Renault Alaskan Confirmed For European Market, Debuts At 2017 Geneva Motor Show

It’s no wonder, then, that Mercedes-Benz is working on the X-Class, a pickup that’ll be based on the Nissan NP300 Navara. The same can be said for the U.S., where the Ford F-150 can be had with genuine fiddleback eucalyptus wood trim. Sensing the opportunity to expand its commercial vehicle business, the Renault brand made the decision to sell the Alaskan in Europe.

The French automaker’s release for the 2017 Geneva Motor Show confirms this in a single sentence, as follows: “The New Koleos [it's actually a facelift] and the Alaskan pick-up (sic) to hit the European market in 2017.” Itself based on Nissan’s mid-size pickup truck, the Renault Alaskan for Europe is believed to go into production at the Japanese automaker’s plant in Barcelona.

Let’s make a quick recap about what sort of implications this brings forth. Developed with Latin America in mind with the underpinnings of a Japanese model that’s built in Spain, the Alaskan is a proper exercise in terms of globalization. Then again, Groupe Renault did mention during the pickup truck’s launch in Colombia that it “has global ambitions for [the] Alaskan.”

Based on what the market wants from such a vehicle, the European-spec Renault Alaskan will be made available in one layout at the very least (double cab). Powertrain-wise, it’s pretty obvious that the torquey 2.3-liter dCi turbo diesel is arguably the most suitable choice for this part of the world.

In its lesser tune, the powerhouse develops 163 PS (161 horsepower) and 403 Nm (297 lb-ft). The 2.3 dCi with two turbochargers, however, improves output to 190 PS (187 horsepower) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft). A six-speed manual transmission is expected to come as standard. A seven-speed automatic will act as the alternative to changing gears manually.