Renault broke the covers off its first ever medium
sized pickup truck, the Duster Oroch, back in June 2015. Destined exclusively
for the South American countries, the Oroch is slotted between the half ton and one ton pickup trucks
in those markets.
It is interesting to note that Renault India CEO and
MD Mr. Sumit Sawhney ruled out the possible launch of the pickup for the domestic
market in late 2015 but the news that Renault is keeping an eye out for entry
into the Indian LCV space did keep the hopes alive.
Renault could be trying to leverage the
popularity of the Duster compact SUV and sell its pickup version endorsing its
practicality. While the exterior will boast a typical Duster look with dual
chrome strip connecting the sleek headlamps and encasing the signature Renault
emblem at the centre, the cargo truck bed and dual cab configuration ensure an
essential pickup truck stance.
The rear end might feature a waterfall-styled tail
lamp as in the standard Duster or a regular pattern. The patent image showcase
the dual-cab version but a single-cab variant could be offered as well. Inside, its expected to get a brand new instrument cluster, three-spoke
steering wheel with mounted controls, an optional MediaNAV touchscreen
infotainment System featuring navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, new
upholstery and trim as in the facelifted Duster introduced last year.
Renault may ditch the EASY-R AMT six-speed gearbox
found in the Duster facelift as it could be deemed expensive. Expect the Oroch
pickup to be priced at around Rs. 13-14 lakh and the 1.5-litre dCi diesel
engine will likely be offered in its higher state of tune: 110 PS maximum power
and 245 Nm peak torque mated to six-speed manual transmission.