Paris, France - Renault has been the No.1 Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) brand for the past 17 years in Europe, reports the automaker.
Renault hopes to grab its share of the bakkie market. The new Renault Duster Oroch bakkie - headed for SA - was launched in Buenos Aires in June 2015
The new Renault Duster Oroch slots in between the half- ton and one-ton bakkies. However, the Oroch has been designed with four doors and five seats so it brings something different to the market. The competition in this part of the segment are purely workhorses like the Nissan NP200 and the Chevrolet Ute. The Oroch brings a baby double-cab to the segment. It is scheduled for international launch in the second half of 2015.
The technical details are sparse for now, but it will be sold with a choice of 1.6-litre and 2-litre engines, optimised for heavy-duty applications.
“This new model, Renault’s first pickup, is the next step in Renault’s globalization strategy. With Renault Duster Oroch, the brand is launching its offensive in the competitive pickup segment”, said Ashwani Gupta, Renault’s Global Head of Light Commercial Vehicles.
Renault SA was approached for comment and a spokesperson said that while the Duster bakkie wasn’t on the cards immediately, there’s potential after the first quarter of 2016. Given the Duster’s success in South Africa.
While South Africa might be passionate about the bakkie genre, it seems we are unlikely to see the Duster Oroch soon. For now, it will only be manufactured in left-hand drive.