What is This Chinese Pickup Truck Doing Testing in America?

Is a new Chinese automaker looking to enter the U.S. market?

The Foton Terracota, also sold as the Tunland in the Australian and South African markets, was recently caught by spy photographers testing in Death Valley.

While it’s easy to assume that Foton is testing the truck for possible export to the U.S., it’s worth noting that the Terracota is powered by a 2.8-liter Cummins turbocharged diesel engine, which means it could be Cummins engineers testing the truck to fine tune the powertrain. But it’s also no secret that Chinese automakers are targeting the U.S. market and seeing a Chinese-made vehicle testing in the U.S. certainly makes us curious.

SEE ALSO: When Will Chinese Cars be Sold in the US?

Admittedly the Foton Terracota doesn’t look that out of place on U.S. soil especially since it’s powered by a Cummins engine. Some would argue that it fits in better than a truck offering from Mahindra, another automaker that has made attempts at entering the U.S. market to no avail.

But let’s be honest. Japanese automakers already have a hard enough time getting pickup buyers away from the American brands, so it’s hard to believe a Chinese automaker trying to sell pickup trucks on American soil will have a lot of initial success.