Producing 315kW and 595Nm, there's no Ford Ranger Raptor or BYD Shark catching the new Geely Riddara.
The Geely Riddara combines the strengths of an electric vehicle with the functionality of a bakkie. Picture: Supplied
We are truly heading into another universe when it comes to the claims being made around the performance abilities of bakkies going forward in this country.
First, we had the BYD Shark that took out the Ford Ranger Raptor. The benchmark 0-100km/h time had been dropped from 6.9-seconds all the way down to 5.6-seconds.
Ford Ranger Raptor beaten
Very few thought the Ford Ranger Raptor would be beat. But it was. Then BYD upped the engine capacity and power on the Shark and the time dropped to 5.5-seconds.
JAC T9 PHEV strongest
Enter the JAC T9 PHEV. It was now being touted as South Africa’s most powerful bakkie with its 360kW and 674Nm on tap. But not the fastest with a claim of 5.9-seconds.
Jetour F700 goes top
Then, not two weeks ago I told you about the Jetour F700 that had eclipsed these power and torque numbers, with 665kW and 1135Nm on offer.
I also said that it would become the country’s fastest bakkie thanks to its claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.0-seconds. A time that is incredibly hard to comprehend.
Along comes the Geely Riddara
And here I am today to report that Geely are set to become the owner of South Africa’s Fastest Bakkie title with their Riddara Apex RD6 double cab.
Producing 315kW of battery electric power and 595Nm of torque, Geely is claiming that the Riddara will go from 0-100km/h in a mere 4.5-seconds.
Do you know how fast 4.5-seconds is? Forget your fast VW Golf or BMW. This is a two-tonne, all-wheel drive, double cab bakkie that can go anywhere and tow anything.
GASA COO, Greg Maruszewski concurs: “The Geely Riddara not only delivers the performance and dynamic response of a high-performance car, but it can also carry more than a tonne, tow up to three tonnes and tackle demanding terrain.”
Pricing and warranty
- Riddara Aspire Econ 2WD (180kW/309Nm) – R611 900
- Riddara Aspire Econ 4WD (280kW/485Nm) – R681 900
- Riddara Apex RD6 4WD (315kW/595Nm) – R781 900
The Geely Riddara range also comes with a comprehensive ownership package designed to give customers confidence in making the transition to an electric bakkie which includes a:
- Six-year/150 000km vehicle warranty,
- eight-year/200 000km battery warranty,
- six-year/120 000km service plan,
- and five-year unlimited roadside assistance.
Special launch offer
The first 200 customers who purchase a unit will be given an added one-year and 50 000km to the vehicle warranty and the service plan will get an extra one-year and 20 000km.
