American-style Foton bakkies arriving in South Africa in November
Foton’s new Tunland V7 and V9 double-cab bakkies are set to shake up the market with hybrid power, bold American-style design and serious off-road capability.
Approved for South Africa just over a year ago following its return to the local market, Foton has released the first teaser images of the new Tunland V7 and V9 bakkies.
What to expect
Confirmed to launch next month, the step-ups from the Tunland G7 will only be offered in double-cab bodystyles, and, seemingly, powered by a mild-hybrid version of the same 2.0 litre Cummins co-developed turbodiesel engine.
Known at home as the Mars 7 and Mars 9, the pair have been restyled to resemble the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 respectively, while also differing dimensionally and underneath.
For the V7, this amounts to an overall length of 5 797mm, height of 1 910mm, width of 2 090mm and wheelbase of 3 505mm.
In the case of the V9, Foton has reduced its overall length to 5 617mm and width to 2 000mm, while upping its height to 2 090mm and increasing its wheelbase to 3 355mm.
Both are said to have a ground clearance of 240mm, a 3 500kg tow rating and offer no less than two locking differentials on models fitted with the BorgWarner-sourced part-time four-wheel drive system.
In China, transmission comprises either a six-speed manual or the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, though it remains to be seen whether both will be offered locally.
Underneath, and in the biggest change, the Tunland V7 uses a traditional leaf-spring rear suspension, while the Tunland V9 employs a coil-spring setup similar to the Nissan Navara.
In what will only be the second mild-hybrid bakkie in South Africa after the Toyota Hilux 48V, the electrified oil-burner outputs 120kW/450Nm in both models.
While the final specification is still to be determined, known items available elsewhere include heated and ventilated electric front seats, a 14.6-inch infotainment system, up to 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a panoramic sunroof.
More soon
Billed as ‘bold, rugged and refined’, expect more details, including pricing, to possibly emerge in the run-up to the official launch next month.
This article was first published by The Citizen.
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