Could 2020 Peugeot Landtrek come to the Philippines?

Peugeot has officially launched its new one-ton pick-up truck fighter. After confirming that they will be entering the pick-up truck arena a few months ago, the 2020 Peugeot Landtrek has officially been unleashed.

The 2020 Landtrek is a result of the joint-venture between Peugeot and Changan Automobile since 2010. It's based on a newly-developed platform and can be considered the French twin of the Changan Kaicheng F70 pick-up revealed late last year.

Starting with its exterior, the Peugeot was able to incorporate its distinct design language into a utilitarian vehicle. It gets the signature front grill finished in black and chrome accents, a sweeping headlight design, a skid plate on the front bumper, and squared wheel arches that house huge alloy wheels on the high-grade models. A sports bar, along with touches of chrome on the roof rails, side skirts, and rear bumper further give the Landtrek a cool look.

Just like the exterior, the Landtrek's interior wears the familiar Peugeot design. From the steering wheel, free-standing infotainment system, digital instrument panel, as well as the toggle switches on the center dashboard, Peugeot was busy giving the Landtrek a stylish-looking cabin. Exact amenities and features for the Landtrek were not mentioned but they did say that it will be available with dual-zone automatic climate control, LED headlights, touchscreen infotainment, and an off-road camera built-in to the rearview mirror.

Under the hood, a choice of either a 1.9-liter turbo-diesel or 2.4-liter turbo-gasoline engine is available for the 2020 Landtrek. The former generates 150 PS with 350 Nm of torque, while the latter puts out 210 PS and 320 Nm of torque. The diesel version can only be mated to a six-speed Getrag manual gearbox. Meanwhile, the gasoline variant can come with a manual or a six-speed automatic transmission with Sport, Eco, and Sequential driving modes.

Like most pick-up trucks, the Landtrek can come in 4x2 and 4x4 guises. In addition, there will be a total of three body styles for Peugeot's pick-up truck: single cab, double cab, and chassis cab. The company will also sell the Landtrek in 'Workhorse' and Multipurpose variants with a wide array of accessories available. Need to carry lots of cargo? Peugeot claimed that it can carry up to 1.2 tons of payload, and has a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tons.

While the French automaker did say it is not intending to offer the Landtrek in Europe, it will initially be offered in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Could we see Peugeot's one-ton pick-up truck arrive in the Philippines? Given favorable free trade agreements between China and the ASEAN, and it being a native LHD build, it won't be too far-fetched for Peugeot Philippine distributor Eurobrands Distribution Inc. (EDI) to actually bring it in. This should significantly increase its market share and presence in the local market.