Friday, 1 August 2025
FOTON Australia is teaming up with adventure and endurance television program, Search4Hurt, taking the all-new TUNLAND Ute into some of the most remote and challenging parts of the country.
This is a partnership that goes well beyond branding. It’s an opportunity to put the next-generation TUNLAND through its paces in the real-world, with conditions as tough and varied as anything Australian drivers might face.
With filming already underway, the fifth season of the reality television series will follow a new group of everyday Aussie health and fitness enthusiasts as they take on extreme endurance challenges across Australia. From outback trails to coastal tracks, the TUNLAND will be right there with them, carrying gear, crossing country, and backing up the crew through every stage of production.
“Season 5 of Search4Hurt is our biggest yet,” said Adam McDonald, Executive Producer. “More remote locations, tougher events, and a level of intensity that demands the best from everyone involved. We needed a vehicle that could back us up across thousands of kilometres of Australia’s testing terrain, and the next-generation FOTON TUNLAND fits that brief perfectly. It gives us the confidence to get in and get out, no matter where we are.”
This partnership provides FOTON Australia a unique opportunity to build on the comprehensive local testing already carried out ahead of launch. The TUNLAND has undergone tens of thousands of kilometres of real-world local testing across Australian roads and terrain, including sealed and unsealed surfaces, steep inclines, deep descents, and everything from sand to mud to gravel. This program was designed to validate and refine both mechanical and electric systems to ensure the vehicle delivers commercial-grade durability with SUV-like refinement, tailored for local conditions.
On top of off-road and load-hauling tests, the TUNLAND’s advanced driver systems – including adaptive drive modes, stability control and safety technologies, were pushed to the limit across rugged terrain and unpredictable conditions. Now, the Search4Hurt partnership will expand on that work, enabling continuous evaluation of the TUNLAND in real-world conditions.
“In the lead up to launch, TUNLAND has already been through extensive local testing across a range of Australian roads and terrain to help ensure it’s ready for what Australian driver’s need,” said Glen Cooper, General Manager of FOTON Australia. “Search4Hurt provides a high-adrenaline platform to showcase the new TUNLAND Ute in action – not in a showroom, but where it counts: mud, heat, remote roads and high pressure.”
The series will air from December 2025 across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia. Viewers will see the TUNLAND working hard in the background of each episode, helping the team reach places most vehicles would struggle to go.
The all-new TUNLAND range marks FOTON’s return to the Australian Ute market, combining serious off-road capability with comfort and practicality for both work and play. This season of Search4Hurt will help show what it’s really made of.
For more information about the partnership visit: www.fotonaustralia.com.au/about-us/events-sponsorship/search-4-hurt/.