adminIf you run a bakery, catering or any service industry that requires you to do so a lot of city deliveries, then this is the truck for you.
After a brief chat on the Forland with Puzey & Payne sales and marketing manager Gerald Zhakata I was a little concerned.
Puzey & Payne are the official distributors of the Chinese Forland trucks in Zimbabwe
My concern was that being the city “chic” that I am, there are certain things, which I like to have in a vehicle that are not normally found in your standard truck.
These include air-conditioner so that my make-up doesn’t run, electric windows, so that my nails don’t chip from winding windows up and down (a manicure doesn’t come cheap, you know).
However, after driving that one-tonne truck, we were well acquainted that I could actually do a sales pitch to a few who asked me about the pros and cons of the truck.
Forland has been introduced onto our market as a practical and economical partner in the light commercial transporting business.
What I personally enjoyed about this truck is that unlike other basic entrants in its category it has one or two features which make it stand out.
The cherry on top is that it has a radio, that’s a plus because at least the driver won’t get bored on those door-to-door or store-to-store deliveries.
The handling is not as superb as that of other 4×4 one-tonne trucks, but for what it has been designed to do, this is just perfect.
For just under US$30 000 you will be driving all the way to your catering, courier business or any other service business, in a low maintenance one-tonne truck.
The Forland average torque characteristics is that it serves up 131 Newton metre (Nm) at 2 100 revolutions per metre.
It runs quietly and smoothly in combination with the five-speed manual. With our bad roads, the five-speed manual is sure to appeal to novice drivers.
It is easy to drive and has a mechanical toughness that encourages low gear and full throttle use when necessary without fear of any durability issues.
Its power is rated at 52ps at 3 000 rpm, for a truck that size, this is quite impressive.
The upside to this vehicle is that it is good on the fuel and it’s fitted with a 50-litre tank.
With a maximum speed of about 105km per hour, you don’t have to worry about your driver burning fuel and hitting the road at high speed.
Puzey & Payne offers complete service and support through its sister company Farmec, which has professionals that have been trained by the manufacturer.
The manufacturer of this brand of vehicles, compared with other Chinese companies, has mature sales and service networks and already covers more than 120 countries.
Foton is improving operations in overseas markets by heightening network communication efficiency, and promoting local sales networks through training.
We all know how the Chinese want things, am sure in the next few years they will have literally conquer the manufacturing industry of this world with their ever evolving innovations, creativity and ideas.
So there you have it, a super efficient day-to-day runner which will help you ferry all your lightweight goods from business-to-business in the city.
For more information on pricing, availability and test-drives, please contact Gerald Zhakata and his team at Puzey & Payne for assistance.
Till next week.
Keep it pumping and be safe on the roads always.
Be blessed.
l Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]
Online Reporter