Between now and the end of 2023, Renault plans to launch at least five, but possibly six new vehicles in the South African market, the manufacturer confirmed to TopAuto.
In the first quarter, fans of the French automaker can expect the debut of the new Captur crossover, a model that hasn’t been on sale locally since 2021.
Between the second and fourth quarter, Renault has planned the introductions of the updated Duster and Koleos SUVs, as well as the all-new Megane R.S.300 Ultime hot hatch and compact Oroch bakkie.
The Megane comes as particularly surprising, considering the brand discontinued domestic sales of the hatchback in early 2021, citing furious growth in the B-SUV segment as the reason for this.
Finally, sometime during the second half of the year, we may also get the Arkana crossover coupe. However, the Arkana’s debut isn’t set in stone yet and there is a chance it may not be coming to local showrooms, said Renault.
What to expect
While local motorists are already familiar with the Captur, Duster, Koleos, and Megane, 2023 holds the introduction of two never-before-sold-in-South-Africa Renault models, the Oroch bakkie and Arkana crossover coupe.
The Oroch, based on the Duster, will be entering the compact bakkie segment which currently only has one player, the Nissan NP200 – which consistently enjoys a noticeable chunk of market share.
The utilitarian Renault is already available in other African markets such as Nigeria, where it’s driven by a 1.6-litre, petrol engine generating 82kW, or a 2.0-litre unit with up to 107kW on tap, each one paired with a manual gearbox and boasting a maximum cargo capacity of 650kg.
In this region it’s also sold in double-cab guise, which is the same body style that’s coming to our showrooms, confirmed the manufacturer.
As in Nigeria, we expect the Oroch to be available in two specifications when it goes on sale here, offering at the very least a Bluetooth-capable radio system, multifunction steering wheel, central locking, an Eco mode, manual airconditioning, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
The Arkana, too, will be stepping into a sparsely-populated category if it does come to our shores, that of crossover coupes, of which the new VW Taigo is the pioneer.
This Renault is currently only being sold in Europe – exclusively in hybrid and mild-hybrid configurations.
At the bottom of the range, the crossover is equipped with a 1.3-litre petrol engine with a 12V “micro-hybrid” system producing up to 119kW at an average fuel consumption rating of 5.7l/100km.
At the top-end, the Arkana comes with a “full-hybrid solution” seeing a larger rear-mounted 1.2kWh electric motor paired to the same petrol block, only now generating a maximum of 108kW at a lower 4.8l/100km and offering up to 3km of all-electric driving.
It is then available in four specification grades, with niceties such as a 7-inch infotainment centre, a 4.2-inch or 7-inch digital driver’s display, automatic headlights, cruise control, keyless access and start, and 17-inch alloys being standard across the line-up.
It further has up to nine advanced assistance systems depending on the model, including blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keep assist.
It must be noted that none of the above features has yet been confirmed by Renault and the official South African specifications will be revealed closer to the respective launch dates.
Keyword: New Renault cars launching in South Africa next year