We didn\'t know the Foton Thunder could actually look this decent

We\'ve always known that the Chinese commercial-vehicle manufacturer Foton sells a pickup called the Thunder. But we\'ll admit we\'ve never shed our biases completely, and have simply relegated the Thunder to second-class status below the likes of the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger, the Mitsubishi Strada, the Isuzu D-Max, the Nissan Navara, the Chevrolet Colorado and even the Mazda BT-50.

But then this morning, we spotted this decently modified Thunder, supposedly the service vehicle of Foton Motor Philippines president Rommel Sytin. The bullbar is an attention-grabber, as are the Katana wheels and the Nitto Terra Grappler tires. We\'re just not digging the chrome around the headlamps and the taillights. Other than that, this particular Thunder won\'t just fade in the background even if you park it beside a Wildtrak.

We now have newfound respect for this pickup, at least aesthetically speaking.

Photos by Vernon B. Sarne