Foton woos at Shanghai

Chinese vehicle manufacturer Foton has exhibited two new vehicles at the current Auto Shanghai Show in China, and both are under consideration for introduction to the South African market.

The first is the Sauvana SUV, a lifestyle vehicle based on the Tunland one-tonne pick-up.

Our readers may, however, be more interested in the new Toana midibus and van range. This range of vehicles has been developed by the original Mercedes-Benz Sprinter team, which is now based at Foton’s new research and development centre in Stuttgart, Germany.

Foton signed a 50:50 joint venture with Daimler in 2012, which involves the manufacture of both vehicles and engines.

Foton says that the Toana range has proved its reliability, power, safety and electronic features through a rigorous test process and has obtained certification through TüV Rheinland, based in Germany.