Foton Tunland vs Nissan Navara

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.

Developing a new motor vehicle from scratch costs billions which is why manufacturers are increasingly sharing vehicle platforms and technology to spread these ever-increasing costs across two (or more) strategically aligned automotive brands.

This ‘badge engineering’ strategy is becoming popular in the light-commercial vehicle (LCV) segment as evidenced by partnerships between Ford and Volkswagen with their Ranger/Amarok and Transit Custom/Transporter pairings, Isuzu and Mazda with their D-Max/BT-50 duo and Chinese contenders MG and LDV with their U9/Terron 9 tie-up.

Mitsubishi and Nissan have recently established a similar relationship, with Mitsubishi’s Triton donating its underpinnings for the latest Nissan Navara. We recently spent a week with Nissan’s new entry-level model grade to assess its credentials from a tradie’s perspective.