Honda solved this years ago when they implemented the CR-V formula into a pickup. The Honda Ridgeline uses the same unibody construction as crossovers and sedans, resulting in much better ride comfort. Ford also did this with the Ford Maverick while Hyundai has the Santa Cruz.

Thankfully for us in the Philippines, we finally have Radar and their RD6. They’re the only brand right now that have unibody pickups in the country. They’re also electrified as this EM-P is a plug-in hybrid. I had the opportunity to drive the RD6 EM-P Luxury and it reminded me of Aladdin because it truly is a whole new world.

The ride comfort is just superb. Gone are those small harsh jitters on the highway and in the city. It’s not exactly plush but for a pickup, it was damn good. The Navaras and Rangers can only come second to the RD6. The only body-on-frame pickup that’s close to its ride quality is the Changan Hunter, but the RD6 doesn’t have the learning curve which is another stellar thing about the RD6.

There are two electric motors for this RD6 EM-P Luxury which is why it has all-wheel drive. It has a combined output of 463 horsepower and 659 Nm, way higher than your conventional diesel pickup. That massive power is easy to manage thanks to the RD6’s throttle management which is easy on the delivery. They also kept the Sport Mode to HEV mode only to ensure you have the full grunt at your disposal. EV mode only has Economy which is understandable so you do not waste the limited 83 kilometers of EV only range.

When I got this pickup it had 951km of combined range and only three-fourths of battery charge left. I travelled a modest 273 kilometers with it in both city and highway situations as I reside in Bulacan. In the end, I had an estimated total range of 939 kilometers (travelled and remaining combined) from the full tank, which is stellar.

I could have had more range than the initial estimate but the Radar RD6 works better in the city. It has a fuel consumption of 11 km/L in the city since the batteries do most of the work. The thing is, it activates the engine fairly early into the speedometer, at around 30 km/h. Even if you just cruise on the highway, it still yields around 11 to 11.5 km/L. So for someone like me that does a lot of highway driving, the RD6 isn’t putting out the best numbers. I could use EV on the highways but it won’t be economical once I go on rural roads. Still, this is a better deal than a diesel pickup (oil crisis or not).

As for dynamics, the RD6 manages body roll better for sure, steering is light, and the ADAS works as intended. I only wish the speed icon on the instrument cluster is bigger since little changes like 70 to 75 (and similar) are hard to see, or do I need to update my glasses?

What’s outstanding to me on the highway is the Adaptive Cruise Control of this pickup. You can activate it even at 30 km/h and what’s more, it has a Stop and Go function. This means you can stop and once the car in front of you moves, it will move on its own - unless the stop time is minutes long. You can use this in the city but not recommended since it maintains a one car distance from the one in front and city drivers will always go for that gap.

The cabin has good wind, engine, and road noise isolation but certain frequencies break through. Trucks, motorcycles with modified exhausts, and sometimes high-pitched laughter of passersby are heard prominently inside. They’re not annoying though unless you go through the port area regularly where trucks and motorcycles are present left and right.

In terms of design, I really dig the simple but modern look in the RD6 EM-P. It’s clad in light brown leather upholstery with black interior bits and silver accents. There’s a digital display that has a cover from the sun, a laptop-sized 14.6-inch touchscreen, buttons for basic controls, and a solid shifter. Add to that the high-resolution cameras around the car and the wireless Apple CarPlay that doesn’t lose its connection even at the deadspots of NLEX.

You can spend around 30 minutes getting familiar with the buttons and that’s it. It’s intuitive and doesn’t have any illogical implementations. The only thing you’d have to get used to is the two-step shifter. You’d have to push or pull twice for Drive or Reverse in order to get in gear otherwise you’ll be in Neutral.

There’s also a feature in the RD6 that other brands haven’t even considered. The backseat has two levels of heating and cooling, complementing the rear air vents. Now even rear occupants can be cooler during long drives especially during summer time.

Still, there are a few things I wish for in the RD6’s cabin. First, I hope there are grab bars for easier ingress and egress since this has 225 millimeters of ground clearance despite looking shorter. Also, the mute button doesn’t pause the music. By the time you unmute the car, it’s a different song playing already which irks the musician in me. Lastly, I hope they utilized a solid cover for the sunroof instead of a curtain-like one. It’s not as thin as the others but the heat of the noontime sun gets through.

Outside, things are just as simple. The front face reminds me of the Batman Court of Owls, and overall there are a lot of straight lines on the car giving it a utilitarian look. I love the broken line DRL on the headlight assembly that together with the sedan-like tailgate design gives the pickup a unique presence on the road. I also find its face more EV-like compared to the Econ model, which is an EV but more hybrid looking.

It’s almost perfect for me except for 2 things. I wish the step board was wider as it can’t accommodate even half of my US 12 foot. Second is the tailgate step. I applaud the inclusion since it’s mostly in full-sized pickups only. The only caveat is you’ll need a good balance in order to step into the cargo bed. There’s nothing for you to hold to help yourself up unless you have some kind of rope tied to one of the hooks. Still, the step, along with the assisted tailgate, are very nice to have in this price point.

As I mentioned earlier, I carry a lot of huge but not really heavy things. My guitars, amps, a full drum set, my wife’s coffee cart and other amenities, and we still won’t go past 500 kilograms. For that, I find the RD6 800-kilogram  payload capacity of this pickup to be more than enough. It’s also sufficient for a full glamping setup in the mountains or forests.

Radar managed to have a good balance of tech, capability, and power in the RD6 EM-P Luxury while retaining the P 1,948,000 price. It’s in a true league of its own since other electrified pickups in the country like the BYD Shark 6 and Changan Hunter are still body-on-frame pickups and don't ride as well. Add to that the minimal learning curve you’ll have in this RD6 and things are really attractive for pickup newbies.

I’m sure there will be snobs who will compare this to what a traditional pickup can do and all I can say is, they don’t get the point. Both traditional and this new generation of pickup have a place on the roads. Not every pickup owner works in a farm that hauls more than 1 ton of feed for their stock, or a hardware owner that doubles their pickup as a delivery vehicle too. Some are city people who just want a massive cargo space without the compromise of ride comfort. To the latter, they’ll definitely find this Radar RD6 not just enticing, but really outstanding.