Peugeot just launched a midsize pickup truck in Mexico named Landtrek, giving the French brand access to the largest pickup market in the world, with sales of 2.5 million units annually.
The automaker had been absent from the pickup segment since the beginning of the 1980s with its car-based 504 pickup, which was produced in Argentina and achieved sales of 375,000 units. The French brand’s new entry is also produced in a different country: China.
The Landtrek is based on the Changan Kaicheng F70 midsize pickup, but it has the French brand´s design language and identity, a certain “je-ne-sais quoi” that comes courtesy of the Peugeot design team.
(Peugeot looking to make U.S. return in 2023.)
The south-of-the-border truck comes with just one engine option: a gasoline-powered 2.4-liter turbo 4-cylinder putting out 210 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It is offered either in rear wheel drive with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic or a 4×4 with rear differential lock and an automatic transmission.
Peugeot’s new truck is only available as a crew cab with a 5.34-foot cargo box. Maximum payload for the is 2,533 lbs and towing capacity is 6,600 lbs. On the inside, it’s on par with other entries in the segment. The cabin has a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available, while the top-of-the-line mdoel has a 360-degree camera system.
Safety equipment includes six airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, Tire Pressure-Monitoring System, Hill-Start Assist and Lane-Departure Warning.
(Peugeot will be the brand of choice for PSA’s reborn dealership network.)
The Peugeot Landtrek lineup begins with the Allure version with 4×2 and manual transmission which retails for $504,900 pesos which considering an exchange rate of 19.83 Mexican pesos per US dollar would be $25,461 USD.
The next version would be the Allure 4×2 with automatic transmission that sells for $534,900 pesos (about $26,974). The top-of-the line is the 4 Action 4×4 with automatic transmission, which carries a price tag of $634,900 pesos (approximately $32,017).
The Peugeot Landtrek will then be introduced in Latin American countries like Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Chile and Colombia. In a second phase it will be introduced in Argentina and Brazil. Further plans include the Saharan Africa region. The Landtrek made its world debut was last month in an event in Los Cabos, Mexico. For now, it’s only available in Mexico.
It is manufactured in China and with the Peugeot brand returning to the United States possibly by 2023, it does beg the question: will it be part of the brand’s line-up when it makes its return, considering that pickups are very popular here.
(PSA lays out three-stage plan for return to the United States.)
It would be a quick way to get a pickup in the Peugeot portfolio for the U.S. without investing a lot of time and money developing its own truck platform. Besides, Peugeot has already invested money turning the Changan Kaicheng F70 pickup into the Landtrek and the resulting product is not bad at all.