Photo: Theophilus Chin
Citroen and Peugeot have a broad range of utility vehicles from the smallest Citroen Nemo/Peugeot Tepee to the largest Citroen Jumper/Peugeot Boxer. You will have noticed that they come in pairs, and that is because both brands build them on the same common platform, so they're basically pairs of dizygotic twins.
Despite the large offer, Citroen and Peugeot (we'll just call them PSA from now on) have never really had a pickup truck in their lineup, despite them selling rather well. That was probably because the French brands had no adequate SUV to base one on, the only time they came close being the cooperation with Mitsubishi that led to the Citroen C-Crosser (it didn't cross any sea) and Peugeot 4007 Outlander clones. Close, but no cigar.
The PSA was very good at striking deals, though, and a look at its two brand's smallest vehicles will quickly prove it: the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 (now 108) were developed together with Toyota, which made its own Aygo model based on the same platform. Unlike the Mitsubishi deal, this one proved to be a lot more profitable with the mini cars selling well in Europe's crowded cities.
It would appear that PSA is now rekindling its ties with Toyota, but on a completely different project. Probably incentivized by Mercedes-Benz, the French have decided it's high time their two brands offered their own pickups, and what better model to use as a starting point than the Toyota Hilux?
Well, PSA is actually spoiled for choice here as it also works with Fiat on its larger van model (the Boxer and Jumper), and the Italian company has just revealed its own pickup named Fullback. Which is essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi L200. See how the circle closes?
Right now, we are completely in the dark regarding which solution PSA will choose, or indeed if it will actually make a pickup at all. However, that didn't stop our old acquaintance Theophilus Chin from imagining how would these vehicles look like. We think he might have nailed it with the Citroen (the airbumps on the side are a bit of overkill, though, and it does look like a character from the next "Cars" movie), but the Peugeot looks dated, like a model from five years ago.
The question is, would you rather buy a PSA pickup knowing it's a Toyota Hilux underneath (assuming the French will go down this path), or just go to the source and get the Toyota instead? The answer is simple if you're French, but for the rest of us, it's more complicated.
The PSA was very good at striking deals, though, and a look at its two brand's smallest vehicles will quickly prove it: the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 (now 108) were developed together with Toyota, which made its own Aygo model based on the same platform. Unlike the Mitsubishi deal, this one proved to be a lot more profitable with the mini cars selling well in Europe's crowded cities.
It would appear that PSA is now rekindling its ties with Toyota, but on a completely different project. Probably incentivized by Mercedes-Benz, the French have decided it's high time their two brands offered their own pickups, and what better model to use as a starting point than the Toyota Hilux?
Well, PSA is actually spoiled for choice here as it also works with Fiat on its larger van model (the Boxer and Jumper), and the Italian company has just revealed its own pickup named Fullback. Which is essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi L200. See how the circle closes?
Right now, we are completely in the dark regarding which solution PSA will choose, or indeed if it will actually make a pickup at all. However, that didn't stop our old acquaintance Theophilus Chin from imagining how would these vehicles look like. We think he might have nailed it with the Citroen (the airbumps on the side are a bit of overkill, though, and it does look like a character from the next "Cars" movie), but the Peugeot looks dated, like a model from five years ago.
The question is, would you rather buy a PSA pickup knowing it's a Toyota Hilux underneath (assuming the French will go down this path), or just go to the source and get the Toyota instead? The answer is simple if you're French, but for the rest of us, it's more complicated.
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