Early details of China's Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 copycats – the Tunland twins from Foton – have been announced ahead of their Australian arrival later this year.
A pair of budget-priced utes from China – with Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 look-alike styling – are due in Australia by the end of September, slightly later than forecast, after making their Australian debut at the 2025 2025 Melbourne Motor Show over the weekend.
The two-model Foton Tunland line-up is due in Australia between July and September 2025 as rivals for the GWM Cannon Alpha, splitting the size difference between the Ford Ranger and F-150.
Announced through a new distributor, Inchcape – the Australian importer of Subaru, Peugeot and Chinese brand Deepal – the five-seat Foton V7 and V9 is already on sale in South America and the Philippines.
The utes – which mark Foton's return to Australia after an unsuccessful stint last decade – share a common body structure, but the V7 applies an F-150-like face, whereas the V9 looks like a Ram 1500.
Pricing and specifics for Australian models are yet to be confirmed, but key details have been revealed at the 2025 Melbourne Motor Show.
Both utes will use a 120kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system – similar to what is offered in the Toyota HiLux – to trim fuel use.
Foton claims a braked towing capacity of the segment benchmark 3500kg.
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version making 284kW is offered overseas, but has not been confirmed for Australia, where it could be a competitor to the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger PHEV.
While the 3500kg towing may match comparable 'mid-size' utes – such as the Isuzu D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton – it’s less than the 4500kg rating of larger full-size pick-ups such as the latest Ram 1500 Laramie Sport.
It’s also less than the recently unveiled Ford Ranger Super Duty which also offers 4500kg towing over the standard Ranger’s 3500kg rating.
The V9 adds coil-spring rear suspension – compared to the less sophisticated leaf-spring arrangement of the V7, and rivals such as the Ranger, HiLux and GWM Ute.
The Foton Tunland V7 comes in 4x2 or 4x4 guises with dimensions similar to the GWM Alpha Cannon pick-up.
At 5617mm long and 2000mm wide on a 3355mm wheelbase, the V7 is slightly larger than the Cannon Alpha, which has a similar 3350mm wheelbase.
The larger V9 – which comes in four-wheel drive only – is closer to the F-150 SWB in size, slightly smaller than the Ford at 5797mm long and 2090mm wide on a 3505mm wheelbase.
Features on overseas versions include six airbags and safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring.
They also offer ‘nappa-like’ leather upholstery, digital instruments and a 14.6-inch centre touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone capability.
Further Australian details are expected ahead of the Tunland’s launch later this year.
