After its debut in Thailand last year, The Geely Riddara RD6 has made its appearance in Bangkok once more at the 2025 Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS 2025). This time, two new variants are introduced – one of which boasts the model’s highest EV range of 503 km.
Joining the line-up of the Riddara RD6’s diverse line of variants is the new 86 kWh 2WD variant. This new variant shares the same battery as its range-topping variant siblings, and instead of all-wheel drive, it gets a rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup, giving it an extended NEDC-rated 503 km EV range.
The 86 kWh 2WD variant is powered by a single permanent magnet synchronous motor, which has 272 hp (200 kW) and 385 Nm of torque (similar to the lower end variants) sent to the rear wheels and into the asphalt. 0-100 km/h is achieved within 7.3 seconds, and tops out at a maximum speed of 185 km/h.
In addition to the new 86 kWh 2WD variant, the range-topping the 86 kWh 4WD also gains an additional sunroof option, which the company lists as a new variant in the line-up.
Other than the sunroof, the new variant’s technical specifications are virtually unchanged from the existing car, with the twin-motor set up sending 428 hp (315 kW) and 595 Nm of torque to all four wheels, translating to a century sprint time of 4.5 seconds, plus a faster top speed of 190 km/h.
It also till has the same 86 kWh Ternary lithium-ion battery pack, giving it a NEDC-rated EV range of 455 km due to its all-wheel drive driveline.
READ: Land of Smiles gets its first electric pickup truck with the launch of the Riddara RD6 in Thailand
Aside from the two new range-topping variants, everything else stays the same as before – which you can read more about during our coverage of the Geely Riddara RD6 here.
Unlike most other pickup trucks that we know of that are built on a ladder-frame chassis, the Riddara RD6 is built on a monocoque chassis – which gives it a more normal car-like feeling on the road.
The Riddara RD6 is built using Geely’s Multiplex Attached Platform (MAP), much like what the Geely Haoyue/Okavango is built on, and so does the Proton X90 – which is why the full-LED headlights and taillights look so familiar at first glance. Size wise, the Riddara RD6 is bigger than other pickup trucks such as the Isuzu D-Max or Mitsubishi triton in more ways than one.
Aside from the 86 kWh battery pack, the Geely Riddara RD6 also comes with a 63 kWh or 73 kWh battery pack options, both of which are based on the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry. The former is only available with the rear-wheel drive setup, boasting a NEDC-rated range of 373 km. For the latter, it’s available in both 2WD and 4WD variants, giving them an electric range of 461 km and 424 km respectively.
Pricing for the Geely Riddara RD6 in Thailand ranges from THB899,000 (approx. RM117k) to THB1,335,000 (approx. RM174k).
READ: Riddara RD6 teased for Thailand – Proton X90’s EV pickup truck cousin to debut in November
While Thailand has the Geely Riddara RD6 as their first EV pickup truck option for sale, we Malaysians have the JAC T9EV as our first EV pickup choice instead – or at least, the first publically-available EV pickup choice.
Launched earlier this month at a price tag of RM199,888 on-the-road without insurance, the JAC T9EV has two electric motors for a 4×4 drivetrain. Altogether, it has a max output of 299 hp (220 kW) and 516 Nm of torque sent straight to the road – capable for a 0-100 km/h time of 8.4 seconds and 140 km/h top speed.
Compared to the Riddara RD6, it sports a larger 88.02 kWh CATL-sourced LFP battery pack rated for 340 km of WLTP-rated EV range.
Given that the Proton X90 is already locally assembled here in Malaysia, the Geely Riddara RD6 could make a lot of sense too here in Malaysia – especially now that the JAC T9 EV is here to whet consumers’ appetite. Proton Arena reborn, anyone?
That said, it still remains to be seen just how interested Malaysian customers actually are for electric pickups. Our unique tax structure for pickup trucks, which are classified under commercial vehicles, means that prices for these vehicles are already relatively low. That could dissuade customers from going electric, especially if the EVs are not significantly cheaper than their internal combustion engine counterparts.
Case in point, the JAC T9 EV is priced significantly higher than its diesel-powered counterpart, which starts from RM119,888.
READ: JAC T9EV launched as first EV pickup truck in Malaysia – RM199,888; T9 Diesel from RM120k
