Powerstar goes big and adds lightness

Ever Star Industries is entering a new era with its popular Powerstar brand of trucks, as the company launches to market its FT series of light- and medium-duty vehicles.

Observers with a keen eye will notice that the FT’s grille carries the Foton badge and that, indeed, the FT looks like the light-duty Foton models offered previously in South Africa. This is because, in choosing a light-duty original equipment manufacturer with which to partner, Foton came out trumps.

Bob Wang, CEO of Ever Star Industries, comments that the FT has undergone serious revision and testing and is a far better vehicle than might have been offered previously.

Quality is also more tightly controlled, as the vehicles are imported to South Africa in semi-knocked down form and assembled at Powerstar’s plant in Pinetown.

“We started this project three years ago, and planned it step by step to bring the right, reliable truck to this market. Foton is China’s number one light- and medium-truck manufacturer. This basic truck has sold more than one-million units in China,” he notes.

Two chassis cabs are on offer, the FT3 and FT5, with 7,5 and 8,7-t gross vehicle mass respectively. Both models are powered by the Cummins ISF 3,8-litre engine, which produces 115 kW power and 500 Nm torque between 1 200 and 1 900 r/min. This is coupled to a six-speed ZF Ecolite manual transmission.

A full air-brake system is fitted with an auxiliary exhaust brake. Each model carries a 120-litre aluminium fuel tank.

“With their trusted drivelines and support by the Powerstar brand, we believe these trucks will be successful in South Africa,” Wang says.

Powerstar backs the FT range with a two-year/unlimited mileage warranty, which covers the entire vehicle from bumper to bumper.

Look out for a full launch report in issue 7 of FOCUS!