Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
Introduced as a concept at the 2014 São Paulo International Motor Show, the Duster Oroch is “a recreational pickup truck” according to Renault. Designed in Brazil for Latin America, the unibody workhorse entered production the following year with very modest payload figures.
The cargo area isn’t going to impress you either at 1.35 meters or 4.4 feet in length and a payload rating of 680 kilograms or 1,499 pounds. For reference, the Ford Ranger offers a 5-foot (1.52-meter) bed for the SuperCrew body style and up to 1,860 pounds (843.6 kilograms) of payload.
Be that as it may, the Duster Oroch doesn't feature a ladder-frame chassis or a forced-fed engine with low-end torque. Renault has developed it with cost-sensitive customers in mind, which is why the most Spartan configuration is available to order from 82,490 reais or $15,360 at current exchange rates. The mid-sized Ranger in XL trim with the Single Cab, by comparison, kicks off at 154,090 reais or roughly $28,690 in the Brazilian market.
The biggest problem of the Duster Oroch, however, is the antiquated styling based on the previous generation of the Duster crossover. Fret not, however, because 2022 is when the dual-cab compact pickup truck will receive a redesign according to reports from Brazil and South Africa.
Imagined with the headlamps and taillamps of the Duster by pixel artist Kleber Silva, the upcoming refresh should receive a better interior as well. Some things, however, aren’t likely to change. Of course, I’m referring to the 1.6- and 2.0-liter engines with flex-fuel capability because Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol fuel after the United States of America.
Don’t expect to get the Nissan Xtronic continuously variable transmission from the Duster, though, because a CVT and pickup trucks don’t mix. A five-speed manual for the 1.6 and a six-speed stick shift for the larger engine should do the trick, along with a torque-converter automatic as an option.
Dacia, the Romanian automaker responsible for the Duster on behalf of Groupe Renault, doesn’t offer a pickup truck per se. A coachbuilder by the name of Romturingia converts the crossover into a single cab with a 1.65-meter (5.4-foot) bed for Dacia. The Duster Pick-Up as it's called features a turbo diesel as standard and a starting price of 22,546 euros or $27,165.
Be that as it may, the Duster Oroch doesn't feature a ladder-frame chassis or a forced-fed engine with low-end torque. Renault has developed it with cost-sensitive customers in mind, which is why the most Spartan configuration is available to order from 82,490 reais or $15,360 at current exchange rates. The mid-sized Ranger in XL trim with the Single Cab, by comparison, kicks off at 154,090 reais or roughly $28,690 in the Brazilian market.
The biggest problem of the Duster Oroch, however, is the antiquated styling based on the previous generation of the Duster crossover. Fret not, however, because 2022 is when the dual-cab compact pickup truck will receive a redesign according to reports from Brazil and South Africa.
Imagined with the headlamps and taillamps of the Duster by pixel artist Kleber Silva, the upcoming refresh should receive a better interior as well. Some things, however, aren’t likely to change. Of course, I’m referring to the 1.6- and 2.0-liter engines with flex-fuel capability because Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol fuel after the United States of America.
Don’t expect to get the Nissan Xtronic continuously variable transmission from the Duster, though, because a CVT and pickup trucks don’t mix. A five-speed manual for the 1.6 and a six-speed stick shift for the larger engine should do the trick, along with a torque-converter automatic as an option.
Dacia, the Romanian automaker responsible for the Duster on behalf of Groupe Renault, doesn’t offer a pickup truck per se. A coachbuilder by the name of Romturingia converts the crossover into a single cab with a 1.65-meter (5.4-foot) bed for Dacia. The Duster Pick-Up as it's called features a turbo diesel as standard and a starting price of 22,546 euros or $27,165.
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