Volkswagen Transporter vs Foton Tunland

What's the difference?

Although closely related to Ford’s E-Transit Custom, the e-Transporter has carved its own niche in appealing to VW Transporter loyalists and businesses wanting to project a chic Euro image. For tradies and other service providers its driving range is best suited to metro duties, which if combined with the convenience of daily back-to-base charging could make it a practical solution for many working roles.

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.

Although based on the E-Transit Custom, the e-Transporter (like the Amarok) does a commendable job in establishing its own identity, with noticeable differences in styling and a spacious and functional cabin design with a distinct VW commercial vehicle look and feel.

Its dash design is free of protrusions, leaving enough floor space between it and the seats to allow drivers convenient ‘walk-through’ access from one side of the cab to the other.

Our LWB example is clearly designed with hard work in mind, armed with 16-inch steel wheels and unpainted dark grey plastic evident in areas most vulnerable to wear and tear including the bumpers, hubcaps, door handles and mirror shells.

It rides on a sprawling 3500mm wheelbase with MacPherson strut front and coil-spring rear suspension. Key body dimensions of 5450mm length and 2032mm width are combined with a practical 1978mm height, the latter allowing access to low clearance loading zones and multi-storey carparks. The long wheelbase contributes to its largish 13-metre turning circle.

The Tunland is 5617mm long (with a 3355mm wheelbase), 2090mm wide and 1955mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 2315kg.

It has a big bluff front end with chrome type front grille, chunky wheel arches, sports bar on the tub, pronounced rear and of course, its not-insubstantial all-around size. These factors give the Tunland presence on and off the road.

But that big front end is not as an in-your-face occasion as the MG U9’s is, not by a long shot.

The interior has everything you’d expect of a top-spec dual-cab interior – synthetic leather seat trim, soft-touch surfaces but also an abundance of durable plastic. And there’s colour ambient lighting front and rear.

Ultimately, the Tunland holds its own in design terms against rival such as the LDV T60 and MG U9.

The heavy propulsion battery mounted beneath the load floor is largely responsible for the e-Transporter’s sizeable 2540kg kerb weight, which when deducted from its 3225kg GVM leaves a payload of 685kg.

However, Volkswagen’s published rating is higher at 760kg, as European payload measurement typically allows for a 75kg driver. Even so, that’s still a modest payload compared to numerous mid-size diesel rivals (including its TDI Transporter equivalent) offering up to one tonne or more.

About 150kg of the e-Transporter’s payload can be carried on the clever trio of folding roof racks courtesy of its Ford donor, which lie flush with the roof when not in use but can quickly be locked in vertical positions to carry loads as needed.

Our test vehicle is also rated to tow up to 2300kg of braked trailer but Volkswagen does not publish a GCM figure (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) so we don’t know if it can tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum payload.

The cargo bay, which offers up to 6.8 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed through a standard passenger-side sliding door with 1030mm opening width or the swing-up tailgate.

The load floor, which comes standard with a protective liner, is 3002mm long and 1777mm wide with 1392mm between the rear wheel housings. This means it can carry two standard Aussie pallets or three Euro pallets secured by a choice of eight load anchorage points.

A section of load floor length can also be extended to 3450mm by opening a hinged hatch on the lower left of the cabin bulkhead, which can be handy for carrying long lengths of timber, pipe, conduit, carpet rolls etc. The walls are also neatly lined to mid-height and there’s a 12V socket.

There’s also ample cabin storage with three tiers of storage (including large-bottle holders) in each front door plus cupholders on each side of the dash-pad, which also has a large open tray in the centre with a pair of USB ports.

The lower dash includes a large glove box, driver’s pop-out cupholder, wireless phone charging pad, 12V socket and more USB ports, while the centre seat backrest folds forward to serve as a mobile work desk.

Beneath the hinged base cushions on the passenger bench seat is a cavernous hidden storage area which is ideal for the five metre long charging cable.

It’s the usual set-up for a ute cabin, which means a workable blend of comfort, ease-of-use, functionality and practicality.

The multimedia system is easy enough to use, but it’s not the most intuitive set-up around with cycling through menus and sub-menus required during operation. But the screen is big and colours are crisp and clearly visible.

There are four USB-A ports, a 220V/300W power socket, a x 12V/120W power outlet as well as two cupholders up front and two in the fold-down armrest in the back row.

The cabin is spacious with the Tunland's extra size used to better accommodate the driver and passengers rather than being used to expand the load space.

Speaking of load space...

In terms of packability for touring, the Tunland’s tub is 1577mm long (1240mm between the wheel arches), 1650mm wide and the load space itself is 530mm deep. Load height is 880mm.

The Tunland’s tub has four tie-down points, but they're positioned too high in the tub for my liking.

All in all, this ute is on a par with its rivals for practicality.

The Tunland V9-S (S for Supreme) is at the top of a four-variant line-up and has recommended pricing starting at $49,990, before on-road costs. The other variants are the V7-C 4x2, V7-C 4x4 and V9-L 4x4. (C - Commercial, L - Luxury.)

Standard features include a 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay plus wireless charging), six-speaker stereo, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, three-profile facial recognition, dual-zone climate control, six-way powered plus four-way lumbar adjustment heated and ventilated driver seat (with memory function), 18-inch alloy wheels and tailgate assist.

It's worth noting the test vehicle is fitted with a towbar kit (seven-pin, $1384.16 RRP fitted) and RedArc Tow Pro V3 Electric Brake Controller Kit ($871.33 RRP fitted).

Exterior paint choices include standard 'Flare White' (no cost) or you can choose from 'Titanium Grey', 'Phantom Black', 'Lightning Purple', 'Galaxy Silver', 'Fire Red', 'Diamond Blue' or 'Aurora Green', which is on our test vehicle. Each of those colours cost $690 MLP (Manufacturer’s List Price).

While the Tunland bests some of its rivals – such as the MG U9 – for price (the base spec is $52,990, the top grade is $60,990), it can’t match the value proposition of something like the LDV T60 (around $39,000 to $46,500, drive-away), no matter how stacked its features list is.

The e-Transporter’s single electric motor, which produces 210kW of power and 415Nm of torque, drives the rear wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission. It offers numerous drive modes including 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Slippery' and 'Tow/Haul' plus there's a 'B' button on the gear selector which optimises regenerative braking for largely one-pedal driving and maximum energy harvesting.

The motor and transmission are neatly combined in a compact unit mounted beneath the load floor driving the rear wheels. This design has an inherent traction advantage over front-wheel drive rivals, particularly when towing and hauling heavy loads on low-grip surfaces.

The Tunland has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine – producing 120kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm at 1500-2400rpm – and that’s matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It also has a 48V mild-hybrid system, which is similar to the HiLux’s set-up, cannot be charged manually and does not offer electric-only driving.

This ute also has drive modes – 'Eco', 'Standard', 'Sport', 'Sand' and 'Mud/Snow' – and part-time four-wheel drive.

The engine and auto transmission combination yields a sluggish driving experience on sealed surfaces, and it feels underpowered. The pairing works better in low-speed 4WDing more than anything else.

In terms of engine outputs, the Tunland (120kW/450Nm) lags behind rivals such as the MG U9 (160kW/520Nm) and even the LDV T60 (160kW/500Nm).

Volkswagen claims a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle electric WLTP driving range of up to 330km from a single charge of its 64kWh lithium-ion propulsion battery, which can be charged from zero to 100 per cent in around seven hours and 30 minutes using a three-phase 11kW AC charger and 10-80 per cent in just 38 minutes using 125kW DC fast charging.

The dash display confirmed a 100 per cent charge and estimated driving range of up to 298km when we collected the test vehicle. After completing 103km of metropolitan driving there was 65 per cent charge and 186km range remaining, which was consistent with the original onboard estimate.

We plugged into a public AC station (the charging port is located behind a flap in the front bumper) and after three hours the battery charge had increased from 65 to 93 per cent, with the estimated driving range rising from 186km to 290km. The total test distance was 233km with average consumption of 20kWh/100km, so based on those figures a real-world driving range of around 300km from a full charge is credible.

Official fuel consumption is listed as 8.0L/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.8L/100km, which is pretty good because I have done a lot of low-range 4WDing.

The Tunland has a 76-litre fuel tank so, going by that fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 775km from a full tank. It also has a 12-litre AdBlue tank.

In fuel consumption terms, the Tunland holds its own against the MG U9 (up to 7.9L/100km official) and LDV T60 (up to 8.1L/100km official).

It has a big left footrest and ample steering wheel and seat adjustment, with the latter including a fold-down inboard armrest, power lumbar support and even manual extension of the base cushion to provide extra thigh support.

The large truck-style door mirrors feature a wide-angle view in their lower third which combined with blind-spot monitoring and other active features ensures commanding side and rear surveillance for the driver.

More than 400Nm of torque is ample for a mid-size van and with most of that delivered instantly from standing starts thanks to the electric motor, it has zippy acceleration that’s ideal for metro driving.

It’s also like riding in a tram at suburban speeds with its near-silent drivetrain although tyre noise increases and can become intrusive at highway speeds, even with a sealed bulkhead to largely insulate the cabin from most of the tyre noise emanating from the rear wheel housings.

To sample its load carrying ability we forklifted 325kg into the cargo bay which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of more than half a tonne. It coped comfortably with this task across a mix of city roads and highway hauling. Overall, we found it difficult to fault as a urban-based workhorse.

The Foton Tunland is compliant and comfortable and in general terms, pretty agreeable on road. In fact, ride and handling are quite impressive on sealed surfaces. A large part of the credit for that should be attributed to, a) its size and b) this top-spec model's multi-link suspension. I consists of double wishbones up the front and multi-link at the rear with coil springs, whereas lower-spec Tunlands have leaf springs.

The engine, however, is a different story. “Wheezy, laggy, underpowered,” my notes read.

This ute is underdone in terms of power and torque and though the automatic transmission the engine is paired with is cluey, the combination doesn't have the oomph you'd like in a ute of this size.

The Tunland’s driver-assist tech on road is the wrong side of annoying. It’s either over the top in its preemptive reaction to whatever it thinks is going to happen, or too intrusive or abrasive in its effectiveness. The good news is you can switch that stuff off, but you do have to do that every time you start up.

Now to the off-road.

Crucially, the engine and auto combination works better at low speeds, especially in low-range 4WDing working in partnership with the off-road drive modes – Mud/Snow and Sand – the Tunland does reasonably well.

Low range gearing is good, off-road traction control is reasonably well calibrated, and again, as an overall package it performs satisfactorily. And if you get the urge, you can use diff locks front and rear.

It is, however, somewhat hamstrung by its size – its sheer physical dimensions – and feels low in terms of how much rolling ground clearance it offers, which is listed as listed 240mm but feels like less.

It also has big chunky side steps, so those may well become rock or tree stump magnets when you tackle more challenging technical 4WDing.

For the spec nerds among us, off-road-relevant figures include a 28-degree approach angle, a 26-degree departure angle and a 21-degree rampover angle. Not sure what I’m on about? Check out some of my previous yarns where I painstakingly explain it. By the way, wading depth is a listed 700mm but my tracks weren’t that wet.

Sounds like I’m kicking the Tunland while it’s down? Well, I’m not… much.

Overall, it does reasonably well for what it is. There’s enough power and torque to get you through moderate off-roading obstacles and challenges, but it's not going to win any awards for hardcore grunt.

But this ute – like many contemporary 4WD utes and wagons on the market now – is let down by its standard tyres (Giti 4x4 AT71, 265/70Rx18 116T). If you are planning to do anything more than light to moderate off-roading in this ute one of your first ports of call will be to replace the Tunland’s showroom rubber with a decent set of more aggressive all terrain tyres.

In terms of towing capacity, the Tunland is rated to tow a 750kg unbraked trailer and 3500kg braked.

Payload is 995kg with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 3310kg and Gross Combined Mass (GCM) of 6810kg.

For all-around drivability and pure off-road capability, the Tunland manages to hold its own against the likes of the MG U9 and LDV T60. That is to say, satisfactorily.

As of May 2026, the 2026 Tunland has not been rated by ANCAP.

As standard, it has eight airbags and a suite of driver-assist tech including auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

It also has two child seat anchor points and two ISOFIX anchor points.

In safety terms, the Tunland holds the likes of LDV T60 (unrated), but is eclipsed by the MG U9’s maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

This van comes standard with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with roadside assist plus a separate eight-year/160,000km propulsion battery warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/30,000km whichever occurs first. Volkswagen offers three-year and five-year prepaid service plans with average costs of around $400-$450 per service.

These terms are competitive with rivals like the LDV eDeliver 7 and Ford E-Transit Custom, with the LDV offering lower servicing costs and a longer battery warranty. The e-Transporter’s servicing is also considerably cheaper than its eVito German rival.

Volkswagen Group Australia is backed by a large national network of around 170-180 dealerships represented in all states and territories including many regional areas.

The Tunland is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty and a seven-year roadside assistance plan.

The first service – at three months or 5000km – is free, but after that service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km and end up totalling an estimated $4492.39 (over seven years). Those service costs are getting up there.

Foton Australia has about 30 dealerships across the country.

In terms of the warranty period, the Tunland bests the LDV T60 (seven-year/200,000km new vehicle warranty) and the MG U9’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre manufacturer warranty, but the is closer in terms of overall costs with the MG U9 costing $2395 in total for the first five years (up to 70,000km), and the LDV T60 costing between $300 to more than $750 each service.