Segments like the compact SUV segment and hatchback segments are strife with competition and have been for the past decade. Why is that? Because this is where the money makes the most sense; especially considering how ruthless our tax system is on car buyers. However, if buying a robust, heavy-duty, go-anywhere vehicle made slightly more financial sense, there would be a lot more ruckus in the 4×4 segment as well. Enter: The Foton Tunland E; a budget dual-cab, 4×4 pickup truck produced by the Chinese manufacturers Foton Motors. And it starts at a price of Rs. 49,90,000.

Now, to really see where your money would be going (if you decided on purchasing the Foton Tunland E), we took the pickup truck on an extensive road test to Sukute beach and back.

EXTERIOR

Straight off the bat, it looks like it’s money well spent. The exterior styling of the Foton Tunland E appeals to anyone who wants road presence when they’re on the road. It takes up a lot of the tarmac, spanning at 5310mm long and 1880mm wide. To put that into context, it is only slightly shorter and narrower than the Toyota Hilux (which is 5335mm long and 1855mm wide). However, it gets a longer wheelbase (3105mm to 3085mm of the Hilux). The Ford Ranger also edges out the Tunland E by a hair, measuring in at 5326mm length but a smidge narrower at 1860mm.

Design-wise, the Foton Tunland E nails it with a strong stance and muscular design language. The front houses a large grille with a triple slat chrome lining and the Foton badge in the center. Flanking the grille are large bulbous projector headlights with integrated indicators. Contours to the bonnet add to the muscularity.

From the profile, you will see that there are a few design elements that add to the character. You get massive ORVMs that get integrated indicators. These work really well to help you get a good view of your surroundings. The blacked-out wheel arches work well with the white paint job, and the black sports bar on the cargo box also adds to the appeal. There is also a sidestep that can be very useful for getting in and out of the cabin. The cargo box is also very sizeable and you can really make good use of it since it has a payload capacity of 1000kgs. You also get tying points to help secure your package if you should ever require it.

The rear is pretty basic. There’s a vertically stacked rear tail with integrated indicators that wraps around to the sides. On the tailgate is a chrome door handle that stands out. Overall, it’s a rugged machine that looks like it can get the job done.

INTERIOR

The interiors of the Foton Tunland E are simple. It’s a mostly black affair with silver accents and faux wood making an appearance to split the monotony. The seats are comfortable and provide good support. They managed to keep us adequately relaxed throughout the journey. You can find the perfect driving position with the help of the tilt and telescopic adjustment on the steering column.

Headroom and legroom are sufficient for all passengers, 3 of whom you comfortably seat in the rear seat. If you are willing to splurge, you can also get leather seats as an option. There is plenty of hard plastic used throughout the cabin, which doesn’t come as a surprise considering the Foton Tunland E’s positioning as a budget pickup. We would have loved to have had higher quality materials on the touchpoints of the cabin, but we understand the reasons behind the cost cuts.

On the bright side, you do get a good air-conditioning system, power windows, and a decent pair of speakers. You also get plenty of storage spaces throughout the cabin to stash your water bottles and snacks throughout the journey. In terms of the infotainment system, you get an option of an aftermarket touchscreen unit in the center of the dashboard. While it does operate fairly smoothly, connecting our phones via Bluetooth was cumbersome. It was especially tedious when you had to switch between connected phones. The analog odometer and speedometer sit right in front of the driver along with a trip meter.

On the safety front, you get dual airbags for the driver and passenger. The Foton Tunland E is also equipped with ABS and EBD. The reverse parking sensor and camera also came in handy when we were maneuvering the massive frame of the pickup truck.

While there aren’t too many fancy frills to speak of, the Foton Tunland E manages to nail the basics. But, keep in mind, the Tunland E isn’t here to impress you with creature comforts. It’s a pickup truck that is significantly more affordable than the majority of other cars in the segment and still brings a satisfactory product to the table.

PERFORMANCE

That being said, there is still a very important aspect that we haven’t looked into, and that is the performance. In that regard, the Foton Tunland E has an impressive spec sheet, one that we thoroughly tested on our little road trip. Just to give you an overview of what’s on offer we’ll list down a few names and numbers. Under the hood is a 2.8-litre inline four-cylinder Cummins diesel engine that gets a turbocharger and intercooler. This engine makes a maximum power of 113BHP (@3600RPM) and maximum torque of 280NM (@1600- 2400RPM). It is advertised that these numbers are enough to carry you, your passengers, and 1000kgs worth of whatever you may want in the cargo box.

Most importantly, you also get a reliable 4WD system that should help you get anywhere, limited only by your own abilities. Those are some pretty big promises, and on paper they really make a case for the Foton Tunland E. And, for the most part, the numbers on the spec sheets transpire into the driving experience. Keeping in mind that the Foton Tunland E is a behemoth of a machine, the turbo diesel engine does a good job of propelling the vehicle in a forward manner. Does it sprint off the line like a stabbed rat?

Not really, and we didn’t expect it to. However, once it gets a running start the Foton Tunland E responds well to the commands of your right foot. The power steering is also responsive and gives good feedback, however, there is a significant body-roll especially for the rear passengers.

One aspect where it was severely lacking was the braking. Foton needs to upgrade the stopping capacity of the Tunland E ASAP. However, if you are really going to get the best out of the Foton Tunland E, you are going to want to make use of the 4×4. Stop the car and put it into “send power into all four wheels” mode and the Tunland E comes into its true character. This big burly pick-up truck marches at its own leisurely pace and either goes through or over any obstacle it encounters along the way to where it needs to go. Think of a grizzly bear waltzing up a river stream looking for an afternoon salmon snack and that is basically the Tunland E.

We threw the Tunland E over some risky terrain (more like no terrain) and the Tunland E came out unscathed, we drove the Tunland E over rocks, sand, river, and slush and that is where it felt most at home. Overall, the Foton Tunland E feels good on the tarmac, but the best when there is none.

VERDICT

It is sad and quite frankly disappointing to see how pick-up trucks have changed, from cheap functional workhorses that used to spend most of their time adventuring in the wild, to expensive lifestyle vehicles that frantically navigate the tarmac mazes checking off items from weekly shopping lists. This is why the Foton Tunland E can be taken as a brighter side of this situation.

It is a functional workhorse that can go along with you in any of your wild adventures and most importantly, it doesn’t cost as much as a house. All of that makes the Foton Tunland E, an excellent bargain.