Landtrek-Based Peugeot 8008 Would Be an Asset for Hypothetical American Return

As it turns out, the slow-to-react giant decided to cancel the proposed U.S. return of Peugeot because Alfa Romeo needs more attention – and they probably hoped that Alfa-based clones like the upcoming Dodge Hornet subcompact SUV will be more successful and profitable. But that does not mean one cannot imagine a hypothesis for rethinking that strategy.

Courtesy of the virtual artist better known as Theottle on social media, who has recently decided to tempt our imagination by rekindling our passion for tougher Peugeot models, we realized this digital project – if ever real, would be an important asset for mulling a North American return. So, the gist of its creation is simple: realizing that “most mid-size ladder-framed pickup trucks have SUV variants, like Ford Ranger and Everest or Nissan Navara and Terra,” the pixel master created this oddity.

Based on the little-known Peugeot Landtrek (itself a rebadged mid-size pickup truck created from the Chinese Kaicene F70 model), the CGI expert imagined a tough SUV variant that he dubbed Peugeot “8008.” So, what does it all have to do with North America, since both hypothetical rivals formerly mentioned – Everest and Terra – are nowhere to be seen in the United States?

Well, if Stellantis decided to greenlight a tough body-on-frame mid-size SUV based on the Landtrek such as this imagined 8008 and then wanted to sell it all around the world, it would easily find a market in North America as well. Once there, it would immediately clash with a big Japanese star: the Toyota 4Runner, which is on its way to celebrating 40 years of existence and is still going massively strong in terms of local sales!