version of the 2023 Radar RD6 are the aforementioned vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability and voice activation.

There’s a 12.3-inch infotainment screen that includes sat-nav and is the main interface for the driver to control features such as brake regeneration.

Higher trim levels get an additional colourful 12.3-inch instrument panel. However, on the Maker there’s just a screen with two permanent digital dials.

One is for power and the other is for speed, and although it’s a dial it also gives a digital readout in the middle! Sandwiched in between is a small display showing information such as doors open and cruise control. The Yueno version additionally gets a head-up display.

On higher trim levels there is Level 2 autonomous driving capability, but the Maker doesn’t get any such refinements, making do with a basic non-adaptive cruise control system.

At launch, the 2023 Radar RD6 is powered by a single e-motor driving the rear wheels and producing 200kW and 384Nm of torque.

This is the same powertrain used in the Zeekr 001 we tested last year, while a more powerful and capable dual-motor/all-wheel drive option is expected early this year.

The RD6 rides on the so-called Multiplex Attached Platform (MAP) that’s derived from Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform as used by the Zeekr and the new Smart #1.

That immediately hands it an advantage over rivals such as the recently launched LDV eT60, which brings a variety of compromises with its more traditional platform origins.

Although the integrated tow hook won’t start delivery until March 2023, towing capacity for the RD6 is rated at 2500kg in China. The dual-cab can also supply 12V power to the trailer.

Payload is more of an issue at just 430kg, which drops further to 400kg on the 100kWh battery version.

Despite only offering four different versions of the 2023 Radar RD6 at launch, there are three battery sizes.

The base Sailing model gets a 63kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery which is good for a 400km range, according to Geely (based on China’s generous CLTC standard).

The Maker edition tested here, along with the Enjoyment model, gets an 86kWh NCM battery which offers up to 550km, while the range-topping Yueno is fitted with a 100kWh NCM battery with a quoted 632km range.

Fast charging takes the RD6 from 30 to 80 per cent state of charge in half an hour. Slow charging takes seven hours with an 11kW AC charger.

Monocoque rather than traditional ute body-on-frame construction contributes to the 2023 Radar RD6 dual-cab handling very much like a soft-roader SUV.

The fully independent suspension comprises MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link configuration at the rear, achieving car-like ride comfort – even when unladen – compared to workhorse mid-size utes that rely on a heavier-duty solid rear axle.

On the road, you’re not perched up particularly high, and on 17-inch wheels fitted to our test car, the RD6 glides over most road imperfections with relative ease.

The car-maker claims a 0-100km/h acceleration figure of 7.3 seconds for all bar the flagship Yueno, which is quoted at 6.9sec – and it’s not quite clear where the highest-spec model makes the improvement. In any case, the single-motor powertrain gets the job done with a minimum of fuss.

There are three drive modes selected via a centre console-mounted knob. Sport feels the most different from Comfort and Eco, however given the size of the ute, Comfort seems a better option for everyday duties.

Braking regeneration is selected from the centre screen. On low, it is largely indiscernible, on medium it’s a little more noticeable, and on high it’s quite effective, bleeding speed off quickly and bringing the RD6 down to a 6km/h coast.

Our test of the 2023 Radar RD6 was largely limited to paved roads but we did take it down a dirt track.

The ute managed this reasonably well and there wasn’t a huge amount of bounce in the cab.

The all-wheel drive Zeekr 001 has Off-road, Snow and Sand drive modes, and hopefully when the all-wheel drive version of the RD6 is launched these will be carried over.

At the moment, one of the biggest problems with off-road ability for the RD6 is the limited ground clearance – just 180mm.

However, there are rumours of a more off-road-optimised version which can better handle tougher terrain.

Chunky is the word that best describes the interior of the 2023 Radar RD6. You have big chunky door pulls and handles and it’s the same with the drive selector.

Although the top of the dashboard is hard plastic, all touch points are finished in much softer materials.

While it is good to have some actual buttons for the climate control, these are not particularly easy to use. Buried under a ledge created by the protruding air vents, they are dark and difficult to see when driving.

What looks like a wireless charging pad isn’t – this feature only seems to be in the Yueno version – and the front only has one Type A USB port. There’s also a 12V outlet buried under the floating centre console.

Strangely, there is only a single drinks holder, along with a split-opening cubby hole.

Overall, the cabin is light thanks to the panoramic roof which can be opened to the great outdoors.

In the rear compartment, there is a further 48 litres of storage space under the bench, accessed by pulling a strap to bring the bottom of the seat up.

The back of the centre console has two USB ports for rear passengers, along with a couple of air vents. Rear occupants shouldn’t have any complaints with either headroom or legroom.

Finally, the bed has a length of 1525mm and offers a 1200-litre capacity.

Although there are compromises inherent with the 2023 Radar RD6, it is arguably not as compromised as an EV conversion from an internal combustion-engined ute.

The rear-wheel drive version tested here might well make a decent vehicle for families who don’t plan to venture off the beaten track, but anyone wanting more serious off-road capability should steer towards the forthcoming four-wheel drive version.

We’d expect both drivelines and (single/dual motor) power units to be available with an Australian launch, and careful work to be done on model selection for our market that includes high levels of safety equipment and satisfactory towing and payload capacities across the board.

Success will also hinge on pricing, and if Geely can bring the Radar RD6 here at around the $50,000 mark, it could have a winner on its hands.

2023 Radar RD6 Maker at a glance:
Price: RMB198,800/$A42,160 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Late 2023/early 2024 (estimated)
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 200kW/384Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 86kWh ternary lithium
Range: 550km (CLTC)
Energy consumption: 15.6kWh/100km (CLTC)
Safety rating: Not tested