MIAS 2022: Foton Thunder brings beefier stance, new 2.0 turbodiesel

Updated Apr 08, 2022 | Same topic: Automotive Industry Updates

It delivers more torque than the outgoing model.

Foton Philippines is looking to grow its passenger car lineup with the introduction of the all-new Thunder. The Chinese marque showcased the new midsize pickup truck at the 2022 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) with a new rugged design that now looks at par with its mainstream rivals in the local market.

Foton Thunder front view

All-new Foton Thunder

Exterior-wise, the all-new Foton Thunder is designed with a more muscular finish from the front to the back. Chrome trims chief the front end which can be found on the FOTON wordmark on the grille and across the lower bumper. It is contrasted by black trims on the grille surround.

To the sides, the pickup truck gets a set of 18-inch wheels with disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear. As for the rear end, the tailgate is also embedded with the FOTON wordmark, along with restyled taillights by its sides.

Foton Thunder rear view

It comes with a more muscular design

The interior of the all-new version looks way more modern as compared to the outgoing Foton Thunder. It comes with leather seats, a revamped steering, a revised dashboard, and a floating-type 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. Additionally, the dashboard is finished with a full-width chrome strip and carbon fiber-like trim.

In the safety department, the Foton truck is equipped with six airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), hill descent control, and hill hold control. 

Foton Thunder bed area

A beefier workhorse vehicle from Foton

Under the hood, our previous report appeared to be true as the new model now uses a smaller 2.0-liter AUCAN turbodiesel engine good for 161 horsepower and 390 Nm of torque. It does make 25 Nm more torque as compared to the outgoing 2.8-liter mill. A 6-speed manual transmission is connected to the engine.

No official pricing has been disclosed by Foton Philippines just yet. But interested individuals could be looking at a starting price of around P1.1-million for the Thunder 4x2 with the manual gearbox. An automatic gearbox and 4x4 drivetrain will be unveiled soon.

Philkotse.com delivers the latest 2022 MIAS updates.

Know more about Foton Thunder 2024

Foton Thunder

Foton Thunder is the latest midsize pickup truck from the said brand. Locally, it has three available variants. There’s the Thunder 4x2 MT, the Thunder 4x4 MT, and the Thunder 4x2 AT. These come with a standard retail price of Php 1,180,000, Php 1,298,000, and Php 1,350,000 respectively.  

Size-wise, the all-new Thunder is 5,340mm long, 1,940mm wide, and 1,870mm in height. It also has a wheelbase length of 3,220mm for the 4x2 trims, and 3,110mm for the 4x4 trims. It then features a ground clearance of 220mm. 

Under the hood of the Foton Thunder is a 2.0-liter diesel AUCAN inline-4 engine. At the most, this engine can make up to 160 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque. Torque figures for the 4x4 are then rated at 390 Nm.  

Available gearbox options for the Thunder includes a six-speed manual gearbox for the 4x2 and 4x4 versions. Only the 4x2 version may come with an eight-speed automatic transmission.  

The local competitors of the 2023 Foton Thunder includes the Toyota HiluxMitsubishi Strada, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Maxus T-60, among others.  

₱ 1,180,000 - ₱ 1,350,000

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Rex Sanchez

Rex Sanchez

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Rex Sanchez grew up in Saudi Arabia where he saw and got into the automotive scene. He started his career for an aviation company in the said region, writing about turbines and rotors which are later distributed for educational purposes. And now, he joined Philkotse.com as a staff writer. Currently, he is the youngest on the team and is more than ready to grow in the field.

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