Twenty-two thousand dollars for a 16-tonne truck is the kind of number that makes a fleet manager suspicious before he has even opened the spec sheet, and suspicion is the right instinct — but in this case the explanation is simpler than fraud. The Foton Auman Planet 240HP 4X2 cargo truck is a deliberately narrow machine: a 4×2 with seven tyres, a 4.5-litre engine and one declared job, green transportation and less-than-truckload work. Buy it for that job and the price looks clever. Buy it hoping it will do the work of an 18-tonne 6×2 and it will disappoint you every day of its life. The whole review, then, is about matching the specification to the route.

What is on the sheet, line by line

The specification is short enough to read in one sitting, which is a virtue. Body is high roof, flat floor. Drive is 4×2. Wheelbase is listed at 5,150 mm, with chassis dimensions of 8,800 × 2,415 × 3,398 mm. Gross vehicle weight is 16 tonnes, the series is the 4 Series, the product grade is Planet, and the declared purpose is green transportation and less-than-truckload. Fuel is diesel, emission standard China VI.

Seven tyres in 275/80R22.5 18PR sit under it, and that count is the clearest signal of intent in the whole document: a 4×2 on seven wheels is a tare-weight and rolling-resistance decision, not a cost-cutting one. The fuel tank is 450 litres standard with a 600-litre aluminium option. Steering is by an AM40L gear. The rear axle is a 368 bridge offered at 4.333, with 4.875 and 4.111 as options.

Engine and gearbox: small displacement, big claims

The engine is the Foton Cummins F4.5NS6B240 — 4,500 ml, four-cylinder by the code, rated at 240 hp with maximum torque quoted at 1,200 Nm. Foton claims a 14% improvement in power delivery and 100 Nm more low-speed torque than comparable engines. Treat the percentages as marketing, but note the torque figure: 1,200 Nm from a 4.5-litre unit at 240 hp is the number that makes a 16-tonne LTL truck workable, because it is torque and not horsepower that gets you moving at a roundabout with a part load.

The gearbox is the Fast 8JS95TE in iron case, an eight-speed with high and low range. Foton quotes 99.7% transmission efficiency from full helical teeth and precision grinding, and describes shift control logic shared with its heavy trucks, calibrated for plains, mountains, highways and national roads. Eight speeds with a range change is the right amount of gearbox for this truck: it splits the ratios closely enough to keep a small engine in its band without demanding constant work from the driver.

"1,200 Nm out of 4.5 litres is what makes a 16-tonne 4×2 viable. The 240 hp figure is what makes it look small."

Choosing the axle ratio: 4.111, 4.333 or 4.875

Three ratios are offered on the 368 axle, and this is the decision that determines whether the truck feels eager or breathless for the next five years. Take 4.111 for mostly flat highway LTL work, since it gives the lowest revs and the best fuel. Take 4.333 as the balanced default if your routes vary. Take 4.875 for hilly country, frequent stops or running near the 16-tonne limit, where starting torque matters more than cruising economy.

Pair the ratio with the tank. If your drivers refuel at the depot every night, the standard 450 litres is plenty and the 600-litre aluminium option is money spent on weight you carry for nothing. If you run long days between stops, the 600-litre tank buys you route flexibility — and in LTL work, where schedules are tight, flexibility is worth more than the fuel you save by carrying less of it.

Body length, and why you must confirm it yourself

The chassis measures 8,800 × 2,415 × 3,398 mm and gross weight is 16 tonnes, but the body length that fits depends on the wheelbase and rear overhang you specify, as well as your local overall-length and axle-load rules. That is the honest answer, and it is the one question you cannot settle from the brochure. Send your target body size to the distributor and make them confirm which wheelbase works, in writing, before you book a bodybuilder.

The 4×2 layout running just seven tyres is the reason this truck is specified for LTL and green transport. Fewer tyres means lower tare, lower rolling resistance, and a cheaper replacement bill every time the fleet comes due — on a vehicle that will cover high mileage at part load, that matters more than outright traction.

Cab, manoeuvrability and driver acceptance

For a truck at this price, the cab specification is unexpectedly strong. Foton lists a lower berth at 700 mm, an upper berth at 695 mm and 840 mm of spacing between them, described as industry-leading, along with a flat-floor cabin and ventilated, heated seats with hexagon quilting. If your LTL operation runs night trunks with a driver sleeping between legs, that berth width is the specification that will keep him.

Manoeuvrability gets the same treatment as the bigger Planet models: the large-angle front axle with a large-diameter steering mechanism is claimed to reduce turning radius by 10% and steering effort by 30%, with an AM40L steering gear listed. On city LTL rounds with tight yards, a 10% tighter circle is worth more than any horsepower figure in the document.

"Do not buy this truck for mountain grades at full load. Buy it for 16 tonnes of LTL on mixed roads, and it will undercut everything else you looked at."

Fuel claims, and how to budget honestly

Foton attributes a 3% to 5% fuel saving per 100 km to a package of aerodynamic design, low rolling resistance tyres, an EPB fuel-saving switch, an electronically controlled silicone fan and the USFE intelligent fuel management system, and cites over 30 years of AMT calibration experience behind it. No absolute consumption figure is published for this model, so there is nothing here to put into a spreadsheet. Ask the distributor for reference data from a comparable operation, then measure your own over a month before you commit to a bigger order.

What the price means, and what to confirm

At 22,000 USD, the capital cost undercuts a European 16-tonne 4×2 by a wide margin, and the driveline takes some of the risk out of it: a Foton Cummins engine and a Fast gearbox are components most workshops can support. The trade-off is familiarity in the used market, so price the deal on total cost of ownership and on the work this truck can actually do, rather than assuming a residual value the badge has not yet earned in your country.

No country of sale is listed for this vehicle, so shipping, right-hand or left-hand drive availability and local homologation all need confirming with the distributor before you sign. Add three items to the order form while you are at it: the axle ratio, the tank capacity, and written confirmation of the body length that fits your wheelbase.

Questions buyers ask before signing

Is 240 hp enough for a 16-tonne LTL truck?

For green transport and less-than-truckload work at up to 16 tonnes gross, yes. The 4.5-litre Foton Cummins F4.5NS6B240 delivers 240 hp and 1,200 Nm, with Foton quoting 14% better power delivery and 100 Nm more low-speed torque than comparable engines, and the eight-speed Fast 8JS95TE with high and low range is rated at 99.7% transmission efficiency. It is a light, low-cost 4×2. If you run sustained mountain grades at full load, look higher up the range.

Which axle ratio suits my route: 4.111, 4.333 or 4.875?

Take 4.111 for mostly flat highway LTL work, since it gives the lowest revs and the best fuel. Take 4.333 as the balanced default if your routes vary. Take 4.875 for hilly country, frequent stops or running near the 16-tonne limit, where starting torque matters more than cruising economy. Pair it with the right tank: 450 litres standard or 600 litres aluminium optional, depending on how far you run between refuelling stops.

How long a cargo body fits this 4×2 chassis?

The chassis measures 8,800 × 2,415 × 3,398 mm and gross weight is 16 tonnes, but the body length that fits depends on the wheelbase and rear overhang you specify, as well as your local overall-length and axle-load rules. Send sales your target body size and they will confirm which wheelbase works. The 4×2 layout runs just seven tyres, which keeps tare, rolling resistance and running cost down.