Foton Tunland VS Mazda BT-50

It’s a tight build free of rattles and squeaks, but the ride is too firm when empty or lightly loaded, particularly in the leaf-spring rear suspension which feels every small bump and delivers a sharp kick in your back over larger ones.

Otherwise, the chassis performance is more than adequate with its four-wheel disc brakes and steering that’s responsive and nicely weighted. Engine refinement and noise insulation are not best in class, but at highway speeds the combined engine, tyre and wind noise is certainly low enough to allow conversations without raised voices. The Cummins fairly lopes along here, with only 1800rpm at 100km/h and 2000rpm at 110km/h.

It’s also quite an agile and energetic performer around town, particularly in Sport mode. Maximum torque of 385Nm from the Cummins diesel is far from the strongest in this category, but the Tunland’s relatively low kerb weight helps to compensate for it with brisk getaways from standing starts and good throttle response in city and suburban driving. 

To test its GVM rating we strapped 770kg into the load tub, which with driver was only about 50kg short of its 925kg payload limit. The rear springs compressed 50mm while the nose rose 18mm. This resulted in a near-level ride height and noticeably improved ride quality, with no major decline in steering or braking response.  

With this load it was a competent performer on a variety of sealed and unsealed surfaces, including some bush tracks on which we engaged in both high and low range 4x4. Back on the bitumen, it also coped well with our two kilometre, 13 per cent gradient set climb, maintaining the 60km/h speed limit in third gear at 2250rpm all the way to the top. 

Engine braking on the way down, though, was compromised by the auto transmission’s unusual shift protocols. With second gear manually selected (in sequential shift mode) it over-rode that selection and shifted up to third when the engine reached 3250rpm on over-run. We tried it again several times and got the same result.

Not sure if it’s an engine protection measure on Foton’s part (redline is 4000rpm) but it’s not a nice surprise when you’re heavily loaded on a steep descent and relying on engine braking to help restrain your speed.

Our only other gripes were poor radio reception on the AM band (too bad if you like talkback) and the cruise control, which stopped working during our test and would not switch back on. 

While the BT-50’s main rival, Ford’s Ranger (and the related VW Amarok), is often considered the class leader in road manners, the Thunder Pro’s Old Man Emu BP-51 suspension upgrade is a game-changer for the ute.

Even on particularly rough roads with brutal unexpected waterlogged potholes, the BT-50’s OME set-up managed to keep the ute on track and settled without letting crashy vibrations and forces enter the cabin too acutely.

Of course, the BT-50 is still a ladder-frame ute, and combining that with torrential rain in the middle of almost-nowhere isn't the right combination when it comes to leaning on a dual-cab’s dynamic ability.

But the braking and steering in the BT-50 are impressive for its category, both feeling well-sorted: the former firm and strong when needing to stop quickly, the latter light but communicative enough for purpose.

The Mazda doesn't feel too top-heavy in cornering, no wild pitching or rolling here. Stable on gravel, too, feeling sure-footed and only intervening with active stability control when necessary and in a measured way. 

With just little old me and some overnight luggage, the BT-50’s engine wasn’t exactly pushed to its limits hauling the 2.2-tonne-plus ute up the Hume Highway at 110km/h. But even on twistier roads and under load up hills it never felt lacking.

Though not on this test, we’ve also tested the BT-50 under load and towing, both proving easy tasks for the ute.

Mostly low-RPM work and cruising contributed to its fairly efficient fuel figure mentioned above, but putting the right foot down a few times confirmed the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel has some decent muscle if needed.

Finally, and very much worth noting if the Pro Pack is why you’re reading this, the combination of Lightforce LED light bar and twin-spotlights is a must if you regularly drive at night through unlit regions of Australia.

As someone who grew up driving 4WDs with spotlights at night on interstate trips, the lights fitted to the Thunder Pro are impressive in their illumination, combining relatively wide light - perfect for ensuring you’re not caught out by surprise wildlife crossing your path - with the strong beams from the spotlights turning what seems like thousands of metres of road ahead into daylight.

Both sets of lights are controlled by buttons on the right of the steering wheel, useful for when you only need one, or when standard high-beams alone will do.