A small truck called the Renault Niagara has caught attention with its unique drivetrain. Unlike the ill-fated Mercedes X-Class, which was just a rebadged Nissan Navara, the Niagara offers something different. This conceptual truck features a hybrid setup. It has a mild-hybrid gasoline engine that powers the front wheels, while an electric motor takes care of the rear axle. By combining these two power sources, the Niagara becomes a four-wheel-drive vehicle that can go anywhere.
Renault emphasizes that the Niagara can handle half of your everyday drives in full-electric mode. This means that, after shutting off the internal combustion engine (ICE), the truck can still operate as a rear-wheel-drive electric vehicle. While the specific details about the battery pack are not mentioned, it is likely to be small since the Niagara is a compact pickup and the electric range only lasts for half a day.
Lexus is open to the idea of launching a luxury pickup truck, despite the failure of the Nissan Navara-based Mercedes X-Class. While there are no immediate plans for such a vehicle, Lexus is not against the idea if there is sufficient customer demand. Takashi Watanabe, a spokesperson for Toyota’s premium division, made this surprising announcement during a recent press conference in Japan.
Watanabe stated that if a Lexus pickup truck were to be given the green light for production, it would not be based on any existing Toyota model. This means it would not have any similarities to the Hilux, Tacoma, or Tundra. Additionally, the Lexus pickup truck would be an all-electric vehicle, as it would not have a combustion engine. The development team’s focus would be on catering to a wide audience, as Lexus aims to offer a luxurious utilitarian vehicle.
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