Pick-up trucks have undergone something of a transformation in recent years. Once the sturdy, mechanical servant of the working individual, many of their number have evolved into objects that appear to be a cross between high-end tractors and luxury sedans. Or, to explain in specific detail, vehicles with terrific power, limo-like stylings and the kind of comfort once only to be enjoyed in considerably more expensive offerings. In much the same way there is little to compare an original Land Rover to a modern Defender, a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2022/08/31/ford-f-150-raptor-review-powerful-and-perfect-for-off-roading-just-mind-the-parking/" target="_blank">Ford F-150</a> doesn’t share much in common with, say, the AA truck that was almost an extra character in <i>The Waltons </i>(Google that one if you’re under 40 or unfamiliar with American TV from the 1970s). Obviously, the tech has changed over the years, but the key point is that what the pick-up is now designed to do has altered significantly as well. There are still plenty of workhorses out there, though, the kind of vehicles designed as tools rather than luxury items. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/peugeot/" target="_blank">Peugeot</a>, however, seems to have married the two concepts together, with the result being the Landtrek, a 4x4 pickup clearly designed with comfort in mind, but also capable of working for a living. The vehicle marks the French brand’s return into this automotive sector, and it is offering single and double cab versions, powered by petrol or diesel. So what is it like to drive? Simple answer: very good. Working pick-ups are generally fine in this department these days, but the Landtrek is definitely a touch above many of its most direct rivals. When you’re behind the wheel, it feels every bit as responsive as something far more expensive, and the neat external stylings — roll bars and the like — give it some presence too. Importantly, when going off-road, you don’t feel in any danger of coming unstuck, which is not always the case with vehicles styling themselves as 4x4s. Comfort, the Landtrek most definitely has. There is nothing basic about the interior, and you get up to 40 dedicated accessories in the add-on list. It has a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen, with the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Peugeot claims it to be the roomiest vehicle in its class, and, sitting inside it, you’d be hard-pushed to argue. There are plenty of storage compartments around the cabin too. The Landtrek is generally good-looking from the outside, though its shape is more similar to, wy, a Toyota Hilux than one of your US offerings (the ones that sometimes seem to have more in common with a monster truck). There is, of course, plenty of torque in the Landtrek, which is all very useful for when you need to shunt heavy loads around or tow something suitably ungainly. A worthy competitor in the working truck sector, then, but something you could easily opt for if you like a pick-up but feel a lot of the others are a bit over the top.
