Renault Niagara revealed, but the half-ton bakkie is off limits to SA
Built for Latin America, Renault’s new double-cab bakkie combines a 654kg payload with up to 233mm of ground clearance and optional all-wheel drive.
Kept under wraps after its sole teaser image in May, Renault has officially unveiled the all-new Niagara as its first-ever half-ton bakkie, destined exclusively for South America, reports The Citizen.
Niagara to be assembled in Argentina
Part of its futureReady product plan, which consists of 14 models debuting outside Europe from now until 2030, the Niagara’s unveiling on Thursday (September 10), ends almost three years of speculation dating back to the concept unveiled 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, which replaced the Sandero in Latin America, and the Boreal, which will arrive in South Africa next year, the Niagara is therefore a unibody bakkie that Renault will offer exclusively as a double cab.
Dimensions
Directly aimed at the Volkswagen Tukan, Chevrolet Montana and segment-leading Fiat Toro, as well as 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 224mm of ground clearance, the Niagara has a towing capacity of 710kg, a load bin volume of 938 litres and a payload of 654kg.
Opting for the flagship Outsider not only brings all-wheel drive, but also 233mm of ground clearance, an increased length of 4 942mm and a slightly reduced height of 1 707mm.
Revised underneath
Aesthetically inspired by the Boreal, the Niagara does, however, receive a differently tuned chassis with model-specific springs and shocks, among other changes, along with 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 fewer than six settings: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, MySense and Terrain. On all-wheel-drive versions, two additional modes are provided: Mud/Sand and Off-Road.
Inside and tech
Its interior is almost identical to that of the Boreal and the Indian-made Duster. The Niagara comes equipped as standard with a 10.1-inch infotainment system, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a wireless smartphone charging pad and ambient lighting.
Along with rear seats that recline by up to 25 degrees, the upholstery is made mostly from recycled plastic bottles. Safety and driver assistance systems comprise:
- Six airbags
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- 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 to run on both petrol and ethanol, the engine develops 115kW when using petrol and 120kW when fuelled with ethanol. In both instances, torque is rated at 270Nm.
Transmission options comprise a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is expected to be standard on certain 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 importantly for South African buyers, it won’t be offered outside South America or with right-hand drive, effectively making it a non-starter for South Africa.
The article This is it: New Renault Niagara half-ton bakkie officially revealed was first published on The Citizen.
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