Renault now considering building bakkie based on Triton – report

By: CAR magazine

A fresh report out of Australia suggests Renault is considering building a bakkie based on the Mitsubishi Triton.

Of course, in some parts of the world, the French firm already offers the Alaskan, a double-cab bakkie that (like the Mercedes-Benz X-Class) shares its underpinnings with the Nissan Navara.

But a new report from CarAdvice confirms the firm’s Australian arm has scrapped plans to offer the Alaskan Down Under, with its new managing director hinting a rebodied Triton could instead be on the cards.

Renault Australia managing director Anouk Poelmann told the publication that despite taking the decision not to offer the Alaskan, the company is “not walking away” from the bakkie segment, adding it was looking at “other opportunities” (surely within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance).

Poelmann said while her company was “absolutely” investigating an alternative, she “wouldn’t want to assume it is quick and easy”.

“Give us a little bit more time … we don’t want to replace one promise with another promise,” she told CarAdvice.

“It would be a true Renault; it would look different. The whole organisation is under new wings. We look at product planning and product development through new and fresh eyes,” she said.

It remains to be seen what the decision not to offer the Alaskan in Australia (also a right-hand-drive market) means for South Africa…

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