Geely's 315 kW Riddara RD6 electric bakkie coming to SA!

Geely’s Riddara RD6 bakkie has been confirmed for launch in South Africa later in 2025. Here’s what we know so far about the Chinese firm’s fully electric double cab…

We recently reported that Geely plans to return to South Africa later in 2025, around a decade after the Chinese firm exited the local market. And now, in related news, the Zhejiang-based automotive giant’s Riddara RD6 has been confirmed for Mzansi, something we suggested was on the cards just last year.

While Geely’s broader product and distribution plans for the South African market remain unclear at this stage, Cars.co.za can confirm that Enviro Automotive has been appointed as the local distributor specifically for the Riddara RD6 electric bakkie. As a reminder, Riddara is described as an “independent brand within the wider Geely Holding Group”.

Enviro Automotive – a multi-brand electric-vehicle importer and distributor that is also responsible for bringing in DFSK electric vehicles, the SRM T3 electric workhorse and the Dayun S5 (the latter currently holding the title of SA’s most affordable EV) – says it plans to start selling the Riddara RD6 double-cab bakkie locally this year.

In fact, Gideon Wolvaardt, Managing Director of Enviro Automotive, attended the 2025 Geely Riddara Global Conference in Hangzhou, China, in February to sample the product first-hand. While Riddara RD6 pricing for South Africa has yet to be confirmed, Enviro Automotive did tell Cars.co.za it was in the process of finalising the order of its first shipment.

According to the Pretoria-based distributor, the RD6 will be available locally in both rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and 4×4 forms. The company’s website further claims the all-paw version of the RD6 will be the “most affordable 4×4 electric bakkie” in South Africa. As things stand, it would be the sole 4×4 electric leisure bakkie (the Maxus T90 EV is rear-wheel drive).

The unibody RD6 measures 5 260 mm long (so, about 65 mm shorter from nose to tail than a Toyota Hilux double cab) and 1 900 mm wide, while standing 1 865 mm tall, with a ground clearance of 221 mm. The electric contender’s wheelbase comes in at 3 120 mm, while the load bay measures 1 525 mm long, 1 450 mm wide and 540 mm deep.

The rear-driven RD6 features a 63 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack facilitating a claimed NEDC range of 377 km. This derivative’s single, rear-mounted electric motor generates maximum outputs of 200 kW and 384 Nm, translating to a claimed 0-100 kph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 185 kph. We expect this variant’s braked towing capacity to come in at 2 500 kg and its load capacity at around 775 kg.

Meanwhile, the RD6 4×4 looks set to be offered in 2 forms. The “Pro” derivative employs a 73 kWh battery pack with an NEDC range of 424 km, with the “Ultra” variant upgrading to an 86 kWh battery with an NEDC range of 455 km. In either case, the listed braked towing capacity is 3 000 kg and the payload some 1 030 kg.

Thanks to dual electric motors (one on each axle), the 4×4 versions of the Riddara RD6 churn out peak outputs as lofty as 315 kW and 595 Nm. That sees the listed 0-100 kph time fall to just 4.5 seconds (making it a considerable 1.2 seconds faster to the 3-figure mark than the BYD Shark 6 PHEV) and the top speed climb slightly to 190 kph.

Inside, the RWD derivative is expected to feature a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, leather trim, dual-zone climate control and a reverse-view camera. The 4×4 variants look likely to add a raft of driver-assistance safety features and upgrade to a 14.6-inch central screen.

According to Enviro Automotive, all derivatives sold in South Africa will be covered by a 3-year/60 000 km service plan and a vehicle warranty with the same parameters. The traction battery will further feature a 5-year/200 000 km warranty.

As a reminder, Geely Holding Group applied to trademark “Riddara” in South Africa back in April 2023 (with a registration taking place in October 2024), after its May 2022 application for “Radar” was provisionally refused. Known as “Radar Auto” in its domestic market of China, the marque described itself as a “new-energy outdoors lifestyle vehicle brand”.

Though Riddara’s global division says it will eventually offer a “full portfolio of electric lifestyle vehicles”, including SUVs, it so far makes only the RD6 bakkie (which, incidentally, was badged “R6” when it was revealed). Production of left-hand-drive units commenced in Zibo, Shandong back in 2022, soon after the reveal in July of that year, but Geely seemingly started building right-hand-drive examples at some point in 2024.