Did you know that the Philippines is the third biggest market for Foton outside China? Did you also know that Foton was the first Chinese automaker that managed to enter the hotly contested Top 10 car brands in Philippine sales (a feat that even the many of the new Chinese car brands are finding very challenging)?
And did you know that Foton was the first truck maker to bring in a fully electric light truck to the Philippine market with the Foton Tornado EV truck?
Foton may not have sexy cars or SUVs, but this truck brand is fast becoming the vehicle of choice for most local and even multinational logistics and trucking companies.
And now, Foton is flexing its well-toned muscles with the spectacular Foton Brand Rejuvenation—a global convention/product reveal/Super Truck Plant tour held last week in the brand’s stronghold of Changsha in China that was attended by close to 300 delegates from 22 countries.
Foton unveiled at the event all-new models in the first-ever Wonder mini pickup and Aumark truck, targeting both the urban extra-urban logistics markets. As a testament to Foton’s “Dual-Carbon” strategy—which aims to peak carbon emissions by 2028 and achieve carbon neutrality at its core factories by 2035 (and achieve full-value chain carbon neutrality by 2050—and its new energy development, the two products offer a host of compelling features and advantages.
The all-new Aumark, is based on Foton’s latest “Multi-Energy Shared Platform,” enabling the development of technological routes on the same platform, including fuel, hybrid, pure electric, and hydrogen fuel cell products. It boasts modular, integrated features, achieving improvements in reliability, efficiency and safety.
In terms of reliability, the all-new Aumark is produced at the Foton Intelligent Super Truck Factory, featuring fully automated welding and polyurea spray coating technology that enhances rust resistance by 50 percent. Additionally, real-world road tests have subjected the vehicle to over 3 million kilometers, with key components enduring 12,000 hours of bench testing.
Regarding efficiency, thanks to Foton’s “Multi-Energy Shared Platform” designed for “future truck,” in-depth modular and integrated development of transmission systems, batteries, and suspension systems ensures consistent product quality. For instance, the automatic transmission version of the fuel model incorporates FotonSuperPowerTrain, 2000-bar high-pressure common-rail fuel system, dual-swirl layer combustion technology, achieving a transmission efficiency of 99.7 percent.
The pure electric version offers 1-hour fast charging, achieving high-efficiency operation with an energy consumption of 32 kWh/100 km. The hybrid model is equipped with Foton’s Intelligent Dual-Engine System, offering a range of over 1,000 kilometers, while the hydrogen fuel cell version utilizes Foton’s innovative Hydrogen System, enabling a 5-minute refueling time and a range of 450 kilometers for efficient operation while assisting customers in achieving carbon neutrality.
In terms of safety, the all-new Aumark is equipped with Foton’s new i-ADAS intelligent management system, significantly enhancing both active and passive safety measures, meeting the highest European ECE-R29 safety collision standards.
The global launch also introduced the all-new mini truck brand, Wonder, which is Foton’s all-new generation mini truck that’s poised for a more lifestyle slant, being highly adaptable to personalized modifications and various commercial needs.
The Wonder mini pickup comes with either a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and manual transmission or a pure-electric drivetrain with a 280-kilometer driving range and a 48-minute charging time. It comes as a two-door with a long bed or as a dual-cab with a shorter bed. The Wonder might look diminutive, bit it packs a truly long cargo bed and spacious passenger cabin, thanks to a surprisingly long 3,000mm wheelbase.
To put that in perspective, a Toyota Fortuner’s wheelbase is 2,745mm.
It’s worth mentioning that both new products’ electric versions use batteries from CATL, a global leader in the new energy battery industry. In fact, Foton and CATL established a joint venture in 2022, focusing on conducting business operations related to new energy battery leasing services.
We also got the see and drive Foton’s stunning new Tunland V7 and V9 full-size pickups, with the latter boasting a plush-riding coil spring rear suspension. Both trucks feature very luxurious and car-like interiors. The current Thunder midsize pickups marketed in the Philippines are called Tunland in China, but there was no confirmation if the new full-size Tunlands will also be renamed Thunder when they enter the Philippines market next year.
Once thing’s for sure, Foton is much more than experiencing a global brand rejuvenation, it is absolutely nailing it in terms of design, technology, and performance.