Renault Alaskan Pickup Truck Concept Heads to Frankfurt

Gearing up for the 2015 Frankfurt auto show, Renault pulled the covers off a new light pickup truck concept. Slated to go into production by 2017, the Renault Alaskan concept gives us a glimpse into what could be a new light-duty Nissan or Mercedes-Benz pickup truck.

The Renault Alaskan concept features a raft of interesting styling points that set it apart from the rest of the saturated pickup truck market. Most of the trucks sold today have aggressive, masculine lines, with hard edges and straight lines. While the Alaskan does indeed have aggressively rounded fenders, the truck sets itself apart with softer design lines in the front and a rather curvy side profile.

Official technical details on the Alaskan Concept are sparse, but the powertrain is a longitudinally-mounted twin-turbocharged unit. Payload capacity is capped at about 2,200 lb with five passengers, and there are built-in storage compartments in the bed.

Renault Alaskan Concept Rear Three Quarter 1

The Renault Alaskan will likely be twinned with a future Nissan small pickup truck, which will in turn become the upcoming Mercedes-Benz pickup truck. Despite the recent success of the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, and the redesigned Toyota Tacoma, the Mercedes-Benz truck is unlikely to be sold in the U.S. However, a future Nissan pickup that might bear some resemblance to this Renault Alaskan could eventually arrive on our shores to replace the aging Frontier.

Look for a production variant of the Renault Alaskan for 2017.

Source link