This year, all industries have entered the endless "scroll era"! In the automobile market, the price wars initiated by major car brands have even made foreign friends envious. Nowadays, in addition to traditional family cars and new force models, even home/commercial pickup trucks have joined the ranks of the scroll. The first shot in this battle was fired by Foton Pickup, whose newly launched Mars Pickup is a triple whammy, with a starting price of 109,800 yuan, and the choice to launch in a very special location - Mount Everest, both proving Foton Pickup's determination to aim for the top three in the industry!

It is said that entering Tibet is a journey to cleanse the soul, and the saying that the eyes are in heaven is absolutely true, but the body is also in hell. If the altitude of 3,800 meters in Lhasa is just a small test for entering Tibet, then the 4,500-meter altitude of Yamdrok Lake is a mid-term exam, and the 5,200-meter altitude of the Everest Base Camp is the ultimate college entrance examination. Why did Foton choose to launch the Mars Pickup here?

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I think there are three reasons. First, it is to verify the overall performance of the Mars Pickup in the harsh high-altitude environment. Second, it is to let everyone feel that the Mars Pickup can easily meet everyone's vehicle needs between work and life. Third, it is a test of the determination of the entire Foton Automobile team to aim for the top three goals. In fact, this test drive is also a test for the media.

Speaking of the launch of the Mars Pickup this time, it includes three products: the Mars 9 gasoline version, the Mars 7 Pro diesel/gasoline version, and the Mars 7 diesel navigation version. It is worth mentioning that the gasoline version of the Mars Pickup is equipped with a 2.0T engine with a maximum horsepower of 245, coupled with a ZF 8 AT transmission. The advantage in power is very obvious. You must know that the maximum horsepower of two competing pickups in the same class (2.0T and 2.5L) is only 190, which is a difference of 55 horsepower. I believe that even people who don't understand cars can easily see the winner.

In the actual test drive, the Mars 9 and Mars 7 Pro gave me the feeling that when driving in areas above 4,500 meters in altitude, the power is indeed sufficient. Especially when climbing passes over 5,000 meters in altitude, you will always encounter big trucks or trailers that are powerless to climb uphill in front. At this time, you just need to step on the accelerator, and the Mars Pickup will rush forward with full strength, easily overtaking slow vehicles on steep slopes.You should know that I once drove a 2.7L SUV in the Tibetan area. At that time, when overtaking on a steep slope, even though I had already floored it in second gear, the car just howled and didn't move. Can you imagine the embarrassment of a nearly one-minute overtaking process? Therefore, the 2.0T engine of the Mars pickup not only has strong power but also has the largest horsepower in its class. Just this point, I think, can attract many customers.

Seeing this, some may say again. It's not difficult to make the power stronger than the opponent, but the difficulty lies in the fine tuning of the chassis. I have indeed experienced this on many new energy SUVs, where strong power and poor chassis make driving uncomfortable. But in terms of chassis tuning, it is even more the advantage of the Mars pickup. First of all, the gasoline version of the Mars pickup comes standard with front double wishbone and rear multi-link independent suspensions, along with electric power steering. Its first advantage is that the steering wheel damping can be variable. In comfort mode, female media drivers don't feel the steering wheel is heavy. And for me, the heavier steering wheel in sport mode feels more textured.

In this test drive, from Lhasa to the Everest Base Camp and then back to Shigatse Airport, a total of 1100 kilometers, including 80% national roads, 5% unpaved roads, 5% highways, and 10% provincial roads + rural roads. It can be said that the road conditions of highways and some national roads are basically the best. However, there are many uneven road surfaces on some national roads, provincial roads, and rural roads. Fortunately, the Mars pickup has front and rear independent suspensions, and even when encountering bumpy road conditions, I don't feel uncomfortable sitting in the back row. And on the winding mountain roads, its shock absorber can provide good support, and it won't make the car feel like a ship.

The most direct experience is that on the way to the Everest Base Camp, there was only one person with high altitude reaction who couldn't hold back and vomited. But in the entire test drive team of more than 30 people, except for some with high altitude reaction, no one vomited (the leader said that when leading other teams, there were still more people vomiting on this mountain road). Finally, in some unpaved road conditions, our car also increased the speed to 80km/h, so that the car "flew" several times, but even if I was sitting in the back seat, I could feel that its shock absorber could hold the car, and it wouldn't shake when landing. Moreover, the 5.6-meter car length will not have a sluggish performance in the curve.

For a pickup with a price of only tens of thousands, its handling performance is really beyond my expectation. In summary, the chassis tuning of the Mars pickup can indeed take into account both comfort and handling. So I wonder why the handling of the Mars pickup is better than that of the same class pickups?Originally, the Mars pickup truck comes standard with 18-inch wheels and 265-wide tires across its entire range. Coupled with its class-leading 1700mm track width, it's no wonder that its handling doesn't feel like that of a full-size pickup at all. After all, most pickups in the same class and price range are only equipped with 16-17 inch wheels and 245-255 wide tires, with a track width of just 1570-1630mm. I think this is the main reason for its good handling performance.

For most working people, Tibet is a place of spiritual belief for countless individuals and a destination that many aspire to reach in their lifetime. We were fortunate on this test drive to be able to travel to the Everest Base Camp in this powerful Mars pickup truck. Although the G318 today has been improved to the point where even sedans can easily enter Tibet, driving cautiously and sitting comfortably are two completely different experiences.

Especially when your starting point is at an altitude of 3800 meters, with an average altitude of about 4500 meters along the way, and at its highest reaching 5300 meters. Fortunately, the Mars pickup truck has strong power, a chassis that balances comfort and handling, comfortable seats and ample space, as well as intelligent infotainment systems. This made our journey only need to deal with altitude sickness, and everything else could be left to the Mars pickup truck.

Indeed, on this Everest challenge journey, the Mars pickup truck crossed mountains and resisted the high-altitude cold, becoming the first full-size pickup to traverse the Qinghai-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet, and Yunnan-Tibet routes simultaneously. It has truly left a deep impression on me. You should know that a few years ago, on the G318 route into Tibet, the most common vehicles you would see were two Japanese SUVs and one American full-size pickup. But now, with the continuous iteration, renewal, and quality optimization of Chinese brand vehicles, they have finally become the main characters on the G318 route into Tibet.

Anyway, every time we passed a gas station or a viewing platform parking lot, domestic and foreign tourists would come over to watch the Mars 9 and Mars 7 Pro pickups. At the Jiaowula Mountain Pass viewing platform, several local Tibetans even asked if they could sit in the car to feel it and even wanted to try driving it. I think if it weren't for the fact that every test drive vehicle was already full, the manufacturer could have sold two vehicles on the spot.In this upward-bound test drive event, the all-round performance of the Mars pickup has truly bridged the gap in the "commercial, passenger, and off-road" positioning of pickup trucks. Although it is inherently a pickup by design, life is dictated by "you," not by it. In simpler terms, once you own a Mars pickup, you have not only purchased a vehicle that can cater to both daily life and off-roading, but it can also become a valuable asset in generating income. After all, it boasts a robust loading capacity that surpasses that of an SUV. It is believed that for many consumers with a preconceived notion of pickup trucks (only suitable for hauling goods and not comfortable for transporting people), a test drive of the Mars pickup will certainly change their outdated views.

Finally, at the Jiaowula Pass, which is nearly 5300 meters above sea level, the Mars pickup was officially launched. The Mars 9 gasoline version is priced between 147,800 and 181,800 yuan. The Mars 7 Pro diesel version is priced between 136,800 and 161,800 yuan. The Mars 7 Pro gasoline version is priced between 129,800 and 154,800 yuan. It is worth mentioning that the Mars 7 diesel starter edition starts at only 109,800 yuan. It is believed that this full-size Mars pickup, with its price range extending into the 100,000 yuan class, will surely attract the attention of prospective pickup and SUV owners to the more cost-effective Mars pickup. If you are also interested in pickup trucks, it is highly recommended that you take a test drive of this Mars pickup!