One pitbull of a worker
I’ve been around pickup trucks for quite some time now, starting with my daily drive, a Mazda B-Series pickup, back in college. Then, eventually, our family also acquired an Isuzu Fuego, an Isuzu D-Max, Foton Blizzard, and most recently, the latest pickup trucks from Mazda.
This writer has been a fan of these vehicles since time immemorial as these workhorses offer no less than no-nonsense style and design aesthetics, reliable performance, a ruggedly commanding presence on the road, heft and loading capacity, and most of all–a ‘can-do’ and ‘go-anywhere’ attitude.
Recently, Foton Motor Philippines lent us the Foton Thunder 4×4 A/T and other than being able to take it around for a spin for several days, it was likewise a nostalgic experience. The experience took me to the days when we first had the Foton Blizzard over ten years ago, as well as bringing me earlier to our Isuzu Fuego in the late 90s. As we all know, the Blizzard inevitably had to be put on the chopping block to give way to the growing popularity of the Thunder. The former, of course, was based on the said Fuego of ages ago. That time, no one could get a decent pickup truck priced below P1-M–not until United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. rolled out the Blizzard that was only tagged a tad below P900,000 in the 2010s.
Today, from the Blizzard’s 4JB1T four-cylinder, direct injection, turbocharged diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission, the Chinese workhorse now sports a potent Aucan 4F20 engine, mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic tranny. This can produce 161 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 390 N-m of torque at 1,800 rpm. Moreover, it can handle a payload capacity of around 1,000 kg, typical of any midsize pickup.
From the former’s boxy and basic profile on the outside, the Thunder has grown to be a modern and sophisticated workhorse. It’s 5,340 mm long, 1,940 mm wide and 1,870mm tall. Upfront is a spartan yet stylishly adorned front fascia palpably exuding its athletic stance, while daytime running lights and projector headlamps add more zing. Panache is capped by 18-inch alloy rims, coupled with a 600-mm water wading depth.
Inside, the Thunder may be lathered with dark gray hue, but a few of its creature comforts provide convenience and delight to its driver and occupants. These features include the 10.25-inch infotainment system, keyless entry with hold window down control and power window control, seven-inch large-screen instrument cluster (with fatigue driving reminder), multi-function steering wheel, six-way power adjustable driver seat and leather seats, with diamond-shaped design stitching that add to that sense of swag and allure.
Safety-wise, the vehicle consists of six dual front and side curtain airbags, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)– designed to enhance vehicle safety and driving experience, 360-degree panoramic view camera, front and pedestrian collision warning, lane change assist system, and blind spot and tire pressure monitoring system, not to mention Bosch Electronic Stability Program features, such as anti-lock braking system and electronic brakeforce distribution, just to name a few.
In terms of fuel efficiency, the Thunder has a 75-liter fuel tank capacity; and when I first had the pickup, it was filled up to the brim. For the whole week when I was driving it around the city and nearby provinces, like Cavite, Batangas, and Pampanga, I covered a distance of more than 900km before its needle switched the warning light on. This means it had still had about 80 to 100km left from its tank before nil. And if you do the math, I was probably able to do about 13 to 14 km/liter in that span, which is pretty impressive given that there were countless moments that I was stuck in gridlock situations within the metro.
Overall, for a 4×4 pickup truck priced below P1.4M, the Foton Thunder is quite frankly a decent workhorse. Well, it may not have the fit and finish of its bigger brother, the Foton Tunland and other known pickups in the local market, yet, it still offers remarkable off-road capabilities, impressive payload and towing capacity, and probably the toughness and utility one needs out of a daily driven dogged pitbull of a worker.
