American psychologist Abraham H. Maslow theorized that we humans have a hierarchy of needs. He categorized these needs as Basic Needs, with which we satisfy our basic physiological needs like food, clothing, shelter, air, water and, ahem, sex; the Need for Security, with which we need to be assured of the continuous supply of our basic needs; the Need to Belong, with which we need the value of relationships within groups, families or partners to foster the supply of our basic needs; Egotistic Needs, with which we need to assert our leadership or dominance over our group, family or partner; and the Need for Self-Actualization, with which we need to improve ourselves to ensure our dominance or leadership.
While Maslow observed that majority of the population are content with satisfying the first three needs, he also observed that many strive to dominate or become leaders to enhance their ego but very few actually discover the need to improve their selves and guarantee their dominance or leadership.
Applying Maslow to Workhorses
Take the need for pickup trucks as an example. These vehicles were designed to be mechanized workhorses that carry cargo on the open bed and ferry passengers in the cab. As such, they help satisfy some of our basic needs – transporting food, clothing or some items for our shelter – and ensuring the secure supply of these needs by becoming tools of commerce for enterprises. On occasion, these pickup trucks also become pleasure vehicles, taking families, friends or loved ones to holidays or sporting activities to enhance our sense of belonging. It was because of this function that car manufacturers began improving the performance, comfort and luxury of pickup trucks until these became more car-like, less workhorse-like and more expensive to satisfy the driver’s egotistic needs. Maslow should have analyzed pickup truck drivers, too.
These thoughts came to me while I was driving the new Foton Blizzard 4x2. If you haven’t heard of it yet, the Blizzard is a new pickup truck that’s made in China and distributed in the Philippines along with other Foton commercial trucks by Foton Motor Philippines (FMP), a subsidiary of the United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (UAAGI).
Back to Basics
When I was first introduced to the Foton Blizzard 4x2 during the inauguration of the Foton dealership near Muñoz along EDSA, what initially struck me was its similarity to the Isuzu Fuego 4x2, which was a best-seller until the fancier D-MAX came along. With its dimensions and its direct injection diesel engine, the Blizzard looks like a late-model Fuego, which is a good thing, considering that there are a lot of happy Fuego owners in the country and that the direct-injection diesel was a robust albeit noisy engine.
Like the Isuzu Fuego before it, the Foton Blizzard 4x2 offers nothing fancy aesthetically. It is a basic workhorse built with a four-door crew cab that comfortably seats five adults and a cargo bed that can take a 1,000-kilo payload. Six-spoke alloy wheels shod with outlined white letter 225/75-R15 tires, a rounded chrome grill capped with multi lens headlamp assemblies in front and chromed door handles all around add some pizzazz to the otherwise staid exterior. Our silver test unit had an optional Carry Boy roof rack and a pair of step boards which enhanced its carrying capacity and entry/exit ergonomics.
Inside, Foton created a bit more rear leg room by sculpturing the seats and covering them in luxurious leather but I find the seats a bit too firm for my taste. A leather-wrapped 4-spoke wheel with a simulated wooden rim portion turns the power-assisted recirculating ball type steering while a simulated wood shift knob rows the 5-speed manual transmission. White-faced gauges monitor engine rpm, temperature, speed and fuel while a tinny-sounding AM/FM CD stereo provides some audio entertainment. The windows are power-actuated and there are the requisite cubby holes and cup holders around the interior. Personally, I would have preferred cloth seat covers instead to match the cloth door inserts and to continue the “basic workhorse” theme throughout the vehicle.
Driving the Blizzard
Curious about its road manners, I borrowed a Blizzard and FMP President Rommel Sytin through his General Manager, Henry Ongshu indulged me with a weekend test drive. On the road, the Foton Blizzard 4x2, like the Fuego, offers reliable, basic transportation. After being spoiled with the latest diesel technology like computer-controlled CRDi in the latest Japanese pickups, the 2.8-liter 4JB1 inline-4 overhead valve direct injection diesel in this Chinese pickup suddenly felt rough. The 172Nm of torque produced by the motor from 2200rpm onwards won’t win any drag race against the latest CRDi-powered pickups but it provides adequate pull and sensible mileage, giving 10.01 kilometers to a liter in the city and 14.08 km/L on the highway during our tests. And the aircon is icy-cold even when the temperature outside is hot enough to fry an egg on the hood.
The recirculating ball power steering won’t win any slalom race either but it is nicely assisted although a bit numb at center. The independent front suspension and the rear semi-elliptic leaf springs will bounce you around when you’re driving by yourself on rough roads but with passengers and cargo on the bed, it behaves like a pickup truck suspension should. Ditto with the dual-circuit front disc and rear drum brakes – they’re basic but they’ll do the job just fine.
Getting the Job Done
As a basic workhorse, the Foton Blizzard 4x2 does the job well. As a commercial tool for budget-conscious entrepreneurs in this era of spiraling fuel costs, the Blizzard may even have an advantage over its more established and decidedly more expensive 4x2 rivals – at P625,000, it is more than P150,000 cheaper than the most affordable Japanese pickup. That savings can buy more than 3,450 liters of diesel fuel and run about 34,500 kilometers of deliveries around our traffic-snarled metropolis.
Now, the only question probably lingering in the potential buyer’s head is the Foton Blizzard’s long-term durability and FMP’s after-sales service support. A weekend test drive won’t answer that but UAAGI has reportedly invested in marketing the Foton brand in the Philippines for the long haul. Foton has also become a respected brand in China while FMP has already delivered several Foton Blizzards and commercial trucks to satisfied customers. It will only be a matter of time for real and actual feedback to come out on how these vehicles perform over time.
But one thing’s for certain, though. The Foton Blizzard 4x2 won’t promise you any luxuries, other than those minor concessions in its interior and exterior, but it will get the job done. After all, this basic workhorse was designed to satisfy the most basic of needs, and according to Maslow, that will be enough to satisfy the majority of the population.
(For inquiries, please call UAAGI at 364-7320 / 367-6939 or email inq@foton.com.ph or visit their website at www.foton.com.ph)