Foton launches heavy commercial vehicle assault

Foton Motor has announced new light- and medium-duty trucks for Australia and outlined plans to release a full range of heavy commercial vehicles ranging from 4.5 to 50 tonnes (GVM) by early 2021.

Founded in 1996, Foton is China’s largest truck manufacturer, with 40,000 workers and more than 300,000 domestic sales plus a further 60,000 exports to 110 countries including Russia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Thailand and Indonesia.

Including the June release of a facelifted MY19 Foton Tunland one-tonne ute, which will be replaced by an all-new model by mid-2021, Foton hopes to sell up to 750 commercial vehicles in Australia this year – including 500 trucks and 250 utes – and to increase that figure by 10 per cent annually over the next five years.

That would represent a role reversal between the Tunland, which previously represented 65 per cent of local Foton sales, and the fledgling Chinese brand’s heavy trucks, which hitherto accounted for just 35 per cent of volume.

About 250 Foton vehicles were sold in Australia last year, including 200 examples of the Tunland, more than 3000 of which were sold by two independent importers between 2012 and mid-2017, when Foton Motor became the official distributor.

Speaking at the launch of a range of new Foton heavy trucks, Foton Motor Australia national dealer development and sales manager Paul Vuko said the sales growth would be supported by an expansion of its Australian dealer network from 22 to 30 outlets this year, and 40 by mid-2021.

“We want to change our strategy from being a ute company selling some trucks to a truck company also selling utes,” said Vuko.

In all, across its Foton, Auman and Aumark brands, Foton Motor Australia will launch eight new light and heavy commercial models between now and mid-2021, starting now with the 7.5-tonne GVM Aumark S.

Both the Aumark S 7.5T and Aumark S 4.5T (which will follow in December 2020, after the Aumark S 9.0T arrives in April 2020) are 4x2 single-cab models with a 3360mm wheelbase, powered by a 112kW/500Nm ISF 3.8 Cummins turbo-diesel matched with a six-speed ZF manual transmission.

Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 4495kg for the 4.5T, which can be driven on a standard car driver’s licence, and 7495kg for the 7.5T. Gross combined mass (GCM) is 7995kg and 10,995kg respectively.

All Foton Aumark S models come with a four-year/160,000km warranty with free scheduled servicing, plus 7.0-inch touch-screen, 3.2-inch trip computer display and safety features including electronic stability control (ESP), anti-lock brakes (ABS), anti-skid regulation (ASR), hill-start assist (HAS), lane departure warning (LDWS), reversing camera/sensor, front/rear disc brakes, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control and electric mirrors.

The cab is fitted with cup-holders and multiple storage solutions, and a high-end CAN structure with provision for future technologies such as lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring.

Foton says the cab is ECE-R29 safety-compliant, NVH levels meet ECE R51-03 and visibility is blind-spot free (ECE R46-04).

The Aumark S 7.5T Cab Chassis is priced from $45,990 for ABN holders.

Key competitors include the Fuso Canter 815 (7.5T) Cab Chassis, which priced from $48,290 and comes with a five-year warranty and two years’ free servicing, and the Hyundai EX8 (7.8T) Cab Chassis, which is priced from $52,910 and comes with a three-year warranty.

Prices for a range of genuine cargo solutions – including an alloy tray, steel tray, tipper, pantech and pantech curtainside – are yet to be announced.

The arrival of the 12-tonne Auman EST-M in June will see Foton offer new light- and medium-duty trucks by mid-2019.

The Foton Auman EST-M 12T is also a single-cab 4x2 truck, this time based on a 4500mm wheelbase and powered by a 136kW/700Nm ISF 4.5 Cummins turbo-diesel matched with a ZF six-speed manual.

GVM is 11,990kg, GCM is 20,000kg and the front and rear axle ratings are 5000kg and 10,000kg respectively.

The Foton Auman EST-M 12T will be joined in the second quarter of 2020 by the Auman EST-M 16T with a 16-tonne GVM.

Developed by Foton-Daimler, all Auman EST-M inter-city medium trucks models are based on a new high-strength steel chassis and feature an integrated grille/headlights, daytime running lights, Wabco disc brakes, two-piece driveshaft, leaf springs, airbag shock absorber seat, screen/info display and ABS/EBD safety.

The Foton Auman EST-M 12.0T Cab Chassis is priced at $67,990 for ABN holders and comes with a four-year warranty and four years of free scheduled servicing.

Its most direct rival is the Fuso Fighter 1224 (12.0T) Cab Chassis, priced at $83,000 with a five-year warranty and two years of free servicing.

Rounding out the Foton HCV line-up in the first quarter of 2021 will be the Auman 50-tonne big-rig, detail of which are yet to be announced.

Built in what’s claimed to be China’s longest fully-automatic assembly line, all Foton Aumark and Auman trucks are powered by Cummins diesel engines.

Service intervals are 20,000km/12 months and Foton says its exclusive Cummins engines are breakdown-free for 500,000km.

Foton’s truck development program is said to comprise 1.6 million kilometres of testing (including 30,000km on the highway and 20,000km in cities) in temperatures ranging between -27 and +47 degrees C, and at altitudes of up to 4700m.

2019 Foton truck pricing:
Aumark S (7.5T) Cab Chassis – $45,990 ABN
Auman EST-M (12.0T) Cab Chassis – $67,990 ABN

What’s coming from Foton:
Aumark S 7.5T – Now
MY19 Tunland ute – June
Auman EST-M 12T – June
Aumark S 9.0T – April 2020
Aumark S 4.5 – Dec 2020
Auman EST-M 16T – Q2 2020
Auman 50T – Q1 2021
New Tunland – Q2 2021