Radar. For an active lifestyle
Radar is a new sub-brand owned by the Chinese automotive giant, Geely. Established in 2022, the enterprise focuses on the production of electric vehicles for an active lifestyle. The Radar brand is a standalone brand within Geely Holding Group with access to all of the group’s EV technologies and components. The new brand has its own development center in Hangzhou and a fully equipped production site for the production of electric vehicles in Zibo (China, Shandong province). The company’s goal is to create environmentally friendly vehicles.
The new brand is specially designed for the production of expensive pickups. The brand sees its customers as big city dwellers, young and active people who love active sports, travel a lot, prefer active beach vacations or nature trips. The segment of vehicles for active lifestyles is booming in China right now, so Geely looks set to take a big slice of the pie. It should be noted that after the pandemic, attitudes towards nature and outdoor activities have reached a different level. A new generation of consumers are interested in camping, hiking and other outdoor adventures, which is why the Radar brand is designed to satisfy their wildest desires and demands.
Dr. Ling Shi Kuan, who has extensive engineering experience with Geely Auto Group and has been responsible for major and landmark projects for the group’s brands including Lynk & Co and Geely, has been appointed as General Manager of Auto Radar. “Understanding a new market segment and creating a new brand specifically for these unique users has been the highlight of my career. Radar Auto”s goal is to enable our customers to explore the world in the most environmentally friendly way’, says Ling Shi Kuan.
The famous designer, Peter Horbury, who developed the styling of the Lotus cars, is responsible for the styling and appearance of the Radar models. He supports the development of the Radar brand directly from his design studio in the UK. He sees his task as combining ‘functionality and usability with aesthetic form’ and aims to ‘enable Radar users to broaden their horizons and explore nature without destroying its ecology’.
In the future, Radar Auto will also launch the Radar Weekends sub-brand, which will sell various travel products and accessories. In particular, a range of camping equipment will be launched with partner NatureHike. Additionally, Radar works closely with National Geographic China under the ‘Protect Nature’s Wonders’ program, which encourages you not to leave litter and garbage behind when traveling.
Model range
Radar’s model range will soon include three pickups, a full-size SUV and a quadricycle. At the same time, a few pickups and a quadricycle will be fully electric, and the other two models will be hybrids.
Radar RD6 Electric Pickup
The company’s first model is an electric pickup, the Radar RD6, introduced in July 2022. The RD6 is about the size of a Toyota Hilux. The interior is designed for five passengers, and two surfboards are placed in the back. A wide range of accessories has been prepared for it: in addition to branded surfboards, it will include a hardtop loading platform, a mini fridge and a radio. The RD6 radar is based on the already well-known SEA platform, developed by the parent company Geely, thanks to which the possibilities of using usable space are significantly expanded. The electric pickup offers a luggage compartment located under the hood and a spacious body equipped with additional sockets.
There are 2 ports on the back sides. One is for charging the built-in battery, and the second is for connecting external devices to the battery to power the fridge, fan and other 220V equipment that a traveler may need. This detail once again underlines the positioning of the Chinese model. The new RD6 radar was created for people who constantly drive a car in the city, but sometimes like to go out into the countryside.
The Radar RD6 2022/2023 powertrain will consist of one or two motors. The output of the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version will be around 200 hp, while the top-end all-wheel version offers around 400 hp. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h occurs in 6 seconds. By Chinese standards, the driving range will be a decent 600 km. The battery capacity has not yet been disclosed. The official sales launch of novelties is scheduled for September 9, 2022. The manufacturer will probably announce all the characteristics of the model closer to this date.
