Foton’s category killer: all-new Toplander SUV

It’s not every day that a Chinese company launches its vehicle in the heart of the United States. It was for a good reason that Foton Motor chose to launch the new Toplander SUV at the Cummins Diesel technical center in Columbus, Indiana.

Powering the Toplander will be the famous red-finish Cummins diesel engines. This marks the culmination of a 10-year collaboration between Foton and Cummins.

At 2.8 liters, the four-cylinder Cummins diesel engine is the smallest in its lineup. Cummins has been producing engines since the early 1930s, and its range goes up to 95-liter behemoths for the mining industry.

Lately, automakers such as Dodge and Nissan have installed Cummins diesel engines in their large pickups. The Toplander is the first application of a Cummins engine in an SUV.

Foton Motor had a singular goal for its Toplander seven-seat SUV: to deliver world-class performance, comfort and reliability, together with excellent value. The Toplander, known as the Sauvana in other markets, has the spaciousness and utility expected in a new-model compact SUV.

The Cummins ISF engine installed in the Toplander was designed to take on the best in the category. Jonathan White, Cummins’ executive director for engine business, said that the 2.8-liter diesel is among the best in performance, economy, reliability and maintenance. The clean and quiet engine aims to deliver a wide torque band.

Cummins reckons that it is the lightest engine in its class, at 10- to 20-percent lower weight than competitors, thanks to components like a composite oil pan and valve cover.

The electronically-controlled high-pressure common-rail system is supplied by Bosch. The engine delivers 160 horsepower and 360 Newton-meters of torque from as low as 1,800 revolutions per minute.

The engine is designed for lower noise, vibration and harshness levels, at up to 7 percent less, according to Cummins. Fuel economy is reportedly 8 percent better than rival engines.

It’s also designed for easier maintenance, with service components located on a single side for quicker access. The engine can take longer service intervals of 20,000 between oil changes, thanks to patented oil filter media, a more robust oil and water separator, and fuel filter.

Cummins put the engine through more than 50,000 hours of validation testing, with more than 1.6 million kilometers of onroad testing. During these tests, including a high-altitude stint at 5,200 meters above sea level in Tibet, they observed no power drop below 2,000 meters. The engine can be equipped to Euro 4 and 5 emissions standards.

The Toplander measures a compact 4,830 mm x 1,910 mm x 1,840 mm, slightly larger than the upcoming all-new Toyota Fortuner in all dimensions.

Its 2,790-mm wheelbase is also longer than the Fortuner’s, helping to provide ample interior space for seven passengers in three-row seating.

The Foton Toplander features clean and simple styling, with more fluid lines than the usual Chinese vehicle. The excess decoration is kept to a minimum, with tasteful if generic headlamps and taillights.

If there’s a downside to the looks of the Toplander, it’s that it can be mistaken for any number of Japanese or American SUVs.

The SUV features a flexible interior, with seats able to be reconfigured according to passenger count and luggage requirements.

The small luggage space behind the third row can be augmented by folding down the third row and second row of seats. Both rows features split-fold arrangement.

The cockpit looks and feels modern, with dual analog gauges and smaller indicators on the instrument panel. The manual gearshift is mounted higher on the center console, making it easier to reach with a hand-drop from the steering wheel.

The Toplander features a high ground clearance of 220 mm, giving the vehicle a wading depth of 600 mm. Foton designed the Toplander to have sizable angle of approach, departure and breakover, at 36, 24 and 23 degrees.

Body-on frame construction and long wheel articulation allows the Toplander a high degree of offroad capability. The Toplander can be equipped with four-wheel-drive system, switchable from two-wheel high model to four-wheel with low-speed transfer case.

The heavy rains along the narrow forest track in Indiana precluded us from taking the wheel ourselves. The company’s expert driver was able to maneuver the Toplander along the slippery trail with no difficulty.

Traction is aided by a part-time four-wheel drive system. There’s a low-range transfer case, switchable via a knob on the center console. With a limited-slip rear differential, the Toplander was able to trundle its way over small branches and rocks.

We were able to drive the Toplander on a couple of very short laps on a gravel road. The engine delivers decent torque from low rpm, with the Getrag five-speed transmission providing positive engagement.

The Toplander features double wishbone front and five-link rear suspension. A six-speed automatic is also available, and will debut later in the Philippine market with a base price less than P1 million, making it one of the vehicles in this segment in terms of value-for-money.

Can it take away sales from the established duopoly of the Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Montero Sport? That is certainly the aim, with Foton China expressly putting the Fortuner in its sights.

With its pricing and value package, the Toplander is ripe for consideration by entry-level buyers intent on moving up from AUVs or MPVs.