What's the news?
Renault has unveiled a one-tonne pick-up truck called the Alaskan, which it is going to sell in Latin American markets. No word yet if it will make its way to Europe but given the success of such vehicles over here recently, we'd be very surprised if it stayed west of the Atlantic.
Exterior
If the Renault Captur came after the Nissan Juke, and the Kadjar followed on from the Nissan Qashqai, and the Koleos was begat by the X-Trail, then you can probably make an educated guess as to which of Nissan's products the Alaskan is based on. You can even see the NP300 Navara's shaping on the flanks and the Alaskan possesses the same window line as the Nissan, with the differences here being a Renault corporate face and different badging. That leads us to a decent-looking machine, all told, and one which that would surely sell well over here in Ireland.
Interior
Renault talks about the Alaskan having 'high-comfort' seats that are four-, six- or eight-way adjustable - either manually or electrically - as well as enough space in the back for rear-seat passengers to be comfortable; knee room is 589mm and the seat backrest angle is 23 degrees. Having been in a Nissan NP300 Navara Double-Cab, we know it can take three fully-grown adults in the back. Heated front seats, dual-zone climate control and a wealth of storage spaces are listed as some of the Alaskan's attributes, while (spec-depending) other toys offered include Renault keyless entry with push-button start, a five-inch 3D colour TFT display, Bluetooth connectivity, a seven-inch touchscreen satnav system and a 360-degree camera set-up.
Mechanicals
The same twin-turbocharged, 2.3-litre, four-cylinder diesel as seen in the NP300 Navara and also the Renault Master commercial vehicle is drafted into action here, delivering either 160- or 190hp. In some markets, a 2.5-litre petrol unit with 160hp and a 2.5-litre diesel, also offering 160- or 190hp, will be offered. Gearboxes are a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic, while the four-wheel drive system can be run in 2WD mode to save fuel. Like the Nissan pick-up, the Alaskan has five-link rear suspension on the top models, said to offer it 'class-leading' ride comfort and quality.
Anything else?
The Alaskan will be manufactured in three of Renault's global facilities - Cuernavaca, Mexico; Cordoba, Argentina; and Barcelona, in Spain. It's the last of these, and Renault's insistence on using the word 'global' repeatedly in the announcement of the Alaskan, that makes us believe a European-spec version will be on sale sooner rather than later.