FOTON Aumark C

Foton has had an interesting time in the New Zealand market, but it has always generated a solid following with those who own or operate the vehicles. Those who own them won’t move out of them, so while Foton may not be the brand on everyone’s lips, the product is more than up to par, and the truck-maker out of

China is making some significant in-roads into a Japanese-dominated market. In fact, latest information from the Motor Industry Association shows the Foton Aumark range of light truck is regarded as an up-and-coming brand which is moving up fast behind the likes of the Fuso Canter and the Isuzu N-series. The Aumark range is extensive featuring as it does the Aumark C, Aumark S and the Aumark EST-M and each of these models have a number of variants. The Aumark C for example – the truck most likely to find its way into a fleet where a utility vehicle may not be the best choice – has one model, but offers five body configurations, including a cab chassis, tray equipped model, tipper unit, box body and box body with tail lift. Each body configuration is covered by a one year / 20,000km warranty while the trucks themselves run to three year / 160,000km warranty for peace of mind operation. The beating heart of the Aumark C models is the tried and trusted Cummins ISF 2.8 litre turbo diesel, an engine which continues to impress with its smooth power delivery, reliability, and efficient performance levels. Getting the power and torque to the wheels is handled through a ZF five-speed automatic transmission with plenty of pull and flexibility, especially in third gear. A Class 1 truck with a 6000kg GVM for less than the price of a one tonne payload double cab utility makes fantastic bottom-line sense. And gone are the days when affordable meant poor quality. Foton trucks are assembled in China, but the elements making up the whole are from recognised quality component suppliers.