FAW and Foton are beginning to gain traction with regional truck operators as long-established dealer Hartwigs puts demonstrator vehicles on the road and backs the emerging brands with local service and parts support.
Hartwigs, a fifth-generation family dealership established in 1923, has added FAW and Foton to its truck portfolio, with the brands now being promoted across Canberra, southern New South Wales, the NSW South Coast and regional Victoria.
Rather than relying solely on showroom displays, the dealer has been using on-road demonstrations to introduce operators to the new products. FAW J7 demonstrators have been working through the Canberra region and southern NSW, while the first Foton trucks have already been handed over to customers.
Stock is also available through Hartwigs’ Queanbeyan and Shepparton branches, with the dealership reporting early interest around pulling power, cab comfort and operating costs.
“It’s early days for both the Foton and FAW brands, but the response we have had from our customers within these regions has been genuinely encouraging,” Hartwigs Dealer Principal Charlie Hartwig said.
“We’ve had the FAW J7 out on demo, the Foton trucks handed over, and operators coming back for a closer look.”
FAW J7 takes to regional roads
Hartwigs represents FAW Trucks from its Queanbeyan branch, providing sales, service and parts support to customers across its regional network.
The FAW J7 being demonstrated by Hartwigs is powered by a 15.6-litre engine producing 660hp and paired with a ZF 12-speed automated manual transmission.
Hartwig said putting the truck in front of operators had been important in allowing potential customers to assess the product for themselves.
“The FAW J7 has done the hard yards on demo through the Canberra region,” he said, adding that feedback from prospective customers had been positive.
FAW Trucks Australia operates as a factory-owned business and is building local parts distribution capability, with additional models expected to join the Australian range. Hartwigs also points to the broader FAW dealer network as important for regional customers travelling between major centres.
Foton targets light-duty operators
Foton is being sold and supported from both Hartwigs locations, with the range positioned towards operators looking closely at whole-of-life operating costs in metropolitan and regional applications.
The trucks use Cummins engines, while Hartwigs says cabin quality and ease of operation have also been attracting attention from customers.
“Foton has been a quiet achiever for us — an easy truck to own and easy to run,” Hartwig said.
Importantly for fleets considering a less established badge, Hartwigs says both FAW and Foton are being supported by factory-backed technical training and stocked genuine parts at its branches.
Dealer support central to regional growth
For regional transport operators, the arrival of another truck brand can depend as much on the dealer behind it as the specification sheet.
Hartwigs has been operating for more than a century and today represents FAW, Foton, Hyundai, Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle from its Queanbeyan and Shepparton locations.
Hartwig said the dealership takes a selective approach to the manufacturers it represents.
“We’ve never chased badges for the sake of it,” he said. “More than a hundred years in, we back the brands we’re confident standing behind.”
For FAW and Foton, the next test will be converting the early interest generated by demonstrations into a larger population of working trucks. Having an established regional dealer providing local sales, servicing and parts support gives both brands a stronger platform from which to build.
