Peugeot Landtrek challenges Hilux, Ranger

After decades of hiatus, Peugeot recently introduced the Landtrek bakkie to South Africa. The Peugeot Landtrek competes with the likes of Toyota’s Hilux 2.4 GD-6 in the mid-range double-cab market. The single-cab workhorse version of Landtrek will arrive later.

It's been a long wait since the last Peugeot bakkie - we can trace back the last one (403 diesel pickup) in the 1960s, followed by the 404 pickup of the mid-to-late '70s.

Like some other brands, the Landtrek is a joint venture of French automaker Peugeot and Chinese manufacturer Changan. The Landtrek shares its platform with the China-only Changan Kaicheng F70. Both have a slightly different design, of course. The Landtrek has a Peugeot's signature grille with the brand's Lion Motif.

Manufacturers collaborate these days to save costs. For instance, the upcoming Ford Ranger will be built on the platform used for Volkswagen Amarok.

The Peugeot Landtrek is available in two trim levels – the front-wheel-drive Allure and the four-wheel-drive 4Action.

Both carry a 1.9-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine, pumping out 110 kW and 350 Nm of torque between 1,800 and 2,600 r/min. The engine pairs with a standard six-speed automatic transmission. However, the four-wheel-drive model features a drive-selector dial, allowing you to shift from 2H to 4H on the go.

The overall design isn’t as muscular as we see from other rival brands, but it is easy on the eyes. In the front, we find the prominent Peugeot symbol on the chrome-like surrounded grille and LED daytime running lights to go along the grille to give the pickup a contemporary style.

Design-wise, both Landtrek variants look the same because Peugeot forgot (maybe) to mention the configuration on the trucks. A quick clue is the size of wheels and the material of running boards. The Allure sports 17-inch alloy wheels and tubular running boards, whereas the 4Action gets 18-inch wheels and flat aluminum running boards.

Looking inside, again you might not be able to guess the variant. The most significant difference is the full leather trim and a rotary dial for the range-topper, allowing the driver to shift between 2H, 4H and 4L drive modes.

Both variants are equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen, supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in addition to a 10GB hard drive for storage. However, the top-of-the-line 4Action also features a 360-degree camera system, on-board navigation, six-way electrically modifiable seats for driver and front passenger (with lumbar support tweaking) and a mechanical diff lock for the rear axle.

Peugeot has made sure occupants feel safe inside, so they equipped the bakkie with six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), lane departure warning, trailer sway control, and hill descent control.

The 2022 Peugeot Landtrek 4X2 Allure starts at R579,900 (including VAT), while the 4X4 Landtrek 4Action goes for R669,900. Both models come with a five-year/100,000 km warranty and service plan schemes. (Prices correct at time of publication.) Compared to the famous brands in the segment, we believe the prices are a little on the high side.

Want to know more about the latest cars on South Africa’s roads? Check out our monthly reviews on the MotorHappy blog.

Please note the imagery supplied in this blog was taken off www.peugeot.co.za