Foton Toplander

Like the exterior, the cabin of the Foton Toplander also looks and feels a generation old, with the overall layout missing out on many modern elements which we now take for granted in new-generation SUVs. While the all-black cabin of the Foton Toplander lacks modernity, the cabin offers decent space levels in all of its three rows of seats.

The driver’s cockpit of the Foton Toplander looks functional with a three-spoke T-shaped multi-functional steering wheel with silver accents on the spokes and a twin-pod instrument console with rounded dials and an LCD MID in between them. The sides of the dashboard and centre console have trapezoidal-shaped and vertically aligned AC vents, with a touchscreen infotainment system placed in between the central AC vents in the upper centre console. The lower centre console has traditional buttons for climate control, with a slanted console of buttons for the audio system placed between the AC controls and touchscreen infotainment system.

The Foton Toplander feels pretty basic in terms of equipment, as apart from the aforementioned features, it only gets driver seat height adjustment, rear AC vents, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel and a 6-speaker audio system, with no other fancy features on board.

The Foton Toplander seeks its design inspiration from the first-generation Toyota Fortuner and many other mid-size SUVs sold in the early 200s. While the Toplander has a nice heightened stance of a traditional SUV, the overall design language looks extremely dated for a modern SUV, though old-school SUV lovers might appreciate its look.

The Foton Toplander has a large trapezoidal fascia, which has rounded edges and features a trapezoidal grille in the upper half and horizontal chrome slats in the lower half. The grille here has a T-shaped chrome garnish panel with angular chrome slats to either side. The headlamp housings placed on the sides of this grille have halogen projector bulbs for low beams and halogen lights for high beams. The front bumper of the Foton Toplander has projector fog lamps accompanied by daytime running LEDs attached to their inner edges.

The side profile of the Foton Toplander also has a conventional appeal, with rounded wheel arches above the 16-inch silver alloy wheels and slightly flared curves over them. There is a sharp crease running through the door panels, which gives it a sense of modernity. However, the Foton Toplander lacks side mouldings which have become a norm in modern SUVs, though it gets side steps and roof rails, which offer both utility and visual enhancement.

The rear profile of the Foton Toplander has combination tail lamps with rounded outer edges and tapered inner edges, with a thick chrome slat running between the inner tapered edges. Here, the Foton Toplander has a roof-mounted spoiler with an integrated brake light, with the rest of the rear profile having a simplistic design that looks easy to the eyes.

Foton Toplander is a 2.4-litre petrol and 2.8 –litre diesel engines carrier, which generates extreme force on the ground. With this, the mileage of these engines is expected to fall between 10 to 13 kmpl.

Being an SUV with archaic mechanical underpinnings, the body-on-frame Foton Toplander has a noticeable body roll at higher speeds. The double wishbone at the front and five-link rigid axle at the rear offer a decently comfortable low-speed ride, though as speeds rise, the ride and handling balance feel a bit bouncier.

The Foton Toplander comes standard with a Cummins-sourced 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which churns out 174 PS of maximum power and 360 Nm of maximum torque while being paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The engine feels a bit sluggish and crude at lower RPMs, but it pulls nicely with a good spread of torque in the higher rev range.

The Foton Toplander is armed only with the basics like ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability program, traction control, airbags, hill descent control, hill hold control and limited-slip rear differential.

Amidst much more modern and new-generation competitors, the Foton Toplander looks and feels outdated in every sense, and shall appeal to only the old-school SUV lovers who want the simplicity and extreme functionality of a decent three-row passenger vehicle.