Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
My wife Shawie was planning a surprise for her mom (my mother-in-law) Maryam who was going to celebrate her birthday in April 2025. Initially, our daughter Vette suggested to celebrate her grandma’s birthday at Pico de Loro Beach Resort in Batangas or at ACEA Beach Resort in Subic Bay. But because it was going to be a landmark birthyear (it was my mother-in-law’s 75th birthday), Shawie wanted to invite as many of her mom’s relatives as she could. Thus, staying at a beach resort with the whole clan would be very costly so it was decided that we’ll just host a birthday lunch at Rosario in Tagaytay City. However, the restaurant was fully booked on Saturday, April 26th (my mother-in-law’s actual birthday), so we held the birthday lunch a day earlier, on a Friday.
With the birthday celebrant (Maryam) and her best friend (Ester), Shawie’s brother (Jericho), Shawie’s sister (Sweet) and her two kids (Ben & Shamira), my mom (Norma) plus my mom’s wheelchair and her helper (Rose Ann), Shawie, our two kids (Vette & Chevy), and me (the driver), that’s already 12 people who won’t obviously fit in our 5-passenger family car. Thankfully, Levy Santos, the General Manager of Foton Motor Philippines (FMPI) and Rhea Mangune of FMPI Marketing & Media Communications Team offered to lend us their 2024 Foton Toano STD passenger van. However, because the lend-out was on very short notice, the Toano STD was scheduled elsewhere so FMPI lent us their older service unit instead, a 2017 Foton Toano high-roof 15-passenger van.
A Sense of Deja Vu
When the 2017 Toano was delivered on Wednesday, I suddenly had a sense of deja vu. As I was backing the long van into our two-car garage, I found myself stroking the steering wheel and muttering, “Hello again, my old friend!” even though it was not exactly the same Toano high-roof 15-passenger van that FMPI lent to us in 2019. Back then, we borrowed a 2019 model that wasn’t issued its license plates yet (Conduction Sticker GB 6220) and it had very low mileage because it hadn’t been driven much for media test drives. Looking back, I parked the 2019 Toano alongside our 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe LS 4800 in our garage, which was undergoing some masonry repairs then. This time, I parked the 2017 Toano in our garage alongside our 1995 Jaguar XJ6, which is currently undergoing some technical repairs. Similar but not the same, isn’t it?
As I sat in the driver’s seat and looked around the cockpit, I began to realize how things have changed in the 8 years since this 2017 Toano left the factory production line. The transmission is a 6-speed stick shift sprouting out of the dash instead of an automatic, which is preferred by more drivers these days, especially with the increasingly heavy traffic. There are no buttons on the steering wheel and no large infotainment touchscreen in the center of the dashboard to control the aircon or the music. Instead there’s two knobs for the aircon – one for the fan speed and the other for temperature – and an honest-to-goodness 2-DIN AM/FM Radio with CD player. Oh my gosh! A CD player! I haven’t brought along my music CD collection during any of my recent test drives and I miss the music selections in those CDs.
Toano Origins & Production Longevity
When I first saw the Toano in 2017 during its Philippine introduction, I remember feeling dwarfed by its 2.4-meter height and 6-meter length. My initial reservations about its performance and reliability because of its Chinese origins were quickly erased when I learned that the Toano was actually a rebadged second-generation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van (NCV3), which was also sold as Dodge, Freightliner, and Volkswagen in other countries. Note that Foton Motors is part of the Beijing Automotive Industries Corporation (BAIC), which assembles and distributes Mercedes-Benz in China. Thus, platform sharing and badge engineering may have been part of the business arrangements between Daimler Benz AG, BAIC and Foton.
FMPI, which is part of the United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (UAAGI), still markets the Toano to date, albeit in two variants – the 15-passenger Toano STD and the 11-passenger Toano EX with 2nd & 3rd row captain’s chairs. Of course, the 2025 Toano models now come with infotainment systems, 11.5-inch touchscreen monitors, 22-inch ceiling-mounted monitors, Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports and better audio equipment. Like the 2019 Toano S that I drove in the past and the 2017 Toano that I am currently reviewing, err… reminiscing here with, the 2025 models are still powered by a 2.8-liter ISF-series Cummins turbocharged diesel engine with common rail fuel injection system (CRDi) that churns out 163 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 360 Newton-meters of torque between 1,400 and 1,800 rpm.
If It Ain’t Broke…
Our 2017 Toano’s front McPherson struts and a rear live axle with leaf springs work with the long 3.75-meter wheelbase to provide a comfortable ride from QC to Tagaytay and back. The tall side profile of the 215/75-16 tires fitted to the 10-spoke 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels help cushion the ride. Disc brakes on all four corners provide safe, fade-free stops. This older Toano model already complied with Euro 4 emission standards even back then. It has a tight turning circle, uncanny maneuverability (for a long vehicle) and came with large side mirrors, and ABS (anti-lock brakes) with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution). The 2019 model we tested came with a reverse camera while the 2025 version comes with a lot more active and passive safety features provided by the latest automotive technologies.
We have always appreciated the Toano’s automatic retractable footboard that provides easy ingress and egress for the passengers, especially the elders in our group who have difficulty climbing or going down high floorboards. We appreciate the high ceiling that provides generous headroom so passengers can get up and walk without hitting the ceiling, as we appreciate the 15 fabric-covered seats spaced out in 5 rows that provide a comfortable and relaxing coccoon to while away the time in traffic. We have not test driven the 2025 models but we’re sure these features were retained and even more amenities were added to provide more luxury and comfort. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Then and Now
In May 2019, we borrowed and reviewed the 2019 Foton Toano S when Shawie’s US-based sister (Hidee) and her American husband (Barry Hunter) visited the Philippines. I drove that almost-brand-new low-mileage Toano for several days loaded with 12 occupants plus luggage from Metro Manila to Bataan to tour the Mount Samat National Shrine in Pilar; to Zambales to relax at ACEA Beach Resort in Subic Bay; and to Pampanga to enjoy lunch at Iguana, our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant in Angeles City, before we headed back home. Shawie rode in the front passenger seat, acting as DJ loading the CDs into the audio system; as toll fee handler giving money for the toll; and as stewardess, distributing snacks & refreshments while reminding everyone to fasten their seatbelts.
In April 2025, I drove this 8-year-old high-mileage 2017 Toano for a day with 12 occupants from Quezon City via Skyway from Balintawak to Muntinlupa; thru the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) until Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna; thru the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) until Santa Rosa, Laguna and through the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road until we got to the restaurant in Tagaytay City. On the way home, we went straight through the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road, dropped by the Laguna Bel-Air subdivision and entered the SLEX toll plaza in Santa Rosa, took the Skyway from Muntinlupa to the G. Araneta exit to go around Quezon City before heading home. Our son Chevy rode in the front passenger seat and worked the music. Toll fees are now automated (Auto Sweep & Easy Trip). Shawie still acted as stewardess, distributing snacks & refreshments and reminding everyone to fasten their seatbelts.
Even with 43,313 kilometers on the odometer, this much-used 2017 Foton Toano still performed as well as the still-new 2019 model I drove six years ago. The Cummins diesel still pulled strong, acceleration is still brisk, and maneuverability is still easy that my wife and some passengers needed to remind me that I was driving a long 15-passenger van, not a short MPV. Of course, I could sense some minor rattles in the front suspension, and perhaps some looseness in the steering, but I’m pretty sure that these can be fixed with new bushings, shock absorbers and/or suspension & steering parts. It may not be ideal for our narrow and tight city streets but hey, if you need to transport 15 people in relative comfort and safety economically, you should consider a Foton Toano. We fondly look at it as a reliable friend.
SPECIFICATIONS
Vehicle Type: Front-engine, RWD, 5-door 15-passenger van
Price: N/A (older model/company car)
Engine: Liquid-cooled inline-4 ISF Cummins intercooler turbodiesel
Displacement: 2,780cc
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Power: 160hp@3600rpm
Torque: 360Nm@1800-3000rpm
Wheelbase: 3750 mm
Length: 5990 mm
Width: 2000 mm
Height: 2415 mm
Curb Weight: 2500 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 liters
Front Suspension: Independent McPherson type
Rear Suspension: Live axle with leaf springs
Front Brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear Brakes: Drums
Steering System: Rack and pinion
Power Assistance: Hydraulic
Tires: 215/75R-16
