Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Foton will once again sell utes and vans Down Under, and hybrid powertrains are on the cards.
From the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), Foton will relaunch locally with Inchcape as its new distributor, joining the firm’s Australian automotive portfolio of brands which includes Subaru, Peugeot and Citroen.
It’ll launch first with utes, with vans following during 2025.
Foton was present in Australia between 2012 and 2019, though in the seven-year period it went through three importers, starting out with FAA Automotive Australia, then Ateco, and then finally a factory-backed operation before finally departing local showrooms.
Foton Tunland V7 and Tunland V9
Now, five years on, it’ll return with a new lineup of utes and vans, with Inchcape claiming this will not only include a range of internal-combustion engines (ICEs) but also electrified options, hinting at the possibility of hybrid drivetrains becoming available.
Details on what models will come to Australia are yet to be announced.
The Foton Tunland is the most likely ute for Australia, available overseas in G and larger V guise.
Both utes are available with 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines overseas, producing 120kW of power and between 390Nm (G) and 450Nm (V) of torque, with the latter gaining a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.
Foton Tunland G
Diesel-powered Foton utes are also equipped with ZF-built automatic transmissions.
While there are also turbocharged petrol engines available in certain markets, Australia’s ute segment is dominated by turbo-diesels.
The Tunland V is also the brand’s only ute which has so far been confirmed to adopt hybrid power, with Foton announcing plans early last year to fit the model with a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) and a 100kWh high-voltage battery.
Details on the drivetrain are scarce, though in other DHT-equipped vehicles from other brands, an electric motor is fitted within the transmission to provide assistance to the engine or drive on electric-only power for distances.
Foton View
In terms of vans, Foton’s most likely model to come to Australia – or rather, return – is the View, a very close rival to the Toyota HiAce.
In China it’s sold with a choice of petrol and turbo-diesel engines, however it’s understood there’s no hybrid available in the lineup.
Foton also produces the Toano van, which is again close in its design and size to another rival, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Foton Toano
It’s also offered with a turbo-petrol and two turbo-diesel engines.
Inchcape is expected to lock in Foton’s Australian model range closer to the brand’s relaunch.
While Foton ceased selling utes here several years ago, the Foton name has continued here with Foton Mobility… though it isn’t part of the Foton Group.
This Australian-owned company distributes electric buses and trucks, and announced earlier this year it would sell electric vans here from Chinese brand Asiastar.
MORE: 25 years of failures – The car brands that didn’t succeed in Australia, Part I (includes Foton)
MORE: Eight Chinese cars that flopped in Australia
