The Renault Alaskan is the first representative of the Renault car company in the already very popular segment of family pick-ups. But Alaskan is also the result of cooperation between the Renault-Nissan alliance, where it takes over years of proven Nissan technology and takes on the role of a younger sibling of the Navara model, with which it has a lot in common in terms of technology as well as appearance.
It is the recent popularity of this category that is moving the former workers "with a body" somewhere on the border between the Pick-Up and SUV segments. These are therefore leisure cars that have interior comfort, decent driving characteristics, a certain usability and good cross-country ability. And so is the tested Renault Alaskan.
The version we tested had a turbocharged diesel engine in combination with a seven-speed automatic transmission and the top Intens equipment.
At first glance, the Renault Alaskan is a very handsome car with tremendous robustness. No wonder, its length reaches almost 5.4 m.
The front part of the car has a very rich, yet understated impression, this is mainly achieved by the chrome front mask, or the understated light signature of the daytime running lights. The massive front hood is clearly oriented horizontally and, moreover, quite effectively broken, raised in places above the front wheels. Alaskan and its side part, this is a balanced composition of a double cabin and storage space, which was also equipped with a rather effective, partially glazed "shed". The tested version also had elegant treads, in terms of aesthetics and practicality, there is nothing to complain about. The rear part just completes the overall good aesthetic impression of the whole car, its concept is very moderate and decent.
The interior of the Alaskan is again based on the Nissan Navara , the fire plate, in its central part, is dominated by a kind of "ingot" containing air conditioning vents, a seven-inch touch screen of the on-board infotainment, air conditioning controls or the selector of the current drive. The side, aluminum trim flows into the center panel, which houses the automatic transmission selector, which has a robust yet adequate feel. The central panel also houses the classic handbrake, two drink holders, or controls for heating the front seats. Overall, the Alaskan is very spacious and comfortable. Of course, this also applies to the space in the second row, where you can also use the folding seats to store other items.
The drive unit of the tested car was a 2.3-liter four-cylinder diesel, which, thanks to a pair of turbochargers, had an output of 140 kW (190 hp) and a torque of 450 Nm (from 1,500 rpm). The engine is also equipped with AdBlue liquid injection technology. Its performance is quite sufficient for an Alaskan, and in combination with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the ride becomes very comfortable. The automatic transmission shifts smoothly and smoothly with the possibility of manual shifting on the selector itself. When shifting manually, we also encountered the possibility that instead of shifting, the gearbox just beeps at you dismissively.
However, the chassis of the Alasaknu (again identical to the Navara) is certainly worthy of praise, because the classic chassis concept of the pick-up segment, i.e. a rigid rear axle with leaf springs, is not waiting for you here. The Alaskan has a rear axle that is sprung with coil springs, which results in very pleasant driving characteristics without any bouncing of the rear part of the car.
Of course, we also tested the cross-country ability as part of the editorial test, and we have to praise it again. The Alaskan is primarily driven by the rear axle, and there is also the option of 4×4, including a reduction. The last option is the electronic activation of the rear differential lock. Unfortunately, we did not come close to the consumption stated by the manufacturer during the week-long test, and we drove the Alaskan with a consumption of around 9l.
The basic price of the Alaskan (dCi 160 4×4 Life) starts at 737,900 CZK without VAT. The car tested by us in Intens equipment (dCi 190 4×4 AT) starts at 889,900 CZK without VAT.
The Renault Alaskan is therefore one of the other representatives of the popular category of work, nowadays rather leisure and multi-purpose cars. Its positive aspects will certainly include a pleasant appearance, good driving characteristics and, above all, versatility.
