Around four years ago, Renault-Nissan alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn visited Brazil and said the French automaker had no plans to make a Renault (Dacia) Duster/Logan/Sandero-derived pick-up. In fact, he just seemed to be deliberately fooling everyone and, more than that, hiding his plans for a planned compact four-door pick-up for the local market.
In Brazil, the first small pick-up was derived from the Fiat 147 hatchback (a variant of Europe's 127) back in 1978. Competitors followed and this segment now accounts for a 5% market share amongst light vehicles.
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The Italian brand diversified its range, offering extended, double and three-door double cabs so, today, more Fiat Strada trucks are sold than all other models combined (VW Saveiro and Chevy Montana). Now Renault offers an even more practical passenger/cargo model with four doors, giving the three-door Strada a heavyweight rival with a useful 683-litre/31.2-cu ft cargo box.
Power for the Oroch, which has no equivalent Dacia version elsewhere, comes from 1.6-litre/97.6 cu in, 113bhp or two-litre/122 cu in, 146bhp flexible-fuel, ethanol-petrol engines coupled to five or six speed manual gearboxes, respectively. The larger version weighs more but stated payload is the same 650kg/1,433lb for both.
Early in 2016, 4WD and automatic gearbox versions will become available. Prices are quite competitive – BRL62,290/US$16,400 to BRL72,490/$19,100 – especially in view of the additional door and by far the roomiest cabin for the legs, heads and shoulders of three adults seated abreast in the back, thanks for the 15.5cm/50.8in. longer wheelbase from the Duster SUV.
The smaller engine must cope with 90kg extra compared to the base Duster SUV. This will make the two-litre version a wiser choice for those who intend fully load the vehicle. Rear brakes would better as discs instead of drums, taking vehicle use into consideration.
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By GlobalDataFactory accessories include "pseudo-adventurer" dress-ups and a cargo bed extender that unfolds into a loading ramp for motorcycles, a feature introduced by Fiat for the Strada two years ago.
The driving position is nice although the steering wheel adjusts only for height. The hydraulic power steering is correctly calibrated and the cable operated gear shifter a step forward by this automaker's standards.
Instrument cluster daytime readability has been improved compared with the Sandero/Logan. A multimedia system with seven inch touchscreen includes GPS navigation.
The Duster Oroch plugs a product gap in the Brazilian market as a lighter alternative to the traditional, heavy, medium-size pick-ups but with a roomier cabin than the compacts.
