Foton’s Tunland ute has already managed to capture a fair amount of interest in the Australian market, especially among those who want something straightforward and sturdy that offers good value for money.  Very soon, Australian drivers will be able to enjoy the same practical value in a seven-seat or five-seat 4×4 SUV, as the Foton Sauvana is set to arrive on these shores in early 2018.  Foton are yet to unveil all the full details about the Sauvana, so we’re offering you a sneak peek here!

A word has to be said about the rather distinctive name.  It looks as though they’ve gone for a twist on “Savannah”, with its connotations of wide open spaces, much like the Tunland the Sauvana is based on (tundra + land with the echo of “ton” in there).  However, I’m not sure what the twist is supposed to suggest, as neither “sauna” or “sausage” quite seem to fit the bill.  “Sauvage” or “Sauvignon” with their overtones of wilderness or sophistication, respectively, might be the inspiration.  However, as those of us who drove the Mazda Bongo Frendee or the Mazda Marvie learned, a weird name doesn’t mean that the vehicle itself is ridiculous.

Like most of the other commercial Foton range, the Sauvana is powered by a 2.8-L Cummins engine that’s built to be quiet and built to be long-lasting and easy to maintain, as well as delivering what you need when you cart goods, gear or the gang around.  According to what’s already been released in the Foton’s home nation of China, this 4-cylinder turbodiesel is capable of delivering 130 kW of power and 360 Nm of torque, which is likely to be plenty for the typical tradie or family driver.  You can get either a 4×2 (rear wheel drive) or a 4×4 drivetrain.  At this stage, we’re not completely sure which transmission will be coming to Australia, but it will be either the five-speed manual already knocking around in China or a six-speed auto. The 4×4 variant has high and low gearing ratios as well as the ability to just go rear wheel drive (2WD) when wanted, such as around town.  The Foton Sauvana is also built to tow loads, and the official Foton video claims that it’s got a 3000-kg towing capacity (braked).  If you want to take your Foton Sauvana off the beaten track, then it’s good to know that you’ve got a wading depth of 600 mm.

The Foton Sauvana looks like a nicely put together five-door SUV wagon, with sporty, chunky styling that features discreet wheel arches, some interesting decal/badging and alloy wheels. The promo video shows roof rails, which we hope come as standard, as well as the fog lights.  The ground clearance allows for a 60% climb angle, especially with the help of Hill Start assistance and Hill Descent control.  These latter driver aids are backed up by the ESP (electronic stability program).

On the inside, the seats (five or seven of them) look as though they might be trimmed with leather, although it could be a very high quality cloth – it looks good and it’s in black, no matter what it is.  The rear and centre row of seats (aka second and third row) fold flat if you want to up the cargo carrying capacity.  Although you won’t see them unless things go badly wrong, six airbags are hiding around the place ready to protect you.

Overseas model of Foton Sauvana shown.

Of course, we’re going to have to wait until we see what else we’ll get in the Australian versions of the Foton Sauvana.  However, according to the Foton Global description, it looks as though the dashboard will be very attractively laid out with a striking blue digital instrument cluster and a nice big LCD screen for the audio system.  The audio system is probably going to have AUX and USB input as well as Bluetooth connectivity.  The overseas models have a sunroof as well so you can, in the words of the Foton Global website “feel the leisure Nature while having fun in driving” or, as we’d put it, enjoy the great outdoors.

Current model series include:

• Foton Sauvana 4×2 seven-seater
• Foton Sauvana 4×4 five-seater
• Foton Sauvana 4×4 seven-seater

For any more information on the Foton Sauvana, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Foton dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!