The Renault Duster Oroch is a pickup truck for Brazil based on the Duster SUV. After seven years of production, the company decided not to redesign it based on the Duster Mk2 chassis, but rather to freshen up the first-gen truck and remove the “Duster” from the name.
In its most basic spec, the new Renault Oroch comes powered by the same 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine as its predecessor, getting 120 PS (118 hp / 88 kW) from it. A six-speed manual transmission still provides a sizeable benefit over the old five-speed design, lowering fuel consumption and reducing sprint time from 12.5 to 11.8 seconds.
The 2.0-liter naturally aspirated version is gone, replaced with the 1.3-liter turbo mill Renault uses in a number of other crossovers. Rated at 170 PS (168 hp / 125 kW), the engine mates to the same manual transmission or a CVT, but only in the top spec called Outsider. Sprinting from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 9.8 seconds in this version.
The bodywork and headlights stay unchanged, while the radiator grille, both bumpers and taillights enjoy some nip-and-tuck. Higher specifications come equipped with an extra four-light bar, like before. Compared to the Duster SUV, the pickup truck has 156 mm (6 inches) of added wheelbase and around half a meter (20 inches) of body length.
A look inside reveals a brand new front panel not unlike that of the Duster Mk2. The layout of the HVAC panel, the steering wheel and the hardware buttons is identical, but the infotainment display floats over the dashboard rather than being integrated. The gauges stem from the latest Captur.
ESP and per-wheel rear suspension are included in all trim levels. It is worth mentioning that the original Renault Duster Oroch had been available exclusively as a FWD truck in Brazil, while its AWD variant had only been produced for exports.
