Renault to build pickup truck in Argentina aimed at South America's car buyers

By Gilles Guillaume

GUYANCOURT, France, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Renault on Thursday unveiled its new Niagara pickup truck, a model that would look out of place on the streets of Paris but is central to the French automaker's growth strategy in Latin America.

Renault is targeting Latin America, India and South Korea to reduce its reliance on Europe, which accounted for more than 70% of its sales in the first half of 2026 but where it faces intense competition from Chinese brands.

Pickup trucks account for up to 30% of Latin America's vehicle sales.

The Niagara, which is longer than its predecessor, the Renault Oroch, will be assembled at Renault's plant in Cordoba, Argentina. Renault is hoping the new model will help it challenge market leaders in Latin America's half-ton pickup segment, including the Fiat Toro, Ford Maverick, Chevrolet Montana and RAM Rampage.

"We are an outsider, but a solid outsider", Renault vice president for light commercial vehicle products Frederic Clermont told journalists. "We're not starting from scratch, we have a solid track record in commercial vehicles."

While the truck is aimed primarily at professional customers, Renault said its double-cab design and integrated cargo bed make it versatile enough for private use during evenings and weekends.

The Niagara also incorporates classic U.S. pickup design features, including a prominent front end and decorative roll bars.

The truck will be sold mainly in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, starting with combustion-engine models, with hybrid versions to follow, Renault said.

In the first half of the year, Brazil was Renault's seventh-largest market and Argentina its 13th. Outside the Europe-Turkey-Morocco region, however, they ranked first and fourth, respectively.

(Reporting Gilles Guillaume. Editing by Mark Potter)