Volvo Australia could team up with its corporate parents at Geely in China to bring the electric Radar ute Down Under.
Were it to come to Australia, Radar products wouldn’t wear a Volvo badge. Instead, Volvo Australia managing director Stephen Connor says the brand could offer back-office support for Geely and assist in distributing the car Down Under.
“What I would love to do is talk to our Geely counterparts, and say to them ‘we will be the sales company for Radar’. That could be a possibility,” Mr Connor told media, although he confirmed Volvo Australia hasn’t yet reached out.
“That would be no different to going to Ateco, somebody like that. If that’s what they want to do to bring it to Australia, then we could actually help them with the back office functions.
“It’s the same platform so we could do training for the team, we could do technical support, we could do sales support.
“I’d love to offer them that, because I think it would be a great way to broaden our skillsets,” Mr Connor said.
Were it to come Down Under, the Radar RD6 would go head-to-head with the LDV eT60 ute launching later this month in Australia.
Geely officially launched Radar Auto with the reveal of the RD6 electric ute, with Chinese deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Radar will also offer a “full portfolio” of “electric lifestyle vehicles”, including pickups, SUVs, and even ATVs.
The RD6 has been designed under design veteran Peter Horbury, who serves as executive vice president of design at Geely.
It’s underpinned by Geely’s new Sustainable Experience Architecture, which also underpins the Zeekr 001 and Smart #1, and will offer both single- and dual-motor powertrains.
The dedicated EV architecture has also allowed for a front boot under the bonnet, as well as a truck bed with “external charging facilities”.
Geely hasn’t released any technical specifications like dimensions, power and range for the Radar RD6 yet, nor has it previewed the vehicle’s interior.
CarNewsChina reports the RD6 will have up to 600km of range on the more lenient NEDC cycle, with power outputs ranging from 149kW to 298kW.
Geely has confirmed SEA will support over-the-air updates and autonomous driving technology, and promises a maximum range in excess of 700km – again, under NEDC measures.
