2025 Foton Tunland price and specs: Budget utes bring American looks for Chinese money

Foton is back, and it’s once again entering a market teeming with affordable Chinese utes, and once again under-cutting Australia’s most popular Thai-built models.

Unlike last time, when the previous Tunland ute contended with what was known as Great Wall, as well as ZX Auto and JMC before eventually being axed, this time it’s up against a rebranded and increasingly sophisticated GWM, as well as stalwart LDV and new entrant JAC.

It’s doing this with the backing of Subaru distributor Inchcape, and is once again using the Tunland nameplate.

This time, it’s applied to a radically different-looking pair of dual-cab utes. Gone is the pleasant, safe styling of the old Tunland, and in its place is a look that owes more to American full-size pickups than any of its similarly priced rivals.

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The V7 is the one you see here that looks rather like a Ford F-150 if you take off your glasses, while the V9 is the one that looks awfully like a Ram 1500.

You won’t miss them on the street, thanks not only to their bold styling but also dimensions that make them larger than top-selling utes like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, and an array of bold exterior paint colours including Lightning Purple.

Foton says the V7 is more fleet-focused, offering a payload of over 1000kg, while the V9 – thanks to its multi-link rear suspension – offers a smoother ride and greater refinement.

Pricing starts at $39,990 before on-road costs for the V7-C 4×2, and tops out at $49,990 plus on-roads for the V9-S 4×4.

For context, the GWM Cannon dual-cab range is priced from $40,490 drive-away, and the LDV T60 Max range is currently being offered from $41,253 drive-away in model year 2025 (MY25) Pro auto guise. The larger GWM Cannon Alpha opens at $52,990 drive-away.

The first Tunlands will start arriving from the third quarter of this year, so before the end of September.

Foton will have dealers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT, with “further growth planned” ahead of the first vehicles coming ashore.

The company says it has locally tested the Tunland across tens of thousands of kilometres of Australian roads, both sealed and unsealed, while also putting it through its paces off-road to ensure it’s suitable for local conditions.

While Foton has published a detailed list of specifications, it hasn’t confirmed whether it will offer capped-price servicing.

Also unknown are fuel economy figures, and whether the Tunland will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Pricing

Drivetrains and Efficiency

The Tunland V7 and V9 differ in rear suspension – the former has a live axle with leaf springs, while the latter features a multi-link rigid axle.

However, they share the same turbo-diesel mild-hybrid powertrain and ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission.

The V7 is offered with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, but the V9 is four-wheel drive-only. The four-wheel drive system features auto, 2H, 4H and $L modes.

All four-wheel drive Tunlands have a locking rear differential, while the flagship V9-S 4×4 also gains a locking front differential.

Foton has yet to publish fuel economy or emissions figures.

Weights and Dimensions

At 5617mm long on a 3355mm wheelbase, the Foton Tunland sits between a Ranger dual-cab (5370mm long, 3270mm wheelbase) and a short-wheelbase Ford F-150 pickup (5884mm long, 3694mm wheelbase).

Servicing and Warranty

The Foton Tunland is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Foton hasn’t announced any capped-price servicing scheme.

Safety

The Foton Tunland has yet to be tested by ANCAP.

Standard safety equipment across the range includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane centring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Surround-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Safe exit warning
• Traffic sign recognition

The V9-S 4×4 also has a driver monitoring system.

Standard Equipment

There are four variants in the Tunland lineup.

The V7-C 4×2 comes standard with the following equipment:

• Spray-in tub liner
• Highway Terrain tyres
• Eco, Standard, Sport drive modes
• Electronic parking brake
• Auto hold
• Automatic LED headlights
• Integrated dash cam
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 2 x front USB-A outlets
• 4-speaker sound system
• Single-zone air-conditioning
• 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
• 4-way manually adjustable passenger seat

The V7-C 4×4 adds:

• Four-wheel drive system
• Sand, Mud, Snow modes
• Locking rear differential
• All-terrain tyres

The V9-L 4×4 adds:

• Multi-link rear suspension
• ‘Premium’ side steps
• ‘Premium’ 18-inch wheel design
• Sports bar
• Lockable tray
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Heated front seats
• 6-way power driver’s seat with 4-way lumbar
• 4-way power passenger seat
• Dual-zone climate control
• 6-speaker sound system
• 2x rear USB-A outlets
• 220V/300W power outlet
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

The V9-S 4×4 adds:

• Locking front differential
• Roof rails
• Rear privacy glass
• Panoramic sunroof
• Ventilated front seats
• Driver seat memory
• Heated outboard rear seats
• LED rear reading light
• Auto up/down for all power windows

Colours

Flare White is the standard exterior paint finish, with the following available for an extra $690:

• Galaxy Silver
• Titanium Grey
• Phantom Black
• Fire Red
• Diamond Blue
• Aurora Green
• Lightning Purple

MORE: Explore the Foton Tunland showroom