Geely brands launch in New Zealand under one roof

• – Radara and Farizon add commercial element

NordEast Distributors has officially launched as the newest distributor arm of the Giltrap Group, uniting six brands under one umbrella in a global first for the Geely organisation.

The new division, based above the Volvo showroom in Greenlane, consolidates established marques Volvo, Polestar and Lotus with the addition of Geely, Farizon and Zeekr. Group general manager Dane Fisher said the launch reflects both the scale of Geely’s global ambitions and the growing role of electrification in the New Zealand market.

“It’s the first time six core Geely Group brands have been under one distributor anywhere in the world,” Fisher said. “We’ve worked with six manufacturers to get this all to tee off at the same time, and now the brand managers will drive their own strategies.”

Structure and network

Polestar will be physically integrated into Volvo dealerships nationwide, reflecting the brands’ close alignment, while Lotus will be placed selectively in three locations. Daile Stephens heads Volvo, Bruce Fowler continues with Polestar, Jordan Haynes leads Geely and Farizon, and Michael Jones has joined from Land Rover to take charge of Zeekr.

From September 15, six new showrooms will open for Geely, Farizon and Zeekr, joining the existing Volvo, Polestar and Lotus sites. In total, 14 showrooms will operate across the country through nine dealer partners, covering about 85 percent of the national electrified vehicle market.

New brands and models

Geely enters with a two-pronged approach. The EX5 SUV has already had a soft launch, while the new Riddara RD6 Pro electric ute arrives in September priced from $69,990. With a 73kWh battery, 315kW of power, a 360km WLTP range, 3000kg towing capacity and 1030kg payload, it targets both commercial and lifestyle buyers. A plug-in hybrid version is expected to follow.

Also joining the line-up is the Geely Starray, a plug-in hybrid SUV set to be priced under $50,000. Offering close to 100km of EV-only travel and a combined range of more than 1000km, Fisher described it as a “super hybrid” well-suited to New Zealand roads.

Zeekr will launch with four models: the Zeekr X from $59,990, the AWD version from $69,990, and the luxury 009 MPV in both seven-seat ($149,900) and six-seat ($154,900) configurations. The Zeekr 7X is also confirmed, with local pricing still to be announced.

Commercial EV brand Farizon will debut with large vans in 5.5m and 6m lengths, complemented by the SuperVAN range, which spans four models priced between $74,990 and $89,990.

Powertrain strategy

While electrification is a key focus, Fisher stressed NordEast’s offering will span a variety of powertrains, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full battery-electric models.

“The electrified market had some challenges a couple of years ago, but it’s rebounding,” he said. “Our focus is on bringing affordable new energy vehicles to New Zealand through economies of scale. But we’re not just about BEVs — we have mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure EVs across our six brands. That range is critical to meeting different customer needs.

Fisher pointed to Geely’s global performance as evidence of the scale NordEast can leverage. In the first half of 2025, Geely sold 1.9 million vehicles, including more than a million new energy vehicles, up 73 percent year-on-year.

“That kind of scale allows us to bring costs down and deliver products that make sense here,” he said.