Renault Niagara ute takes shape

When Renault whipped the covers off its all-new dual-cab ute, the Renault Niagara concept in late 2023, it generated plenty of interest and raised more than a few eyebrows.

But there was one problem – the concept was festooned with supercilious accessories, finished with dayglo accents and a hectic body wrap, all of which made it difficult to get a handle on the fundamental design.

Until now.

Brazilian graphic artist K Design has removed all the visual noise from the Renault Niagara concept ute to provide new insights as to how the French hay hauler could look ahead of its global market launch no later than 2027.

Sporting a more functional design that shows off the Niagara pick-up truck’s blocky aesthetics, the unofficial render retains the concept car’s multi-faceted LED headlight clusters and hidden rear door handles.

The full-width tail light LEDs match the concept too but it features a less radical, more conventional rear sports bar now.

Given its pumped wheel arches, chunky all-terrain tyres and considerable ground clearance, this particular Renault Niagara looks like a flagship tough truck that could go toe-to-toe with the Toyota HiLux GR Sport and Ford Ranger Wildtrak X.

However, the Renault Niagara appears to take a slightly different approach to the dual-cab ute than the most popular models in Australia, such as the Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger and others.

Unlike the Renault Alaskan, which was based on the Nissan Navara (and was also under consideration for Australia before it was kyboshed), the Niagara pick-up truck is based on one of Renault’s new modular platform architectures.

As such, it appears to be a smaller lifestyle ute akin to the SUV-based Hyundai Santa Cruz, rather than a one-tonne workhorse like the HiLux.

If the Renault Niagara leverages a car-like monocoque or unibody frame (which is highly likely given its 4.9 metre length, versus the Ford Ranger’s almost 5.4 metres) it won’t be able to tow as much as most diesel-powered utes in Australia, which is around 3.5 tonnes.

However, the French ute does feature an all-wheel drive-line, although because of its hybrid setup an electric motor drives the front wheels and combustion engine rotates the rear hoops.

Renault is seeking to expand its footprint in regions beyond its European heartland and the Niagara ute is one of eight new models scheduled to go on sale globally before 2027 to do just that.

It’s too early to tell if it will come to Australia but if rival vehicles like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Fe make a go of it Down Under, the chance of an Aussie launch will significantly improve.