Foton View vs. Foton View?

[OTEP]

Foton View 15 seat passenger van vs. Foton view Ambulance that is.



From the outside they are different in:
*Front fascia
*Different body graphics/sticker design
Inside:
*More modern dashboard on the passenger van
*Lockable center console on passenger van
*Rear a/c up to last row on passenger van (ambulance model only has them on the b-pillar like the old Nissan Urvan)

QUESTION: I know they share the same name but what are the other differences between the two models?
*Are the engines the same? From what engines are the Foton engines 'copied' from?
*Are the wheelbases different? The height is obviously different (ambulance has standing room)
*Do the units come with a tachometer?
*How is the durability/reliability of this model?

Thank you.

[myk384]

QUESTION: I know they share the same name but what are the other differences between the two models?
*Are the engines the same? From what engines are the Foton engines 'copied' from?
*Are the wheelbases different? The height is obviously different (ambulance has standing room)
*Do the units come with a tachometer?
*How is the durability/reliability of this model?

1. Same engines on the two variants. The engine is "based " from Isuzu.
2. Based on my observation from the pictures, same lang yung wheelbase.
3. No tachometer comes standard.
4. Let's wait for years time.

[niky]

Controls are terrible, but compared to the clunky stuff in Japanese models like the Isuzu NKR or L300, just about par for the course. Definitely not enjoyable to drive.

The View has no ABS, and the brake balance feels a whole lot too rear-biased (you can likely understand what's wrong with that, no need to explain it further in public )... with the heavier rear of the ambulance, plus the weight of equipment, it should be just right. We have a View Ambulance at the hospital, I can ask the motorpool for the keys sometime to check it out, but there's a strict PCSO restriction on non-emergency use.

If I recall, the engines are supposed to be Isuzu based. You could "upgrade" to an "Isuzu" engine on the old Blizzard, but whether this means a real Isuzu engine or a licensed Chinese Isuzu engine, I don't know. I think they now come as standard.

[OTEP]

Any idea which Isuzu engine? And was it a good Isuzu engine? Parts and maintenance wise, madami po bang available for that particular engine.

The body is obviously from a Hiace so I guess, most parts will interchange.

[OTEP]

Re: wheelbase

I think the passenger van is a bit longer. I just found these photos a few minutes ago and the distance between the sliding door opening and the rear wheel well seems longer on the passenger van. However the website does not provide any useful information as to the actual measurement.

[silverworx]

We have the Foton ambulance on our hosp. unfortunately they're not using it anymore, 'cause of intermittent starting problems, and very harsh ride, weak aircon. Natatakot baka Itirik kame sa highway if ever may long trips..

[OTEP]

Niky, Is there a huge difference between the driving feel of the passenger van and the ambulance? Huge meaning even a non-car guy will notice.

With regards to the brake bias, does it mean it's easy to lock up or can I modulate it using whatever marginal driving talent I have? Which controls feel terrible? I can live with bad steering feel and a vague shifter so long as its not really that bad. How about clutch take up?

How is the rigidity of the body? On my old Kia Besta, even at 2 months old, the front door window frames would flap, the ceiling would clap, and the sliding door and tailgate would shimmy when I hit a pretty bad bump. Is this the same for the Foton? Not to mention the dashboard started to have a bad rattle when I upgraded the stereo head unit (the new unit was heavier than stock).

I drive a Nissan Urvan (the old E24 ones) ambulance and everything feels ancient. No one even bothered to upgrade the dashboard on that thing and it rattles like hell for a 5 year old vehicle. When I'm behind the wheel of a Nissan Urvan Grand Estate or Toyota Hiace Grandia ambulance the difference is very appparent.

Sorry for posting so many questions. Medyo OT na. I'd still like people to chime in on the difference between the two units if they have any info.

[OTEP]

silverworks,
How old is your unit? PCSO unit ba siya?

niky,
Any reasonable way we can grab a View test unit? :D

[niky]

You CAN modulate it... but in an emergency stop, the wrong tires seem to lock up first. Which is dangerous.

Steering, shifter, pedals... about similar to an L300 or an Urvan. The clutch on the test unit sucked balls. Hard as a rock. I can chime in on differences with the ambulance if ever I get ahold of it, but they're very strict with the keys.

The MPX, on the other hand, actually drives pretty decently. Reminiscent of early Starexes. The pick-ups drive much better, but again, without ABS, too easy to lock the rears when unladen, but you won't have horrific visions of flipping over and dying in a fiery crash when they do...

Don't know about durability. Ours is too new. But as said here and as I've heard elsewhere, flimsy trim and body, as well as minor electricals (starter, various motors) are the common complaints. Definitely fixable if you know the right Japanese parts to put in.

As for the Isuzu, I've heard it was the 4JB, but I'm not sure.

[OTEP]

The MP-X has ABS and EBD if I recall right? I don't know what OEM tires go on the View and MPX, though. But I don't expect them to be anything near stellar. Maybe another set of light truck tires is a good first mod.

I'm also wondering about the ride quality. Would it be too far off the old Urvan?

And would the Passenger Van's wrap around rear a/c be more effective than the single point a/c of the ambulance?

[niky]

The MP-X has ABS and EBD if I recall right? I don't know what OEM tires go on the View and MPX, though. But I don't expect them to be anything near stellar. Maybe another set of light truck tires is a good first mod.

I'm also wondering about the ride quality. Would it be too far off the old Urvan?

And would the Passenger Van's wrap around rear a/c be more effective than the single point a/c of the ambulance?

OEM tires suck. sidewalls fold over too easily.

Ride quality not too far off.

Don't know. I like single point better because the air isn't soaking in heat from the hot tin roof above it... but that's just me.

[GTi]

I've seen the passenger van View before and it seems to be significantly longer than the ambulance View and the previous gen Hiace sold locally. One thing I like about this van is that you should be able to interchange a great deal of bad quality Chinese parts with good Toyota and Isuzu parts. Perhaps if we change as many China parts as we can, it would be able to get near Japanese quality?

*bro niky: since you have driven the van, how does it compare with the Hiace (both 2.4 and 3.0) in both quality and performance? On paper it seems to be significantly more powerful than the Hiace. Is that really so in real life? And what can you say about the steering, gearbox and clutch as compared to the real Hiace?

[niky]

Haven't driven that gen of Hiace. Obviously far off from the current D4D ones in all ways. Like I said, steering, acceleration and braking about what you'd expect. The clutch and shifter suck, but that can be down to the abused test unit. Power is okay but not spectacular. The oomph is more noticeable with the MPX.

[rollyic]

*sir niky, so it's more recommendable to buy MPX than View?
esp. if you want the starex but with limited budget?

[niky]

One of the PowerWheels contributors has an MP-X, so far, they're happy with it. One or two major items replaced under warranty, but so far, fuel economy and ride seem to be okay.

It's about as risky as buying anything, I guess. At least you know that you can fall back on Japanese parts in some instances.

Oh, *Doc OTEP... don't know if we can get an ambulance test unit. But the sad thing is, most PCSO units are restricted simply because the PCSO doesn't want people joyriding or carrying lechon ( ) in their units. A hospital will be billed for the total cost of the unit for infractions... (under the PCSO deal, the hospital only pays half).

I'll try to ask around. Maybe the Foton people have a unit that's not accounted for yet.

[silverworx]

silverworks,
How old is your unit? PCSO unit ba siya?

niky,
Any reasonable way we can grab a View test unit? :D

Otep
Nope, It's not, AFAIK they bought it last year, I'll try to ask our ambulance driver if ano model niya.. Till now they still used the PCSO/GMA donated ambulance van, lol Pero the proton is spacious inside, unlike the mitsu units..

[GTi]

Haven't driven that gen of Hiace. Obviously far off from the current D4D ones in all ways. Like I said, steering, acceleration and braking about what you'd expect. The clutch and shifter suck, but that can be down to the abused test unit. Power is okay but not spectacular. The oomph is more noticeable with the MPX.

On paper, the "CRDi" (CRDi nga ba talaga? ) 4JB1-T engine seems to be much better than those of its dinosaur competitors including the L300, Urvan and previous gen Hiace. Especially for the Hiace, I find the 2.4L engine to be quite inadequate since it was barely enough to propel the Revo and the 3.0L isn't really that much better in terms of power. As for the clutch and brakes, would interchanging one from a Hiace be feasible?

I thought the MPX and the View use the same 4JB1-T "CRDi" engine? How do you say that the oomph is more noticeable in the MPX?

[niky]

On paper, the "CRDi" (CRDi nga ba talaga? ) 4JB1-T engine seems to be much better than those of its dinosaur competitors including the L300, Urvan and previous gen Hiace. Especially for the Hiace, I find the 2.4L engine to be quite inadequate since it was barely enough to propel the Revo and the 3.0L isn't really that much better in terms of power. As for the clutch and brakes, would interchanging one from a Hiace be feasible?

I thought the MPX and the View use the same 4JB1-T "CRDi" engine? How do you say that the oomph is more noticeable in the MPX?

Because the MPX is much lighter. The View is a big heavy van.

[GTi]

Because the MPX is much lighter. The View is a big heavy van.

So... is it true that they're CRDi (and isn't that a registered Hyundai/Kia trademark? )? They certainly don't sound like one, in fact they don't sound much different than the NHR, and their power output isn't any different from the NHR's either!

[niky]

Wouldn't know without opening it up.

You can have Common Rail Direct Injection without having high power... not all direct injection systems are high power / high pressure. Their engine certainly isn't as punchy as Hyundai's older 2.5 CRDi models, but it's decent enough.