Foton

Ultra compact light truck from Foton, when you need more capability than a Suzuki Super Carry.

For small businesses and logistics fleets that need a little bit more carrying capacity than a traditional 1-ton single-cab bakkie, the Truckmate is ideal.

It’s rated to carry a 1200kg payload and can be configured as a dropside or a mini box truck.

Much cheaper than a Japanese single-cab bakkie, the Truckmate’s dynamic safety spec is decent, with standard ABS and EBD. But there is no ESP. It's also configured with rear drum brakes, so on long declines, fully loaded, you need to be mindful of rear axle brake fade.

Foton’s Truckmate is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine, rated at 82kW and 142Nm. Those aren’t amazing numbers, and as a naturally-aspirated petrol engine, you will lose more than 10% of its power at altitude. But this engine is designed for ease of maintenance and to be compatible with Euro2 fuel standards.

Decently specced double cabs from the people mostly known for their light trucks in South Africa.

The Tunland G7 single and double cabs are very affordable and have decent payload and towing ability. Powered by a 2.0 turbodiesel good for 120kW and 390Nm, these Tunland G7s can haul 3000kg braked trailers, giving them better towing capability than most other Chinese 2.0 turbodiesels.

Higher-trim G7 TLXs feature six airbags, heated seats, and a high-definition 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

If you want something more imposing, with American big-bakkie design and a spacious, comfortable cabin architecture, there’s the V7/9 double cabs.

These are V7/9s are much larger than a Hilux or Ranger. But for all the cabin comfort and features (like massive 14.6-inch infotainment screens), they are very underpowered, with a 2.0 turbodiesel that makes only 120kW and 450Nm. Foton claims a 3500kg braked towing capacity for the V7/9 bakkies, but with only 120kW, you’d be brave to test that on a long South African highway incline.

With multilink rear suspension, the luxury trim V9 offers composed ride quality, even when unladen, while the V7 is better suited to rough Karoo dirt roads and off-roading, with its leaf-sprung rear axle.

Foton’s Tunland and V-series bakkies use proven Cummins diesel engines, a German ZF automatic transmission, and Borg-Warner off-road traction control systems.