Foton Tunland vs Lexus NX250

What's the difference?

If you’re in the market for a big US-style ute but you’re not keen to spend the big bucks, this Chinese-made workhorse might be right for you.

This is the 2026 Foton Tunland V9-S 4x4. It’s just under six metres long and costs just under $50,000. A lot of ute for the price.

This top-spec Tunland has a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, a 48V mild-hybrid system, and front and rear diff locks.

So, what is this ute like to drive off-road?

Read on.

As far as clichés go, attempting to make “a silk purse from a sow’s ear” couldn’t be more apt than when contemplating the original NX of 2014.

What was essentially the Lexus-fication of the vocal, fidgety and thirsty old Toyota RAV4 may have worked a treat sales-wise, but proved trickier when assessed against the lens of a BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 rival.

The earliest NX just wasn’t refined enough.

This was especially true following the reborn RAV4 arrival in 2019, proving to be embarrassingly more competent – even compared to most luxury midsized SUV alternatives.

Now, finally, the NX redesign has followed suit, moving on to a variation of the Toyota’s stronger, quieter and more advanced TNGA architecture (dubbed GA-K) as a starting base.

Speaking of which, let’s dive straight into the least-expensive version, the NX 250 Luxury 2WD auto, to find out if the most popular Lexus model in Australia has finally found its mojo.