Test Drive This: 2013 Foton Thunder

Over the week-end, Foton mounted a Big Show exhibition at the World Trade Center where they had all of their big cars, trucks and event machineries up for a test drive.

While we were excited at the idea of driving a crane or ten wheeler, we eventually settled for a tamer model — the Foton Thunder.

The Foton Thunder is the company’s own 4×4 pick-up truck that all comes with manual transmission. The model that we drove was diesel-powered so you can easily feel that vibration of the engine and the shaking of the gear shift while driving.

It’s a huge truck, nevertheless, and that custom bumper grill makes it look bad-ass. What’s more surprising is that this unit actually costs only a little over Php1.1 Million. Not bad for a 2.8L 4×4, right?

We took the Thunder around World Trade Center and the drive was a bit shaky despite the smooth road. We wished we could have driven it on some terrain or off-road to see how it fared in rough roads, where we think the experience will be more realistic.

The interior looks pretty simple but well-apportioned and you also get leather seats. Over-all, the pick-up looks pretty decent and to think this Chinese car company was only established in 1996.

Foton also manufactures heavy machineries, agricultural tractors, buses and heavy-duty trucks. They have cranes and bulldozers that were also on display during the exhibitions and I was told I can also test-drive those but I was not that confident to drive them anyway.

Btw, I hear Foton has an R&D facility here in the Philippines (just like Japan, Taiwan and the US) so it’s possible some of the research or design were done here.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

10 Comments

Stew says:

10 years ago

Where can I get an Ironman front bumper kit from for my New Zealand Tunland (Thunder)? I will happily import one if I can get someone to sell me one! Cheers
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wew says:

11 years ago

itabi nyo to sa ford ranger na stock tas eto rin eh stock,simple wheels no bull bar and lights,etc. tignan naten kung pansinin pato lol dinaan lang sa itsura eh.
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pukeman says:

11 years ago

It’s essentially using an Isuzu engine, which accounts for the characteristic “vibration of the engine and the shaking of the gear shift while driving”
So, a redesigned body on top of an Isuzu engine, and they throw in the bullbar and fog lights for the bad-ass look.
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CopyCatDroid says:

11 years ago

At least CHINA has their own CAR BRAND.
How about Philippines ? I hope that one day.
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jhepoyski says:

11 years ago

ever heard of Fransisco Motor Corporation.
Marvin says:

11 years ago

Amen to that. All we do is helplessly bash their products.

jhepoyski says:

11 years ago

What R&D copy lang yan ng toyota. kumbaga local na china phone lang to.
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-Joe says:

11 years ago

pang cherry mobile lang to na quality na sasakyan.. Kayang kaya to ni boss abuzalzal pati aircon to malakas yong hangin kagaya ng utak nya…

first time ko tong narinig sa wowawillie show.. mga producto or brand na mahina dun kay willie pinapa advertise para sisikat din.. bazta pinoy mahilig din branded eh.
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wayfarer says:

11 years ago

i see a…….toyota hilux and a hi-ace grandia…..
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MiToIsuChevFo says:

11 years ago

For the price, still the Ranger XLT for me.
Even then, it’s still a tough call and the Ranger only wins because of the torque even though it has less displacement(You don’t judge trucks by horsepower, you judge em by how hard they pull).
And the Range topping 800mm wading depth for manila floods.
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