Beiqi Futian, which sells trucks and light commercials under the Foton brand, has revealed initial details of a new one-tonne pick-up which it will launch in China in the coming weeks.
The state-controlled firm, which is a subsidiary of BAIC or Beijing Auto, will export the as yet unnamed new vehicle in both left- and right-hand drive form. In China, the model will be the first model to be launched under the new Tunland brand (Tuoluzhe in Romanised Chinese).
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Codenamed P201, the new vehicle has been developed to take on the highly successful Toyota Hilux pick-up though it will reportedly be sized some 12cm wider and 18cm longer than the Toyota. An SUV derivative, U201, will follow in 2012. These are the natural replacements for the Foton Aoling and Chonglang respectively. Both will use a body-on-frame architecture.
The P201 and U201 will be built at a new plant at Miyun in Beijing. The facility will have an eventual capacity of 360,000 vehicles per annum. This will allow Beiqi Futian to reach its goal of having home market capacity of one million vehicles per year by the end of 2012. The plant’s huge capacity is reportedly to allow the company to undertake an ambitious export programme, which is said to include the US market.
Author: Glenn Brooks
