PSA Peugeot-Citroën will soon announce plans to launch its first-ever mid-size pickup truck, a new report finds.
The yet-unnamed truck is part of a six-year growth plan called “push to pass” that aims to help Peugeot-Citroën expand its presence in markets outside of Europe. The company is keeping tight-lipped about its rumored truck, but British magazine Autocar believes the model will share the bulk of its mechanical components with the eight-generation Toyota Hilux (pictured) that was introduced last year.
The tie-up isn’t as strange as it might initially sound. The Peugeot 108, the Citroën C1, and the Toyota Aygo are identical underneath the sheetmetal, and Toyota’s Proace van is a re-badged version of the Peugeot Expert/Citroën Jumpty twins. It’s not too far-fetched to speculate that Toyota would let Peugeot-Citroën have its own version of the Hilux.
Regardless of what form it takes, Peugeot-Citroën’s truck will be a body-on-frame model available in several configurations, including single cab, double cab, and cab-chassis. Most variants will ship with a four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. A manual transmission and rear-wheel drive will come standard, and buyers will be able to order an automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, or both at an extra cost.
We’ll find out whether or not Autocar‘s sources are correct on Tuesday when PSA Peugeot-Citroën reveals its “push to pass” plan. If a pickup is indeed in the works, it will likely go on sale across Europe and in a handful of international markets — including Latin America and Australia — in about a year. Its main rivals will include the Mitsubishi L200, the Ford Ranger, the Volkswagen Amarok, the Nissan Navara, and the mid-size model that rival Renault is developing.
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