Today Renault got into a very difficult position. The impending crisis faced by the French manufacturer became known at least 2 years ago. During this time, the company has revised its global development strategy twice: first, it changed the interaction with partners in the alliance Nissan and Mitsubishithen – the directions in which they should have gone Dacia and Lada. Later, due to pressure, Renault had to leave the Russian market, which for the company is the second in terms of sales (after home). Moreover, the French manufacturer assembled cars in our country that were sent to neighboring countries. That is, Renault, after leaving Russia, may lose neighboring markets as well.
But it is precisely the current conditions that can force the French company to strengthen its position on the territory of Ukraine. Moreover, there are many idle car factories here. One of them is KrAZ, whose production volume has declined sharply in recent years. However, one should not expect that Renault will start producing well-known models at this car plant. Most likely, KrAZ will be used for the production of non-standard for the French brand, but at the same time, popular in the world of cars. The domestic designer showed what such a model could be. He published renderings showing the new KrAZ-260 2022-2023 pickup truck, which stands out for its compact size.
The appearance of such a car in the Renault lineup can be explained just by the increased demand for such cars. Moreover, in Europe (including its eastern part), compact pickups, in fact, are not represented. That is, Renault, launching such a car into production, will bring it to a market where there are no direct competitors. At the same time, the French company may not use its own brand for such a pickup truck. Renault in Europe is known as a manufacturer of completely different cars. In particular, Logan and Duster The Dacia subsidiary supplies to the EU countries.
However, if Renault really decides to develop a pickup truck like the presented model, then it will be cheap. An expensive truck on the Ukrainian market will not be in demand. And the launch of the production of a car that will immediately be exported from the country does not make sense. In this regard, it can be assumed that the presented KrAZ pickup truck will be valued at less than a million rubles in terms of the current exchange rate.
Design
The Ukrainian novelty is distinguished by its simple execution in terms of design. But it is this format that is most suitable for budget cars. By creating a simple pickup truck, Renault will thus reduce development costs and reduce the cost of the model. This, in turn, will help keep vehicle prices low.
However, despite the above, the designer still managed to create the original KrAZ-260 2022-2023 pickup truck. First of all, the car is presented in a two-door body with one row of seats. Despite its compact size, its rear platform is likely to be able to carry a lot of cargo. This is due to the fact that it turned out to be very deep.
The original hood is located in front of the Ukrainian novelty: pronounced protrusions stretched along its sides, which form a kind of wings. Head optics has the correct shape of a triangle. But it bends slightly on the sides, going into the wheel fenders. LEDs are visible inside the head optics, although in the initial versions of the KrAZ pickup truck should receive halogen lights. The radiator grille of the novelty is divided into 2 segments and is complemented by a relatively fine mesh.
An interesting solution is to place 2 deep cutouts for ventilation holes at the top of the front bumper. These, combined with the low-lying central air intake, give a slightly sporty look. This effect is reinforced by a decorative plastic trim on the front bumper. A similar body kit stretches along the wide wheel arches. This decision, combined with high ground clearance, indirectly indicates that the Ukrainian novelty will have good off-road performance.
Smooth transitions between individual body parts and wide wheel arches make the pickup more massive. The rear part of the body of the presented novelty is also distinguished by its simple design. But here the developer has placed large optics, uncharacteristic for compact cars. An interesting solution is to move the handle down the cargo platform door, provided that it opens exactly to the side, and not up.
The interior of the Ukrainian novelty has not yet been disclosed. But you can expect that the interior design will be “copied” from the Logan or Duster. Moreover, the KrAZ-260 2022-2023 pickup truck will have a lot in common with the latest model.
Specifications
It is most likely that when designing a new pickup, Renault will use technological solutions previously implemented in Duster. This crossover is best suited as a prototype for a compact truck. The Duster, in particular, stands out for its excellent cross-country ability, which is very important even for small pickups.
In this regard, the Ukrainian novelty is likely to be built on the basis of one of the modifications of the CMF platform. As a standard, the KrAZ pickup will be equipped with a 125-horsepower 1.2-liter turbo engine, which develops up to 205 N*m. But it is possible that Renault (at least in some markets) will not equip the presented novelty with a 1.6-liter “aspirated” by default, which develops up to 115 hp. and 156 N * m. In the top versions, a 1.5-liter turbodiesel with a return of 90-110 hp is possible. But the likelihood of a 1.3-liter 133-horsepower turbo engine appearing on the KrAZ-260 2022-2023 pickup truck is extremely small, since this unit is too expensive.
Start of sales
Taking into account the current global situation, as well as due to the need for a deep modernization of the car plant, if the presented project is implemented, the new KrAZ pickup truck will appear no earlier than 2023.