During the kerfuffle of the Japan Mobility Show madness, French automaker Renault did its own thing and quietly unveiled that it is working on a beast of a pick-up truck.
Dubbed the Niagara Concept, it is a "symbol of our international expansion", which is marketing gobbledygook for "this is a look at the kind of hybrid and electrified machines Renault might produce for markets outside of Europe".
Unsurprisingly, in locations like Brazil, India and South America, the pick-up truck is big business, so it makes sense for Renault to show off what it is capable of and boy, is this thing bold.
Mashing together a number of styles, the Niagara concept features a monster grille with 3D Renault lettering covered in a 'pixel-art' finish, which was "largely inspired by pop culture," according to its designers.
A massive skid plate extends from the front to the underbody for added protection, while long suspension travels promise excellent off-road performance in the remotest parts. There's an ultra-bright light bar on the roof and even a winch attached to the front for serious 4x4 vibes.
And what about that funky paint scheme? Well, the Niagara's camo covering features several colours with each one representing one of the vehicle's facets: the green is for adventure, yellow for its sports-car edge, and light grey for "technicity," which we think is a completely made up word.
Above all else, this beefy concept is here to show off the Renault Group's ultra-flexible platform that will underpin all manner of cars in the future. In this case, it hosts a mild-hybrid 48V power plant that powers the front wheels and an additional electric motor at the rear for precision all-wheel-drive capabilities.
According to Renault, it can handle "half of your everyday drives in full-electric mode", which significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
Will it come to the UK? That's highly unlikely, as the pick-up market here is waining, but we could see it in more exotic locations some time in 2027.
