SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active list down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and search through the drop-down menu that appears.

Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.

For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.

Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.


Comeback: 2022 Peugeot Landtrek 1.9 a/t dual-cabs

a.k.a. Changan F70 or Changan Hunter in other markets

Workers in business suits

Pics by Motorpress
Posted: December 7, 2021

The numbers
Prices: See text
Engine: 1910 cc, D20TCID, 16-valve, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 110 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 350 Nm between 1800 and 2800 rpm
0-100 km/h: 14.9 sec (4x2), 15.9 sec (4x4)
Top speeds: 172, 171 km/h
Real life fuel consumption (4x2): About 9.8 l/100 km
Tank: 80 litres
Payloads: See text
Ground clearance: 235 mm
Turning circles: See text
Approach/departure/breakover angles: 29.0/27.0/25.0 degrees
Wading depth: 600 mm
Maximum towing mass, unbraked/braked: 750 / 3000 kg
Warranty: Five years, 100 000 km
Service plan: Five years, 100 000 km at annual, or 10 000 km, intervals

Peugeot’s new Landtrek pickup, developed in co-operation with Chinese partner Changan (sounds like Shangaan), marks the brand’s re-entry into the South African LDV market. Its tough little 403 and 404 pickups were hugely popular here and throughout Africa, back in the day. Similarly renowned for ruggedness, a later 504 version (not introduced here), in the hands of Kenyans David Horsey and David Williamson, won the African Rally Championship in 1984.

 Early Champions of Africa: Peugeot 403 (l) and 404 (r) pickups

The local lineup consists of two models, Allure 4x2 and 4Action 4x4, priced respectively at R579 900 and R669 900. Both are dual-cab and powered by a 1900 cc turbodiesel with six-speed Punch automatic transmission.

Readers may wonder why there’s a R90 000 price jump from 4x2 to 4x4. The simple explanation is that the all-wheeler gains additional features. Apart from a transfer case providing 2high, 4high and 4low, it offers 18” wheels with 60-profile tyres instead of the 4x2’s 265/65R17 rubberware, standard side steps, tyre pressure monitoring, lane keeping alert, a 360-degree reversing camera rather than 180-degree, power adjustable seats with lumbar support for both driver and front passenger, and satnav.

Others might want to know that, rather than being Chinese, the Punch gearbox is a model 6L50 torque converter unit developed originally by GM but now owned and manufactured by Punch Powerglide of Strasbourg in France.

The vehicle, like most other dual-cabs, is big; 5.33 metres long on a wheelbase measuring 3180 mm, 1963 mm wide and 1897 mm tall. Partly as a result of its longer-than-most wheelbase, the 4x2’s turning circle is 13.5 metres and 14.0 metres for the 4x4. Most Japanese and German competitors do it in less than 13.0.

But its unique selling point is the bin; 1630 mm long by 1638 wide with 1220 mm between wheel arches, it’s possibly the biggest in the dual-cab business and able to accommodate two (read that and weep, Brand V) DIN pallets, measuring 1200 x 800 mm, one behind the other. Further, unlike most dual-cab competitors, the 4x2’s rated payload is 1085 kg (1015 kg on 4x4) with driver, rather than the roughly 800 kg offered by competitors.

But there’s a downside to fitting a longer bin into a dual-cab frame that’s very much the same length as everyone else’s; six-foot back seat passengers, seated behind equally tall drivers, find themselves strapped for knee room although headspace is fine.

The Landtrek is built for work with leaf springs at the back that unfortunately contribute to a slightly bouncy (unladen) ride over rough gravel – no dancing or jittering - just livelier than some others.

Standard safety kit includes front and rear pdc, six airbags, ISOFix infant chair anchors, ABS brakes with EBD, ESP, traction control, automatic door locking, hill start, hill descent, those reversing cameras and trailer sway control.

Sounds pretty Spartan so far, n’est-ce pas? Far from it, mes amies. Standard nice-to-haves are present in the form of push-button starting, warmed and folding wing mirrors, LED lights all around with auto-on headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, lit and chilled glove box, split backseat with squabs that can be raised and clipped in the ‘up’ position to accommodate inside loads, combination cloth and leather upholstery on 4x2 or full leather on 4x4, cruise control with limiter, climb-in handles at every doorway, dual zone climate control, and ten-inch touchscreen with all the expected features. Could be called workers in business suits, perhaps.

But I have, so far, been too kind. Fact is that, like most new releases, this pickup could use more power to realise its full potential. Its 1900 cc turbodiesel develops 110 kilowatts and 350 Newton-metres that get the job done but don’t light fires in souls. Slot in a bigger motor, or tune up the turbo, to get it humming and let’s talk again.

Test unit from Stellantis SA press fleet

4Action model shown

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.