New ute could save this brand in Australia: Why the 2025 Peugeot Landtrek released overseas to challenge Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Kia Tasman, Volkswagen Amarok and Mitsubishi Triton should finally come to Oz

Is this the car that could turn Peugeot’s fortunes around in Australia?

It’s a ute, the category of vehicle that has been the best-seller in Australia since 2016 with either the Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger taking top honours. 

Everyone is jumping on the program. Kia has finally entered the Tasman into the fray and hoards of new Chinese brands are looking to break in. Peugeot could be on the money with the facelifted Landtrek ute that has just been released in Africa, the Middle East and South America.

It may look a bit like a D23 Nissan Navara in the bonnet, lights and body sides, the body-on-frame Peugeot Landtrek was built in collaboration with Chinese car maker Changan. 

Changan's Deepal sub-brand is now being distributed in Australia by Inchape, the same mob that deals with Peugeot. Don’t read too far into that, though. 

For 2025, the Landtrek gets a visual make-over, adopting Peugeot’s new corporate grille and fresh LED headlights. 

Inside, it picks up a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display and re-skinned multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto running through a 10-inch touchscreen.

Although there is no fancy hybrid system under the bonnet, the Landtrek’s Stellantis-sourced  2.2-litre 'Multijet' turbo-diesel four-cylinder delivers 147kW and 450Nm, right around what you get in a Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max.

An eight-speed automatic transmission with four drive modes paired with permanent four-wheel drive make the Landtrek a compelling enough proposition on paper. 

Single and dual-cab bodies are available with payloads exceeding a tonne, depending on trim. At 5330mm long, 1920mm wide and 1819mm tall with a 3180mm wheelbase, the Landtrek is right on the money with Australia’s favourite dual cabs, too. 

“At this stage, the Peugeot Landtrek is made exclusively for the certain overseas markets and is not available for Australia,” a spokesperson told CarsGuide. 

“As with any product that may become available to us from Peugeot globally, we’d work closely with them to determine suitability for the Australian market.”

Peugeot is no stranger to commercial vehicles in Australia, either, making fair business selling its Partner and Expert vans here. 

The French brand could do with a leg-up in Australia, too, its sales down 22 per cent year-to-date with 1788 registrations. Selling exclusively American-sized pick-up trucks, fellow Stellantis brand Ram has sold more than twice as many vehicles this year at 3532 registrations. 

If Peugeot was able to get in on Australia’s ute obsession, it could provide another relevant entry-point to the brand that has recently committed to a hybrid-heavy line-up. 

What do you think, would a Peugeot ute have a chance at taking, if not Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger customers, perhaps those considering a Volkswagen Amarok or a Chinese option such as the GWM Ute Cannon or LDV T60 Max?