Most fleets buying a double-cab pickup in South America start from an assumption: diesel, because diesel is what work trucks run. Then someone points out that the crew is often driving at 3,000 metres, starting before dawn, and that the vehicle spends half its life doing family duty at the weekend. The Foton Tunland G7 4x4 six-speed manual pickup breaks that assumption deliberately. It runs a Mitsubishi 4K22T petrol engine, it is prepared for Peru and Venezuela, and it is listed at USD 22,306 with FOB terms quoted at USD 16,200. This is how we would evaluate it for construction hauling, farm transport and general mixed use — and where the petrol decision genuinely costs you.

The payload number you must not misread

Gross vehicle weight is 2,730 kg and kerb weight is 1,930 kg. That leaves roughly 800 kg for cargo, passengers and fuel — and the seller is candid that this is the lowest payload in the Tunland range, because the double cab and the 4x4 transfer hardware both weigh something before you add a single bag of cement.

Work out what that means before you commit. Four adults average around 300 kg; a full 76-litre tank adds roughly another 55 kg. You are left with something like 450 kg of actual freight. That comfortably covers tools, fixings, farm produce, feed sacks and survey kit. It does not cover a pallet of blocks, and no argument with the dealer will change the 2,730 kg figure stamped on the plate.

"GVW 2,730 kg minus 1,930 kg kerb is about 800 kg — and four people and a tank of fuel eat half of it before you load anything."

What this vehicle does give you is a bed that is ready for abuse. The cargo box measures 1,520 x 1,580 x 440 mm and, unlike the base Tunland specifications, ships with a spray-on liner as standard. For construction debris, timber offcuts, fertiliser and wet produce that matters more than any comfort option on the list, because paint damage in the bed is where the corrosion starts. The 440 mm sides still mean tall loads need strapping.

Petrol versus diesel: the honest arithmetic

The engine is the Mitsubishi 4K22T, a petrol four-cylinder rated Euro IV, with output given as 155 kW and torque as 340 N·m. Note the discrepancy we flag on nearly every Foton sheet: the headline rating also reads 155 hp, while the specification column is headed kW. Confirm which figure your registration authority will record, because they differ substantially.

The case for petrol here is stronger than it looks. It starts readily at altitude and on cold Andean mornings without glow-plug or compression-heating drama, it is markedly quieter in a cab where your supervisors spend hours, and it sidesteps the high-sulphur fuel problems that plague modern common-rail diesels in parts of South America. There is also no diesel particulate filter to block on short, low-speed site runs.

The case against is fuel cost and consumption under load. Petrol costs more per litre in most markets and a petrol engine works harder when the bed is full, so a fleet running loaded every day will feel it. Our read: this specification suits mixed business-and-personal use, farm work and site support with moderate loads. If your duty cycle is loaded and high-mileage, ask the seller about the diesel Tunland instead rather than trying to justify this one.

Six speeds, a 4x4 system, and suspension that differs from the cheaper Tunlands

The gearbox is the ZOMAX ZM6T82, a six-speed manual — one more ratio than the five-speed units on the entry specifications. On a petrol engine with a narrower torque band than a diesel, the sixth ratio is doing real work: it lets the engine run slower on the highway while keeping a closer spread for climbing loaded. Drive is 4x4 four-wheel drive, and no transfer-case low-range ratio or final drive figure appears in this record, so ask for both before you commit to steep or soft ground.

Suspension is double wishbone independent at the front and multi-link non-independent at the rear. That rear arrangement is a step above the leaf-spring pack used on the cheaper Tunland S, and it shows up where drivers notice it: better axle location over broken surfaces, less hop unladen, and a more car-like ride for passengers in the back. Multi-link setups carry their rated load properly but are less forgiving of sustained overloading than a heavy leaf pack, so treat the 2,730 kg gross as a ceiling.

Tyres are 245/70R16, four plus a spare, with a 70-profile sidewall that gives useful protection on rock and gravel. Braking is hydraulic, front disc and rear drum, with ABS and EBD. Fuel tank capacity is 76 litres — worth checking against your longest unrefuelled stretch, because petrol stations thin out quickly outside the main corridors in both Peru and Venezuela.

Cab, seats and the equipment list

Interior trim is listed as General F9 2024 model with blue stitching, which is a more current cabin than the entry Tunland offers. The driver's seat is manual six-way adjustment without heating; the passenger seat is unheated and fitted with an SBR airbag. Six-way manual adjustment is genuinely useful on a fleet vehicle, because drivers of very different heights will share it — height and lumbar adjustment are the two things that decide whether someone finishes a shift with a sore back.

The steering wheel is a standard multifunction CAN-bus unit, air conditioning is an integrated cooling and heating electric system, and multimedia is radio plus MP3. Bluetooth and a reversing camera are not listed on this record, unlike on some sibling specifications — so if either matters to you, ask whether it can be added rather than assuming it is there. The cab is a double cab seating five, in left-hand drive, which is correct for both Peru and Venezuela.

"Six-way seat adjustment and a multi-link rear end — those two items are what separate this from the cheaper Tunland, and they are the ones drivers feel."

What the money buys, and what you should confirm first

At USD 22,306 list with FOB from USD 16,200, the vehicle sits above the entry Tunland S but below a Japanese double-cab 4x4 of comparable equipment. Remember what FOB excludes: ocean freight, marine insurance, port handling, import duty and registration are all yours, and for a single-unit shipment to the Pacific coast of South America those add up quickly. Build the landed number before you compare anything.

Parts support is a reasonable bet but not a guarantee. The 4K22 is a Mitsubishi-design engine and the ZM6T82 is a conventional six-speed manual, so routine service items are generally easier to find than for a newly introduced powertrain — but nobody can confirm stock in your city without checking. Send the seller your location and have them state what is held locally and what you should keep in your own store.

Things this record does not state, to put on your question list: fuel consumption and range, service intervals, warranty terms, ground clearance, wading depth, approach and departure angles, and the transfer-case low-range and final drive ratios. Also confirm emission acceptance for your market — Euro IV is recorded here, and that cannot be changed once the vehicle is built.

Questions buyers ask before signing

Petrol or diesel — which suits our operation?

This G7 uses the Mitsubishi 4K22T petrol engine rated at 155 kW and 340 N·m, which starts easily at altitude and on cold mornings, runs quietly, and avoids the high-sulphur diesel issues that affect modern common-rail engines. Petrol usually costs more per litre and consumption rises under load, so it suits mixed business and personal use rather than high-mileage hauling. If you run mostly loaded, ask about the diesel Tunland.

How much can the G7 carry in the bed?

GVW is 2,730 kg against a 1,930 kg kerb weight, leaving about 800 kg for cargo, passengers and fuel — the lowest payload in the Tunland range, because of the double cab and 4x4 hardware. That is fine for tools, materials and farm produce, and the 1,520 x 1,580 x 440 mm bed comes with a spray-on liner as standard, so it takes construction debris without damaging the paint.

Are Mitsubishi 4K22 parts available in Peru?

The 4K22 is a Mitsubishi-design engine and the ZOMAX ZM6T82 is a straightforward six-speed manual, so routine service items are generally easier to find than for a newly introduced powertrain. We cannot confirm stock in your city without checking — send the seller your location in Peru or Venezuela and have them advise what is held locally and what you should keep in your own store.