SAO PAULO SHOW: Dacia ute concept

Dual-cab utes are big business in Australia and clearly there's a demand for them in Brazil too, with Renault's Romanian budget brand Dacia revealing a compact four-door ute dubbed the Duster Oroch.

Pitched as a family-friendly five-seat recreational vehicle, the Oroch concept is based on the Dacia Duster SUV, which has been a sales success for the company across many parts of Europe and emerging markets such India, Russia and of course Brazil.

The high-riding ute concept was designed at the Renault design centre for Latin America, or DRAL, which is located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and builds on the Duster's stocky design by adding protective body extensions, larger 18-inch alloy wheels, sporty front and rear bumpers and a panoramic glass roof.

Dacia says the concept was inspired by kite surfing culture and features a special rack to store kitesurfing boards behind the rear window. Another unique highlight is the car's twin rear-mounted cameras, designed to capture "special sporting moments" says Dacia.

"It's the work of our Sao Paulo design centre and packs an emotional punch which is characteristic of design in Latin America," said Laurens van den Acker, Renault design boss, of the compact ute.

The design of the Dacia Duster Oroch could also provide inspiration for the design of Renault's upcoming Nissan Navara-based one-tonne ute, which will likely be previewed in concept form in 2015.

Akin to the exterior, the interior features fluorescent orange highlights and a number of other quirks, such 'Cover Carving' technology on the seats. Simply put, Dacia has supplemented the cushions with an extra layer of foam "to withstand intensive use" but can also deliver more customised designs, says the company.

The kite surfing influence is again obvious in the choice of interior upholstery, a neoprene-like wetsuit material.

Dacia made no mention of powertrains, but for reference the regular Duster comes with 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines.

Interestingly, the Romanian car-maker hints that its orange-highlighted Oroch concept could become a production reality.

"Based on the Renault Duster, which is one of our best-selling models in the region, the show car explores the world of pick-ups – a segment we’re absent from at the moment but which totals around 900,000 vehicles sold each year [in Brazil]," observed Denis Barbier, Dacia Senior Vice President, Chairman of the Americas Region.

"The Renault Duster Oroch is a concrete illustration of our strategy to develop products tailored to our Latin American markets."

Even if the Oroch does get the thumbs-up for production, the chances of it coming Down Under are very slim, as Renault Australia's prevailing attitude towards Dacia is apathetic.