Photo: Autoblog Argentina
Besides making some of the most affordable cars in Europe, Dacia also produces light commercial vehicles, some of which are sold overseas by Renault. This includes the Logan van and the Dokker van, but pretty soon a 4-door pickup based on the Duster will also be introduced.
The French brand showed a stunning looking concept car called the Oroch in October 2014 at the Sao Paulo Motor Show. It took the form of a large 4-door pickup truck with the a covered bed, a supercar-like grille behind the rear glass and orange accents. The offroader featured 18-inch wheels with 255/60 tires, raised suspension and upgraded lights with LED technology. The whole roof was made of glass to let more sunshine in, while flush-fitting door handles game it a premium appearance.
"The Duster Oroch is a concrete illustration of our strategy to develop products tailored to our Latin American markets," Denis Barbier, Senior Vice President of the Americas Region said at the time.
Yet two working prototypes were recently spotted undergoing road testing in Argentina. They feature the same camouflage wrap used when Renault was testing the Twingo 3 in Europe and appear ready for production. According to Autoblog Argentina, the production version of the Oroch could debut later this year and feature a 2-liter engine with 138 hp mated to 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrains. There might even be a CVT offered, borrowed directly from the Fluence sedan.
Latin America is a huge market for ethanol-powered cars, so we expect the Oroch will offer this form of internal combustion. The 1.5 diesel and 1.2 TCe petrol engines available on European Dusters are likely too expensive and complicated though.
If they can capture at least 10% of that market, Renault will be in very good shape. The Renault Oroch will compete directly with the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Hilux.
"The Duster Oroch is a concrete illustration of our strategy to develop products tailored to our Latin American markets," Denis Barbier, Senior Vice President of the Americas Region said at the time.
Yet two working prototypes were recently spotted undergoing road testing in Argentina. They feature the same camouflage wrap used when Renault was testing the Twingo 3 in Europe and appear ready for production. According to Autoblog Argentina, the production version of the Oroch could debut later this year and feature a 2-liter engine with 138 hp mated to 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrains. There might even be a CVT offered, borrowed directly from the Fluence sedan.
Latin America is a huge market for ethanol-powered cars, so we expect the Oroch will offer this form of internal combustion. The 1.5 diesel and 1.2 TCe petrol engines available on European Dusters are likely too expensive and complicated though.
Will it make it to Europe?
Probably not, partly because Dacia has already developed a short wheelbase 2-door pickup, plus there really isn't much demand for pickups on the old continent. By comparison, the French car company says that pickups represent some 75 percent of the 920,000-strong light commercial vehicle market in South America.If they can capture at least 10% of that market, Renault will be in very good shape. The Renault Oroch will compete directly with the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Hilux.
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