This is the 1-tonne bakkie that will be built at the new R3-billion factory in South Africa

The Peugeot Landtrek is the bakkie that will be built at Stellantis’ new R3-billion factory in the Eastern Cape starting in 2026, the company confirmed.

Stellantis is a relatively new conglomerate in the automotive world only formed in January 2021, but it owns a selection of the most well-known brands in the industry including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, and of course, Peugeot.

The organisation will soon break ground on a new production facility in the Coega Special Economic Zone that is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2025 and provide employment to around 2,000 people in the Eastern Cape province.

The plant will build in the region of 50,000 completely knocked-down units per year including for export, with a capacity to go up to a maximum of 90,000 units, forming part of Stellantis’ plan to reach over 22% market share in the Middle East and Africa region by 2030, with 70% regional localization of sales and one million units produced.

One of the major benefits of domestic production is that it brings down the price of a vehicle as fewer provisions must be made for import costs and market-specific taxes.

Landtrek specifications

The Landtrek is currently on sale in two trims both driven by a 1.9-litre, turbocharged diesel powerplant mated with a six-speed automatic shifter with low range.

The setup churns out 110kW and 350Nm and is offered in rear-wheel drive and 4×4 options, supporting a maximum payload capacity of one tonne and a towing capacity of three tonnes.

Additionally, the double cab boasts a ground clearance of 235mm and water wading depth of 600mm, as well as an approach, break-over, and departure angle of 29, 25, and 27 degrees, respectively.

As standard, the base Landtrek Allure brings equipment such as a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4.2-inch digital driver’s display, fabric/leather upholstery, a multifunction steering wheel, bi-zone climate control, cruise control, a reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors, hill-start and descent assist, and six airbags.

The higher-end 4Action is further fitted with a navigation system, electric front seats wrapped in full leather, a 360-degree camera programe, and lane-keeping alert.

The Allure sells for R614,900, while the 4Action retails at R699,900.

Seeing as the Peugeot bakkie has already been available in South Africa for over two years, it should be due for a mid-life facelift by the time it enters production at the local assembly plant in 2026.

As such, the version that will be built on South African soil may not be the exact model that we have access to today, but it will likely be rather similar given that inter-generational updates usually mean cosmetic and feature enhancements, but no major structural or powertrain alterations.

“The particular versions/specs and drivetrains that are to be built in the local plant are still in the process to be evaluated for final decision, so therefore I can not confirm or deny [that the 1.9-litre model will be manufactured in South Africa],” a spokesperson for Stellantis told TopAuto.