Call me Oroch: Revised Renault bakkie revealed

Seemingly undeterred by the leaking of several images days before its official reveal today in Brazil, Renault has taken the wraps off of the updated Oroch bakkie for the markets across South America.

Still based on the original Duster, which has remained in production in South America despite the current second generation having debuted five years ago, the updates are more than skin deep as Renault has provided the Oroch with a new engine.

Produced at the São José dos Pinhais Plant in Curitiba, and not in Argentina as erroneously reported previously, the Oroch’s exterior changes, mirrored on those of the Duster, comprise a new front bumper with integrated fog lamps on the top-spec Outsider, a restyled grille, wheel arch and bumper cladding on the Outsider and darkened taillight clusters.

As indicated earlier this month though, the biggest has been the dropping of the Duster prefix with the model now being solely known as Oroch.

Inside, the first generation Duster interior has been reworked to include new air-conditioning controls, orange accents on the dashboard and a new freestanding eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all but the entry-level derivative.

Capping the interior off are new door panels, relocation of the electric mirror switches to the left of the steering wheel instead of on the centre console, and satin silver inserts.

Dimensionally, the Oroch continues unchanged with its overall length stretching 4 719 mm and its wheelbase 2 829 mm.

Standing 1 634 mm tall and measuring 1 834 mm wide, the Oroch retains its 212 mm ground clearance and payload of between 650 kg and 680 kg, but benefits from a recalibrated power steering as well as improved suspension.

As mentioned, the main drawing card resides underneath the bonnet where the previous normally aspirated 2.0-litre engine bows out in favour of the 1.3-litre turbo co-developed between the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Daimler.

Offered in a number of Renault and Nissan models, as well as in the Mercedes-Benz A200, CLA 200, GLB 200 and GLA 200, the unit produces 119 kW when using petrol or 125 kW when fuelled with ethanol.

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Torque is rated at 250 Nm regardless of the fuel type with the only transmission option being a newly developed CVT that replaces the six-speed manual and four-speed automatic offered on the 2.0-litre.

Carried over from the pre-facelift Oroch is the normally aspirated 1.6 that produces an unchanged 87 kW or 88 kW with 159 Nm being delivered, again regardless of the type of fuel.

A six-speed manual remains the only transmission choice for the 1.6 with all models being front-wheel-drive only. Reportedly, only the 1.3 will come with the option of four-wheel-drive, but only in Argentina.

In Brazil, the Oroch range will comprise three models; the workhorse specification Pro, mid-range Intens and the mentioned Outsider which derives motivation exclusively from the new powerunit.

Pricing kicks-off at R $105 800 (R329 590) for the Pro with the Intens retailing from R $111 300 (R346 723) and the Outsider from R $137 100 (R427 096)

While at one point confirmed for South Africa, only to be delayed until 2021 and subsequently to 2022, the Oroch is now only due to arrive next year, but not in its current guise.

Instead, it will be produced as a single cab that could potentially come in the shape of a Renault badged version of the Dacia Duster Pick-Up sold in Romania since 2020.

With development of the second generation Oroch having allegedly started, and based on Renault’s confirmation last year that will be offered locally, expect the now facelift original to give South Africa a miss as it was never meant for right-hand-drive markets, a feature its successor seemingly won’t conform to.

More will however be revealed in the lead-up to next year.  

Additional info from motorshow.com.br and motor1.com Brazil.