Unsurprisingly, Renault's rival for the new Volkswagen Tukan will be limited to South America and therefore, not offered with right-hand drive.
Based on the Boreal, the Niagara has finally been revealed three years after bowing as a concept. Picture: Renault
Kept under wraps after its sole teaser image in May, Renault has officially removed the wraps from the all-new Niagara as its first-ever half-ton bakkie bound for South America.
Boreal based but…
Part of its futuREady product plan, which consists of 14 models debuting outside Europe from now till 2030, the Niagara’s unveiling on Thursday (10 September) ends almost three years of speculative reports dating back to the concept of three years ago.
Set to partially replace the dated first generation Duster-based Oroch, the Niagara will be assembled at the Santa Isabel Plant in Argentina and, for now, produced only in left-hand drive.
Based on the same platform as the Kardian that replaced the Sandero in Latin America and the Boreal that will arrive in South Africa next year, the Niagara is therefore a unibody bakkie Renault will only offer as a double cab.
Dimensions
Directly aimed at the Volkswagen Tukan, Chevrolet Montana, segment-leading Fiat Toro and to some extent, the Ram Rampage and Ford Maverick, the Niagara’s dimensions are as follows:
- Length: 4 912mm;
- Wheelbase: 2 956mm;
- Height: 1 710mm;
- Width: 1 833mm
Offering 224 mm of ground clearance, the Niagara has a towing capacity of 710 kg, a loadbin volume of 938-liters and payload of 654 kg.
Opting, however, for the flagship Outsider not only nets all-wheel drive, but 233mm of ground clearance, an increased length of 4 942mm and slightly reduced height of 1 707mm.
Revised underneath
Aesthetically inspired by the Boreal, the Niagara does, however, receive a differently tuned chassis with among others, model specific spring and shocks, different geometry, uprated brakes and a multi-link rear suspension layout.
At the same time, the drive mode selector has been tuned for each driveline, with no less than six settings being provided: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, MySense and Terrain. For the all-wheel drive, two additional modes are provided: Mud/Sand and Off-Road.
Inside and tech
Its interior being almost identical to the Boreal and the Indian-made Duster, the Niagara is equipped as standard with the 10.1-inch infotainment system, the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a wireless smartphone charging pad and ambient lighting.
Along with the rear seats reclining up to 25-degrees, the fabrics are made mostly out of recycled plastic bottles, while safety and driver assistance systems comprise:
- six airbags;
- tyre pressure monitor;
- front and rear parking sensors;
- 360-degree camera system;
- Adaptive Cruise Control;
- Automatic Emergency Braking;
- Lane Departure Warning;
- Driver Attention Alert;
- Lane Keeping Assist;
- Traffic Sign Recognition;
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert;
- Blind Spot Monitoring;
- Safe Exit Alert.
Solitary engine option
Up front, and as previously expected, power comes solely from the 1.3-litre turbocharged engine used in the Duster and Boreal.
Adapted, however, to run on both petrol and ethanol, the engine develops 115kW when using the former and 120kW when fuelled with the latter. In both instances, torque is rated at 270Nm.
Transmission options comprise a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed dual-clutch, which is expected to be standard on certain market all-wheel drive versions.
Reportedly, a 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain from the Boreal will be introduced in 2027 to rival the Tukan’s eTSI option.
Sorry, South Africa
Going on-sale first in Brazil and then Argentina in November, the Niagara is anticipated to provide the base for alliance partner Nissan’s incoming half-ton bakkie announced back in 2024, although nothing has since been mentioned.
More well known is that it won’t be offered outside South America or with right-hand drive, therefore effectively making it a non-starter for South Africa.
