Peugeot-Citroën has returned to profitability after spending years in dire financial straits, and it’s looking at ways to expand its presence outside of Europe in order to keep growing. Introducing a midsize, body-on-frame pickup would allow the company to get a bigger slice of the commercial vehicle segment in Europe, while increasing its sales in key international markets such as Australia and Latin America.
The French car maker likely won’t develop a midsize pickup from scratch. Instead, it’s expected to offer a re-engineered and re-designed version of an existing model, though executives aren’t ready to reveal which automaker they’ve struck a deal with. One potential partner is Toyota, according to British magazine Autocar. Toyota’s European division sells a re-badged version of the Peugeot Expert/Citroën Jumpy midsize vans known as the Proace, so it’s not too far-fetched to imagine a Peugeot- or a Citroën-badged pickup based on the rugged eighth-generation Hilux.
If Autocar’s sources are correct, Peugeot-Citroën will announce the launch of its first-ever midsize pickup next week when it details a six-year product plan called “Push to Pass.” It’s too early to tell when the model will be unveiled, but it’s believed to be at least a year away from landing in European showrooms. When it arrives, it will square off against the Volkswagen Amarok, the Mitsubishi L200/Fiat Fullback twins, the Nissan Navara, and the yet-unnamed Nissan-based truck that rival Renault will launch in the coming months.
Peugeot-Citroën’s first-ever midsize truck stands virtually no chance of crossing the Atlantic, but we’ll likely hear more about the company’s long-rumored return to the United States when the push to pass plan is made public.
Editors' Recommendations
- A broader range of ARM-based PCs could be coming soon to take on Apple M1 Macs
- Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot Citroen reach an agreement to merge
