Renault Australia lobbying hard for new Niagara ute

Renault Australia has confirmed it’s closely monitoring the development of the upcoming Niagara ute and already evaluating the car-based pick-up for the local market.

Speaking to carsales at the Aussie release of the updated Arkana SUV, Renault Australia general manager Glen Sealey reiterated the turbulent Alaskan project was “not going to happen” Down Under, before confirming a very different outlook for the Niagara.

“That’s still yet to go into production, but if it’s in right-hand-drive, for sure we’ll have our hand up,” he said of the Niagara. “But we’re yet to see if it is.”

Unlike the ladder-frame Alaskan which shares the bulk of its DNA with the Nissan Navara, the Renault Niagara is being developed on the same modular platform as the Kardian crossover.

As a result, it’s unlikely to boast the same one-tonne payload and 3500kg towing capabilities of most dual-cabs offered in Australia – something Sealey said could ultimately be the Niagara’s USP.

“I would love it here, because it doesn’t compete with the typical one-tonne ute,” he said.

“It’s a segment down, it’s a bit unique.”

Overseas competitors for the Niagara include the Hyundai Santa Cruz, RAM Rampage and Ford Maverick, all of which use (monocoque) platforms derived from traditional passenger cars or SUVs.

Renault debuted the Niagara in concept form last year with an advanced ‘E-Tech’ 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain shoved under the bonnet and on-demand all-wheel drive.

The brand has promised genuine off-road capabilities all the same, and previously said the concept can complete “half of your everyday drives in full-electric mode” – pointing to the possible emergence of a full-fat plug-in hybrid system for the production version.

With the Niagara firmly on the radar for the second half of the decade, Sealey warned a sales dip was on the horizon for Renault Australia as it transitioned between product generations, but reaffirmed the brand’s continued presence Down Under.

“We’re in the middle of a transition,” he said.

“When you’re doing a transition, you’re never in your best form … our sales will come down. And they have come down.

“We expect to see that trend continue – although it’s probably stable where it is now – and then we’ll pull back out of it from mid-2025 onwards.

“We’re safe.”

Models anticipated to help pull Renault out of its sales slump include an overhauled Captur SUV, as well as the battery-electric Trafic e-Tech, revised Kangoo and all-new Master vans.

- Dylan Campbell