“Anything you can do we can do cheaper, we can do anything cheaper than you.” It’s a play on an old Broadway song I just made up to summarise China’s knack of undercutting the mass production of pretty much everything under the sun.
It’s no secret by now. China’s chock full of factories and workers that can spit things out faster and at less cost than most other places on Earth, but when it comes to high quality... well, not so much.
At least that’s the impression we’ve got from Chinese vehicles we’ve assessed over the past few years. They’re mostly blatant rip-offs of more established brand names’ cars, with dodgy panel gaps, ill-fitting interior bits, and low-tech engines that rev like they’ve got sand inside.
I won’t even get into the pungent (and we’ve heard possibly toxic) odours let off when our African sun bakes the gimcrack cabin plastics.
To say I have little faith in whatever Chinese test vehicle happens to roll through our doors, would be an understatement. But it’s my job to give all cars the benefit of the doubt before review, and so I did with Chinese brand Foton’s new Tunland double-cab bakkie.
PLEASANT SURPRISE
And it’s a good thing I did because, for the first time (this is a milestone for such a fault-finder as myself), I was pleasantly surprised with a product from the land of egg-foo-yung and pu-pu platters.
There are two things that stand out here. One, is that no funky smells greeted me upon entry to the Tunland. And two, is that even before you board this bakkie it’s impossible not to notice the giant Cummins Diesel placard affixed to each front door. Foton’s done a deal to buy out some of the American diesel engine giant’s reliability reputation, and it’s clearly proud to advertise the fact. It’s like a local movie production scoring Nicolas Cage as its starring role – his name would headline in brighter lights than the title itself.
The Tunland gets a 2.8-litre turbodiesel built by Cummins in China, and it certainly plays a starring role here. Power is rated at 120kW and 360Nm which is plenty competitive among the brand-name-bakkie big five’s top diesel models, and the way it lugged around a 1.5-ton trailer during my test proves that these aren’t just willy-nilly “on paper” figures.
DECENT ECONOMY
We’re also impressed with its real world diesel drinkage figure of 8.3l/100km. Direct brand name rivals with similar power specs have been thirstier while in our possession. It is quite a noisy diesel though; not that I think most butch buyers will mind. Loud turbo whir and compression clatter is befitting a vehicle in this class where hairier chests are better. Just ask any pick-up loving American.
Although the Tunland is styled with a generic modern bakkie look, the front end with its angry grille and headlights will fit right in among more established peers. The interior too is designed in an upmarket way, with easy to use controls for the radio and climate control, and I like the prominent digital clock in bright blue positioned high up in the dashboard. But what are the Chinese thinking with all that plas-teak paired with tasteless painted silver plastic? Wood, let alone fake wood, just doesn’t look right in bakkies.
COST CUTTING
Our Tunland 4x2 test unit in basic Comfort trim comes in at R260 000, which is more than R100 000 less than the closest Toyota Hilux and includes a respectable three-year/150 000km warranty, but there are some noticeable cost-cutting measures to be addressed.
Firstly I advise using some of the cash you’ll save to buy some brand-name tyres, especially if you plan on putting it to work. The no-namers fitted felt of a cheap, hard compound that squealed around corners and broke traction under braking when I had that trailer in tow. Scary.
I also doubt the longevity of the interior door handles, which feel very flimsy, and the big exterior plastic wheelarch trims are made with wonky moulds if you look at them closely. Our test car’s clutch also felt soft and lifeless in the pedal, but in all fairness could have been due to a hard life as a motoring press car.
VERDICT
I’ve always said the money savings offered by Chinese cars and bakkies has simply not been worth the crude build qualities that come with them. But that may be starting to change.
One hundred grand is a big chunk of change to save over a Hilux, Ranger, Amarok or KB, and in the Tunland’s case it’s closer to its rivals than the difference in price indicates.
I could live with this bakkie. There, I said it.
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