To new beginnings!
After a long absence, the Peugeot bakkie is back. This one, however, is in a completely different class than the iconic 404 bakkie of the seventies, says Cyril Klopper.
Can you believe Peugeot is 212 years old? The company started off as a steel foundry in the French town of Sochaux, and its first vehicle dates back to 1889. The Peugeot family remained in charge until relatively recently, but the company is now part of the Stellantis group, which owns several car brands.
Like so many vehicle manufacturers, Stellantis forges ties with its competitors for it to be able to keep manufacturing costs low, and this is also what happened with the Peugeot Landtrek.
What do we have here?
The Peugeot Landtrek was developed in collaboration with the Chinese Changan
Group. China gets the Kaicene F70, and South America and Africa, the Peugeot Landtrek. It’s essentially the same bakkie; the biggest difference being the badge.
The Landtrek is available in four-wheel and rear-wheel drive – the Allure 4x2 and 4Action 4x4 models, respectively, both have a rear diff lock.
The Landtrek is only available as a double cab, while China’s Kaicene F70 adds a single and extended cabin option. Peugeot, however, decided against a workhorse and instead focusses on the lifestyle market.
The engine is a 1,9 ℓ turbodiesel that delivers 110 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque, while a six-speed automatic gearbox sends the power to the wheels.
Inside, the Peugeot Landtrek boasts a 10-inch touchscreen in the centre console, and the 4Action model gets cameras in the body that show the image on this touchscreen so you can navigate through obstacles safely.
The ground clearance of 235 mm and a wading depth of 600 mm are decent and compare well with its competitors.
Safety equipment includes six front and rear passenger airbags, electronic stability control, trailer sway control, and sensors that warn you when you drift over a dividing line.
The rear seat can be reclined at a 23° angle for extra comfort, and you can even drop the backrest down if you want to transport valuables inside the cabin rather
than in the load bin (the backrests can carry a weight of 100 kg). Speaking of load bins, the Landtrek has a carrying capacity of 1 015 kg – this includes the driver and passengers – which once again compares well with its competitors. Peugeot South Africa apparently wants to sell between 100 and 150 pickups a month and increase its market share over time. This is a similar goal Mercedes-Benz set for its bakkie, but the Peugeot Landtrek’s price is mercifully significantly lower than the failed X-Class.
Although it is less pricey than the deceased Merc, the Landtrek is still quite expensive.
On the one hand, we regret that Peugeot didn’t build a simple, hard-working farm bakkie like the 404 of yore, but we understand that the world has changed, and South Africans want luxury bakkies.