Renault Niagara combines pickup practicality with SUV comfort
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The Renault Niagara is an almost five-metre pickup developed for Latin America, combining a unibody structure, multi-link rear suspension and an SUV-like comfortable cabin with a genuinely usable load bed. The four-wheel-drive version's 233 mm ground clearance and 654 kg payload provide ample practicality, but its 710 kg towing capacity shows that Niagara is not aiming for the working-truck class occupied by the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.
A unibody design rather than a work-truck compromise
The Niagara is based on Renault's RGMP platform and uses a unibody structure. The rear axle features multi-link suspension, which Renault tuned primarily with ride comfort in mind. According to the manufacturer, the new solution reduced the natural frequency of body movement by 30 percent.
The four-wheel-drive Niagara is 4.94 metres long, while the front-wheel-drive version measures 4.91 metres. Ground clearance reaches 233 and 223 millimetres respectively. The four-wheel-drive system uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch and can distribute torque between the front and rear axles in a 50:50 split when required.
The load bed is practical, but not for heavy work
The Niagara's 938-litre load bed can carry up to 654 kg. Equipment includes eight load tie-down points, a 12 V power outlet and a roll-up cover. Maximum towing capacity is 710 kg.
This is the vehicle's biggest difference from a conventional mid-size pickup. The Niagara is better suited as a family, leisure and light-duty work vehicle than for towing heavy trailers or carrying a one-tonne load.
1.3-litre turbo engine with up to 120 kW
Power comes from a 1.3-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine, which can also run on Flex Fuel depending on the market. The front-wheel-drive version develops 115 kW and the four-wheel-drive model 120 kW, while both produce maximum torque of 270 Nm.
Transmission choices include a six-speed manual or a six-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission with wet clutches.
Inside, the Niagara aims to be more of an SUV
The cabin has a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch OpenR Link central screen with Google's services, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Gemini artificial intelligence.
Available equipment may include power-adjustable front seats, 48-colour ambient lighting, a 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control and automatic parking assistance. The rear seat backrest reclines by 25 degrees, while knee room measures 200 mm.
A niche product in Europe
The Niagara is built in Argentina, with Brazil, Argentina and Colombia as its main markets. Renault is not currently promising European sales.
Its strengths here would be its more compact dimensions and SUV-like ride comfort, but the 710 kg towing capacity would limit its use far more than with the Ranger or Hilux.
In essence, the Niagara is not a work truck with a comfortable cabin added. Rather, it is an SUV given a load bed, greater ground clearance and sufficient four-wheel drive for Latin America's poorer roads.
