Not many people probably remember the Foton Tunland from 2012 – and that’s a good thing.
The Chinese brand launched its latest generation Tunland V7 and V9 at the Melbourne Motor Show over the weekend and are hoping for more success than the first time around. Foton launched in 2012 with a cut-price alternative to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, but its poor quality and sub-par driving experience saw it struggle and eventually disappear.
But this time it’s back with Inchcape, the same distributors being Subaru, Peugeot and Deepal, so it has more experience behind-the-scenes to better meet Australian customer demands. Also, the latest Tunland appears, on paper at least, to be a big leap forward in terms of quality and presentation, so it should stand a better chance to make an impact on what is becoming a very crowded ute market.
The Tunland will be available in two different variants, the V7 and V9, both powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine with a 48V mild-hybrid assist. Foton claims this is enough for a 3500kg braked towing capacity, which is on par with the most popular dual-cab utes.
The Tunland V7 is described by the brand as a “no-nonsense workhorse” and will be available with both 4×2 and 4×4, whereas the Tunland V9 is meant to be a more premium offering, with coil-spring rear suspension for a more SUV-like ride.
“The new Tunland is where Foton shows its strength,” claimed Glen Cooper, general manager of Foton Australia. “Foton have taken everything they know about building hard-working trucks and packed it into a ute that’s built for how Australians live, work and explore. Backed by Inchcape’s customer-centricity and national distribution strength, Tunland is set to make serious impact – bold, capable, and built to deliver.”
Both the Tunland V7 and V9 are due to hit showrooms in the third quarter of this year, with pricing and specifications to be revealed then.
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