Peugeot Leads the Way Again

…Launches New Pick-Up Wonder With Matchless Price

–By Ironhand Sydney Chukwuemeka

PAN Nigeria Limited launched the much awaited Peugeot Pickup van in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday, January 17. The commercial launch, which was conducted by the Director-General of the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, was attended by top government officials, heads of procurement units of the various ministries, departments and agencies and the entire dealership of the premier auto company.

The company’s production of pickups dated back to 1956 when SCOA introduced the Peugeot 504 pickup due to its popular demand at that time, for agricultural and utility purposes. Since its introduction, the lion brand dominated the pickup segment in the country up to 15 years ago when the Kaduna-based company phased out the old model production.

The newly launched pickup model features a good measure of roominess and facilities, thus fulfilling the fundamental needs for robustness, endurance and the 4×4 drivetrain.

The vehicle also features a high body belt line, a vertical front, a horizontal bonnet and a large ground clearance (210mm to 215 mm).

The load zone has a bed measuring 1.40m long and 1.39m wide, equipped with anchoring hooks on the outside. The side walls and the real panel are completely covered with a protective resin which adds to the rigidity and robustness of the whole vehicle. The maximum payload of the vehicle is 815kg.

The new pickup is said to have a performance drivetrain adapted to the needs of the core market, adding that its longitudinal 2.5 litre common rail turbo diesel engine develops 115bhp and 280Nm, combined with a manual five-speed gearbox. It is available in 4×4 and 4×2 versions. According to the firm, the 4×4 version is engaged using a special lever to transmit some of the power to the front drivetrain.

The 4×4 version is reported to give the new vehicle versatility, easy use in every weather condition and all terrains. “This allows the driver to make a selection where needed, whether in normal 4×4 4H (4 High) mode or in the 4L (4 Low) mode at short speeds. Thanks to a reducer, extra torque can be applied at very slow speeds to manoeuvre out of the most extreme driving situations,” it states.

Other features of the vehicle are manual air-conditioning, electrically operated windows, radio with CD player and USB port.

“For safety and ease of driving, the new Peugeot pickup is equipped as standard with an ABS braking system with brakeforce distribution, rear parking aids, passenger and driver air bags, plus electrically adjustable exterior mirrors”, Pan says.

The pick-up had earlier in the last quarter of 2017 been unveiled to a gathering of journalists and Peugeot representatives at a two-day event in the capital of Tunisia, where the leader of the delegation from Nigeria, and Managing Director of PAN Nigeria, Ibrahim Boyi, hinted that the vehicle would be available in the Nigerian market in 2018 or early this year.

In Tunis, the participants were assured that Peugeot Pick-up would meet both the professional and lifestyle requirements of the continent’s markets, particularly in Nigeria where the brand is on resurgence to the top position it once occupied.

One of the highpoints of the events in Tunis were test-drives, both on- and off-road, by the participants from various countries in countries in Africa.

Peugeot is returning to the segment about two decades after the last 504 pick-up (that dominated the market with the brand’s typical ruggedness and low running cost) rolled off the production line of PAN Nigeria Limited in Kaduna, thereby leaving an opportunity for the competitors to cash in on.

And, predictably, in separate interviews with journalists, the top brass of PSA Groupe who were in Tunis, including Peugeot Brand Manager, Jean-Phillippe Imparato; the Executive Vice-President, Africa-Middle East, Jean-Christophe Quémard; and Product Manager, Beatrice Garric; harped on the importance of the new vehicle to the brand’s presence in the light commercial vehicles markets in Africa.

Their optimism dovetailed into similar views expressed by the Peugeot Area Manager for West Africa, Eric Maydieu, and Ibrahim Boyi, both of whom described the new kid on the block as a product that would considerably accelerate the efforts being made to see the brand reclaim its number spot in the Nigerian market.

And, here is one particular area where their optimism is coming from: Users in Nigeria (and Africa generally) will be glad to discover that the pick-up fulfils the fundamental needs for robustness, endurance and 4×4 drive-train demands.

It is aimed at customers who desire a work tool that is reliable in every circumstance, allows for a flexible combination of professional and family activities, and is easy to use and maintain, like the previous generation of Peugeot pick-ups they were used to.

Vital Statistics: With a length of 5.08m, the new Peugeot Pick-Up is a double-cabin compact pick-up. This segment represents 10 percent of the target market, including the North African and West Sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria, which is a volume of about 56,000 units a year.

Helped by a high body belt line, a vertical front, a horizontal bonnet and a large ground clearance (210 to 215 mm, depending on model), the new Peugeot Pick-Up possesses all of the fundamentals of the pick-up universe.

At the centre of its large grille is the emblem of the lion: the image of all the new SUVs of the brand. The Peugeot lettering stamped on the rear panel echoes its illustrious forebears, Peugeot 404 and 504 Pick-up.

Thanks to its simple and robust design, the new Peugeot Pick Up is a functional work tool that’s durable and reliable over all terrains.

The load zone has a bed that is 1.40m long and 1.39m wide, equipped with anchoring hooks on the outside. The side walls and the real panel are completely covered with a protective resin which adds to the rigidity and robustness of the whole vehicle. The maximum payload of the vehicle is 815 kg.

Engine/Drive-train: The new Peugeot Pick-Up is driving in with a longitudinal 2.5 litre common rail turbo diesel engine and a manual five-speed gearbox. It is available in 4×4 and 4×2 versions.

The drive-train of the 4×2 version is linked to the rear wheels via a longitudinal drive shaft and a differential positioned within the rear axle. With the load resting above the rear driven wheels, the more the vehicle is loaded, the better it uses the drive-train.

The 4×4 version is engaged using a special lever to transmit some of the power to the front drivetrain. This allows the driver to make a selection where needed, whether in normal 4×4 4H (4 High) mode or in the 4L (4 Low) mode at short speeds. Thanks to a reducer, extra torque can be applied at very slow speeds to manoeuvre out of the most extreme driving situations.

Equipment, roominess: With reliability and ease of use, the new Peugeot Pick-Up flaunts many features as standard. As a result, manual air-conditioning, electric windows, radio with CD player and USB port are available at all levels. For safety and ease of driving, the vehicle is equipped as standard with an ABS {anti-lock braking system} with brakeforce distribution, rear parking aids, passenger and driver air bags, plus electrically adjustable exterior mirrors.

The most spacious and accommodating passenger interior in its class, with rear-seat roominess of 1,738 mm and knee space of 62 mm, it ensures passenger comfort for both professional and private use.

As PAN Nigeria sends the vehicle to its dealers’ showrooms across the country, the Managing Director has assured that everything had been put in place to ensure efficient after-sales back-p within the brand’s nationwide dealership network, especially regarding the modern diesel engines that are powering the vehicle.

Along with Boyi as a guide, Jelani test-drove the Peugeot Pick-Up over 15 kilometres within Abuja, and thereafter commended the impressive performance of the vehicle, asserting that it will sale in the Nigerian market.

While other competitors import their products, PAN Nigeria Limited adds value to the Nigerian economy by producing in the country, thereby keeping the Nigerian jobs.

Valuechain enquiry reveals that the entry price of the diesel engine pickup is around N10.5 million, which is far affordable than many other competing brands in the market.
In his remarks during the launch, the Managing Director of the company, Ibrahim Boyi called on all Nigerians to patronize the new pickup.
He said apart from the known attributes of the lion brand that the customers will enjoy from the product, buying Peugeot brand means keeping the jobs of many Nigerians working at the Kaduna factory.