Foton Launches 2017 Tunland Pickup

www.chinatrucks.com: What is it? The Foton Tunland is a Chinese-built utility available in single- and dual-cab body styles. According to Foton, the Tunland has "tuns" of everything, power, technology, comfort and safety... lets see, as we're driving the top-of-the-range 4x4 dual-cab variant.

 

How does it drive?

The ride is a little on the firmer side and the steering is fairly vague but neither of those elements are out of the ordinary for this type of vehicle. It's a little sharp on small bumps and road imperfections but it's not back breaking and far from the worst dual-cab ride on the market.

 

The first thing you notice about the engine is it's a little noisier than other diesel utes, however you cannot complain about the power or the credentials of its Cummins power plant which has strong pulling power throughout the rev range with very little turbo lag. The gearbox is a five speed unit from Getrag, which is a little notchy and has a long throw but it is easy to shift, direct and is not worth complaining about. Coupled to the gearbox is a BorgWarner transfer case which gives the ute full low range 4WD capabilities.

 

What's the interior like?

The Foton has a fairly basic cabin, with clear and simple instruments and controls that are easy to use. The dash and door trims are hard plastics but seem to be well made and visually give the impression they could be soft touch materials. There's also some faux wood trim with some chrome highlights, which some people won't like it but it's certainly not offensive. The fit and finish of the interior is very good, as the trim components line up with even gaps.

 

The seats are perforated leather (although feel more ike vinyl) and they have a decent amount of bolstering for support although the cushion is a little on the firm side with the potential to give you numb bum on a long haul.

 

There's no telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, no vanity mirrors and no other storage options other than average sized glove box and centre console. There are adjustable height front seat belts, three lap sash belts for the rear seat, adjustable headlights, a sunglasses holder in the roof, Bluetooth, power windows and cruise control. The trip meter display also has a tyre pressure monitoring system along with average fuel consumption and distance to empty.

 

What's the payload and towing capacity?

The total payload is 1025kg. And its towing capacity is 750kg unbraked and a maximum of 2500kg with a braked trailer.

 

What about load space dimensions and anchor points?

This dual-cab variant's tray is 1500mm long and 1570mm wide and 430mm high, while distance between the wheel arches is 1050mm.There are four anchor points, one in each corner of the tub.

 

How does it perform under load?

Quite good actually, as it performed similarly over light bumps and imperfections in the roads as it did without a load in the tray. However, larger bumps at speed saw the ute take a little more time to recover in the rebound department but still with acceptable  behaviour .

The Foton feels strong and gave us confidence it would cope with its 1025kg payload. The engine also felt robust and willing and handled our test weight no issues both on the freeway and in suburbia.

 

Overall, the ute coped surprisingly well with the weight on board, leaving us with a reassuring feeling of the vehicles capabilities.

 

Any special features worth mentioning?

 

Stability control is now available and standard in this model, as is hill hold assist, a reversing camera and cruise control. The Foton isn't a bad looking ute either - it's not offensive and we haven't meet anyone who thinks it looks ordinary, something that can't be said of other competitors.

 

How does the warranty and servicing costs rate?

Warranty is three years or 100,000km, whichever occurs first, with three years roadside assistance. There is no capped price servicing available.

 

2017 Foton Tunland 4x4 Dual Cab Specifications

Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 120kW at 3600rpm

Torque: 360Nm at 1800-3000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual, 4WD

Fuel usage: 8.3L/100km (we averaged 9.8L/100km throughout our loan including carrying weight)