Renault's ute for South America goes on show

Renault is looking to the light-truck market with its Duster Oroch concept. Photos / Supplied

When you think of Renault you don't normally think of rugged take on anything utes, but the carmaker is set to unveil the Duster Oroch show car in a world premiere at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil which starts this week. Our first good look at what proposed Renault ute models could look like in the future.

Sadly for Euro-ute fans, the Duster Oroch is currently just a styling exercise for a five-seat recreational pick-up truck at this stage. Pick-ups account for nearly 75% of the light commercial vehicle market in South America where the Duster Oroch concept is primarily designed for, representing just over 920,000 units.

Renault has already announced plans to enter the pick-up market with at least two models.

Those aren't louvres but kite boards covering the back window.

The Duster Oroch is a creation of the Renault design centre for Latin America (RDAL) in Sao Paulo, one of Renault's five design centres worldwide.

The show car's body colour is an exclusive combination of satin-finish white and touches of orange which highlight its sporty personality and the world of kitesurfing, which inspired the vehicle's design. The vehicle's front end features the new brand identity and carries over some of the styling cues explored previously on the D-Cross concept car, which was a reinterpretation of the Renault Duster presented at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in 2012. The large front and rear bumpers as designed to convey that age old ute design impression of strength and power.

Image 1 of 7: The Renault Duster Oroch design concept.

"The Renault Duster Oroch show car boasts the energetic, robust stance that appeals to customers. It's the work of our Sao Paulo design centre and packs an emotional punch which is characteristic of design in Latin America," says Renault's Senior Vice President of Corporate Design, Laurens van den Acker.

"While it takes its inspiration from the Duster, itself a robust vehicle with an assertive personality, our local design team has delivered a fresh interpretation of the model in the form of this show car."

The fully-integrated roof rails protect the panoramic glass sunroof which lets in an abundance of natural light into the cabin and improves the sense of space inside the car. The rear layout has been specially designed to safely stow several kitesurf boards.

The Renault Duster Oroch includes two rear-mounted cameras set at 80° and 140° for full outdoor coverage.

In true 'go anywhere' style, the Renault Duster Oroch offers a spacious cabin, high ground clearance, 18-inch wheels and broad side protective mouldings. The dashboard features a multimedia screen which displays in real time the images captured by the two cameras installed in the rear of the dual cab outside the vehicle. A rotary control on the centre console is used to operate the cameras.

The Renault Duster Oroch's combination of colour and trim is reminiscent of the world of water sports. Fluorescent orange details brighten up the dark charcoal interior. The dashboard, door inserts and some parts of the seats are made from a material which looks like neoprene wetsuits.

While the Duster Oroch is designed with Latin America in mind it certainly wouldn't look out of place on Kiwi boat ramps and beaches.