Five things we like about the Renault Oroch

The new Renault Oroch is a cheeky, good-looking dual-cab pick-up based on the Dacia Duster small SUV that’s taken Europe and Latin American markets by storm.

Unsurprisingly, Renault Australia would love to position the pint-size lifestyle-oriented ute at the bottom end of a new pick-up portfolio topped by the Nissan Navara-based Alaskan twin-cab.

With that in mind, we asked our Mexican friends at carsales.com.au affiliate Autologia to list the five things they most like about the Oroch.

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Multi-purpose

At 4700mm long, 1822mm wide and 1694mm high, the Oroch might look small on the outside but inside the four-door ute there’s five real seats and space for four adults. Likewise, thanks to a 155mm wheelbase stretch (to 2829mm) over the Duster SUV, the tray looks small but approaches that of some full-size twin-cab utes with a load capacity of 650kg, cargo capacity of 680 litres and a load bay measuring 1175mm wide and 1350mm long -- adequate for carting small dirt bikes, camping gear and a houseful of Ikea flat-packs.

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Accessories

The Oroch is offered in Latin America with an extensive array of options to enhance its appearance and amenity, thereby broadening its appeal and street cred. The range of official genuine accessories available across the range includes a rear sports bar, soft cargo cover, fog lights, side steps, cargo extension and cabin protection bars.

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Performance

Renault’s smallest twin-cab is powered by a peppy 106kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine matched with either manual or automatic transmissions. In Latin America, the front-wheel drive Oroch is also offered with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, but the bigger engine we’re likely to get sends the baby pick-up to 100km/h in a claimed 10.3 seconds. A smaller-still 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine could be aimed at Europe.

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Market positioning

The Oroch is the world’s only compact four-door, dual-cab pick-up, making it even more versatile than compact single-cab utes of old, such as the Proton Jumbuck, Subaru Brumby and Suzuki Might Boy. Aimed at young families and adventurists who may never have owned a pick-up, it could be priced in line with the cheapest Chinese dual-cabs from under $25,000 – making it a viable alternative to a small wagon.

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Dynamics

The Oroch is actually better to drive than the Duster, thanks to its longer wheelbase and multi-link rear suspension, which make it as sporty as any compact ‘sports utility vehicle’.

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Safety

In Latin America, both the Oroch and Duster come with only two airbags and no traction or stability control. However, that will change for European versions of the Oroch, which will also receive additional structural reinforcements to improve its crash test rating. If it’s sold in Australia, where a five-star safety rating is vital, expect a Euro-spec right-hand drive version of the Oroch to arrive as early as late 2019.