Foton Tunland vs Volkswagen Caddy
What's the difference?

Foton Tunland

$39,990 - $49,990

2026 price

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Volkswagen Caddy

$39,888 - $54,358

2025 price

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Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Mercedes-Benz Vito

Mercedes-Benz X-Class

Volkswagen Transporter

Summary

2026 Foton Tunland

2025 Volkswagen Caddy

By Marcus Craft

By Mark Oastler

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 2.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Diesel/Electric

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

8.0L/100km (combined)

4.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Price-tag
Roomy cabin
Reasonable off-road

Fuel economy
Driving enjoyment
Load-hauling ability

Dislikes

Under-powered
Annoying driver-assist tech
Needs better off-road tyres

Low TBD rating
BSM/RCTA not standard
Over-reliance on touchscreen controls

2026 Foton Tunland Summary

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.

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2025 Volkswagen Caddy Summary

The venerable VW Caddy was launched in 1979 and after five generations and more than four decades of service, it remains one of the world’s most popular range of small vans.

In Australia’s light-commercial vehicle market, the Caddy’s work-focused Cargo model competes in the small van (under 2.5-tonne GVM) segment against the Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Partner.

The VW range offers Cargo (SWB), Cargo Maxi (LWB) and Crewvan (LWB) models with a unique choice of petrol/diesel engines and manual /auto transmissions.

We recently revisited this German workhorse to find out why it remains such a strong seller in Australia from a business perspective.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Foton Tunland 2025 Volkswagen Caddy

Verdict

You have to give Foton some credit because the 2026 Tunland V9-S 4x4 is a big US-sized ute without the big US-style price-tag.

On the surface this is an impressive vehicle. It’s well-equipped, comfortable, reasonably capable off-road and is generally nice to drive.

But under closer scrutiny, and when driving the Tunland, some substantial flaws soon become obvious, not the least of which is an underdone powertrain and some annoying driver-assist tech.

Still, it is a lot of ute for the money, so the Tunland represents a strong case as a budget buy.

Verdict

It’s not hard to see why the Caddy Cargo maintains its enduring favouritism in the small van class. It has outstanding workhorse capabilities, unmatched five-star safety and drivetrain choice, combined with a spirited car-like driving experience, be it unladen or with a heavy payload. It’s not perfect, but it's also hard to fault in a workhorse role.

Foton Tunland vs Volkswagen Caddy What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Foton Tunland vs Volkswagen Caddy
What's the difference?