Rabdan One: The UAE's Home-Bred Electric SUV

The UAE is one of the few places where global car brands are easily visible in every walk of life. Of course, this is even more applicable if you live in the bustling hub that is Dubai. Being such a prolific market for a variety of cars usually means that new brands don’t have it easy trying to break in. However, what if the brand in question was local?

Today, we are going to take a look at the home-bred Rabdan One. The all-new Rabdan One is an electric SUV meant specifically for GCC markets such as the Emirates. In fact, this SUV is manufactured by the Abu Dhabi-based NWTN Motors. However, even though NWTN is headquartered in the UAE, its origins are Chinese. Similarly, the Rabdan One is a rebadged Voyah Free. Regardless, it’s always good to see companies manufacturing cars in the UAE – it immediately makes them a touch special. Having covered the basics, let’s now see what the Rabdan One has to offer.

How much does the Rabdan One cost?

The price of a brand-new Rabdan One in the UAE is 190,000 dirhams. While that is a lot of money, the One does offer plenty of creature comforts along with good performance and design. You can always tell your friends that you own a car designed by the famous Italdesign Giugiaro.

Why does the Rabdan One have a petrol engine if it’s electric?

The UAE, like many other Middle East markets, is far from being the ideal playing ground for pure EVs. While the number of charging stations is on the rise and the infrastructure is trying to keep pace, good old petrol still reigns supreme. This is where cars like the Rabdan One play a crucial role – they plug the gap between today & tomorrow quite well.

Unlike plug-in hybrids, the Rabdan One uses its petrol engine as an on-board generator/range extender. This means that owners have the liberty of enjoying greener energy without sacrificing on the everyday convenience of a PHEV. In a market that sells a lot of cars that are still powered by petrol alone and are still well-liked by buyers, a unique approach such as the one adopted by the Rabdan One makes more sense than a fully-electric car – at least for the time being.

What’s the performance of the Rabdan One like?

The Rabdan One features a 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine under the hood, energizing a high-performance 33 kWh lithium battery, which then powers two electric motors. Apart from having all-wheel drive capability, the Rabdan One also boasts 684 hp and a healthy 1,040 Nm of torque! This is more than enough to propel the two-ton SUV up to a top speed of 200 km/h.

With almost instantaneous torque from the dual electric motors, accelerating the Rabdan One from 0-100 km/h takes only 4.5 seconds. The suspension up front is a modern double wishbone setup while the rear is of the independent multilink type. Not only that, this SUV also gets air suspension for an even more compliant and supple ride. The Rabdan One’s driving dynamics are fine and fairly composed, thanks to its modern suspension system.

However, despite its thrilling acceleration and ability to keep up with most cars on highways, we would not say it’s particularly sporty or a corner-devouring machine. Still, it’ll show no hesitation in overtaking vehicles even past 100 km/h on the SZR. When needed, the Rabdan One can come to a dead stop from 100 km/h in under 36 meters – not shabby for a vehicle of its size and bulk. Its overall driving range as claimed by NEDC is 860 kilometers.

This figure considers a full fuel tank (56 liters) and a fully charged battery. The Rabdan One can also be driven in pure electric mode for a maximum distance of between 123-140 kilometers (WLTC vs NEDC figures). With a real-world EV range hovering around 85-95 kilometers, work commutes within city limits in EV mode won’t be an issue with the Rabdan One.

What are the unique features and equipment of the Rabdan One?

The Rabdan One is loaded to the gills with new and modern features, including:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Adaptive Matrix LED headlights
• Automatic door handles
• Panoramic sunroof
• Motion-sensing tailgate
• Ambient LED lighting
• Wireless charging
• Cooled glove box
• Dual-zone automatic climate control with air-quality sensor & air filter
• Split-folding rear seats
• Powered & climate-controlled front seats with memory & massaging functions
• 10-speaker Dynaudio sound system

Among its many advanced safety features, the Rabdan One boasts Level 2 ADAS backed by a multitude of cameras and sensors. These allow for:

• Adaptive cruise control with Highway Assist & Traffic Jam Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Lane Following Assist
• Front Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking
• Rear Collision Warning
• Blind Spot Warning
• Automatic Parking

The Automatic Parking system is capable of performing diagonal, horizontal, or perpendicular parking. The Rabdan One will also remind you of a door that’s been left open or when a vehicle ahead of you starts moving. That latter comes in handy when you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic. The infotainment system of the Rabdan One can receive OTA updates and features gesture recognition. There are two more screens – the digital driver’s display and a secondary touchscreen for the front passenger.

All three screens are placed in line next to one another. More interesting is the fact that the entire dashboard that houses these displays raises into view or lowers out of the way based on whether the car is powered on or off. This is similar to what Audi used to do with its infotainment screen back in the day.

Design and Interior of the Rabdan One

While the design of the Rabdan One is a carryover from its Chinese namesake, it’s undeniably good-looking. The straight beltline goes well with the wraparound front & rear designs, while the turbine-like 20-inch wheels and the svelte roof are equally attractive. It’s just as hard to miss the Cayenne ‘influence’ at the rear, though.

The interior of the Rabdan One is available in darker and lighter colors, both in single or dual-tone themes. The material quality is excellent as most of it feels expensive and easily fits into this car’s “premium” narrative. The well-appointed cabin feels spacious and even comes with an in-car fragrance system. Moreover, the Rabdan One boot is sizeable at 560 liters. Packing so many features automatically makes this a good car to be in.