Wheels simply hard to ignore

TUNLAND G7: BAKKIE IDEAL FOR FARMERS AT HEART

- Charl Bosch

Foton has been making inroads into the local bakkie market with the reimagined Tunland G7 since its return just over 12 months ago.

The brand's speciality as a commercial vehicle manufacturer has finally led to the introduction of a four-wheel drive single cab to complement the two-wheel-drive available since launch.

The single cab 4x4's main difference only includes the 17-inch alloy wheels from the entry-level TL double cab compared with its sibling's 16-inch steelies.

Kitted-out with a list of accessories, the 4×4 not only retains the same 210mm ground clearance as the single cab, but also the 3 000kg tow rating and payload of 1 000kg.

Predictably dearer at R419 900 versus R329 900, the arrival of the all-paw gripping single cab for the weeklong test came with yet another surprise as, instead of a different derivative, Foton availed the displayed vehicle, complete with "farm-ready regalia".

Seemingly a deliberate attempt to appeal to a vital segment of the market, the accessories included cattle rails, sidesteps and a prominent nudge bar.

Having expressed mixed fortunes with the pair of double cabs - the two-wheel drive TL manual and four-wheel drive TLX automatic - tested earlier this year, the more agricultural single cab was expected to be more of an easier fit given its workhorse focus.

Besides its four-wheel drive system, it also harks back to past bakkies by only offering a manual gearbox. Still powered by the Cummins co-developed 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, what remains the bread-and-butter Tunland G7 variant, alongside the two-wheel drive, not only presents a compelling prospect price-wise, but for feeling un-workhorse-like despite being anything but perfect.