Foton’s local distributors have taken the forthcoming Tunland double-cab pickup to the Baboon’s Pass in Lesotho to put it to the test against some of the toughest terrain in the country.
Despite being generously specced and temptingly priced, many of us remain skeptical of Chinese pickups, particularly when the questions of genuine off-road ability and durability are raised.
Foton Automobile Distributors has gone a considerable way to allaying such concerns by pitting its Tunland double-cab against Baboon’s Pass – a 26 km stretch of rugged terrain in Lesotho often utilised by 4×4 the fraternity to prove their vehicle’s ability and durability.
“We knew the Tunland was good enough to compete head-on with the established brands, but we needed a way in which to prove that fact to the SA public. Baboon’s Pass is feared by all in the 4×4 community and to conquer it, you need a vehicle that is not only extremely capable off-road, but also tough, strong and reliable,” said Brett Soso, Managing Director of Foton Automobile Distributors.
“Bakkies are very much part of South African way of life and many are used in the most extreme conditions. Baboon’s Pass was therefore the perfect location to prove the Tunland on Southern African soil and also to provide the engineers at Foton in Beijing with additional information before our first shipment of Tunlands arrive for the launch in October.”
The Tunland is powered by a 2,8-litre Cummins turbodiesel engine that develops 117 kW and 360 N.m of torque. Mated with a five-speed manual gearbox and underpinned by a rugged chassis Foton claims the Tunland, in both two- and all-wheel drive configurations, will prove a viable alternative to such established players as the Toyota Hilux, Isuzu KB, Ford Ranger and VW Amarok.
Although the Tunland is not equipped with a diff-lock, it still managed to negotiate the rocky terrain and axle-twisting obstacles that the Baboon’s Pass threw its way thanks to good axle articulation and its low-range gearbox.
“I am absolutely delighted”, said Soso. “We had heard horror stories of proven vehicles that didn’t make it and after seeing what the last part of the pass had in store for us, I was afraid that we were going to add our names to that list. However, the Tunlands simply kept going! We always knew the Tunland was going to be an excellent bakkie but after conquering Baboon’s Pass, we are convinced that it is even better than we thought.”
