Earlier this month, Dacia - the budget brand of Renault - revealed the Duster Pickup, a more utilitarian version of its rugged SUV.
Built in collaboration between Dacia and Romanian coach-builder Romturingia, there were no changes to the Duster’s cabin, resulting in its tray measuring just 1050mm long and 1000mm wide - far from what true ute buyers have come to expect.
However, a more capable ute could still be on the cards, with fan page Dacia Duster Trails and Technical posting images of a two-door, single-cab version of the Duster Pickup on Facebook.
Reportedly pictured in Romturingia’s workshop, the two-door ute features a far more practical tray, measuring 1650mm long, making it even larger than what you’d find on the back of a dual-cab Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux.
No more photos of the single-cab Duster Pickup have emerged, though it could preview another future ute from Dacia, offering budget-conscious buyers a work-focused commercial vehicle without breaking the bank.
According to the Dacia specialist, a ute version of the larger RAV4-sized Bigster SUV could also launch in the future.
This larger class of car has found success as a ute in the US, with the Hyundai Santa Cruz (based on the Santa Fe) and Ford Maverick (based on the Escape) creating their own niche, though neither are available here.
