Hino says the new 300 Series light duty 4x4 was devised in response to the demands of Australian customers.
More power and torque, more gears, more comfort and more safety – that’s what Hino Australia is promising with the release of its first 300 Series 4×4 light duty truck.
Hino Australia revealed the full specifications of its 300 Series 4×4 ahead of the display of the new vehicle at the recent AFAC conference for fire and emergency service professionals in Sydney.
“Quite simply, we believe this is the best light duty 4×4 truck on the Australian market,” says Daniel Petrovski, manager, product strategy for Hino Australia.
Hino says the new light duty 4×4 was devised in response to the demands of Australian customers. It adds that the 300 4×4 was comprehensively tested in an Australian field test program over a number of years.
The Hino 300 Series 4×4 is available in single cab and crew cab configurations, both powered by a 165hp (121kW), 464Nm, 4 litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual overdrive transmission and a dual range 4×4 transfer case.
Operational safety comes through the standard inclusion of Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), which Hino says is a first for a Japanese-built truck in this category, together with 4-wheel-disc brakes and a reversing camera.
The Hino 300 Series 817 4×4 combines a six-speed manual transmission with a dual-range transfer case and selectable 4×4.
“With a six-speed overdrive manual transmission mated to a Hino transfer case with superior low range gearing of 2.2:1, the Hino 300 series 4×4 has the widest spread of ratios and the lowest crawl speed in its class,” Petrovski says.
“This means the 300 Series 4×4 can crawl slower off-road than its rivals providing better vehicle control in tricky off-road conditions, which is a key measure of performance in that market.”
The driveline combination is also said to improve fuel efficiency, reduce noise levels and increase comfort levels during long distance driving by lowering the engine rpm at highway speeds.
According to Hino, when 4×4 is engaged via the transfer case, drive is delivered 50/50 to the front and rear axles.
Free-wheeling hubs are a standard feature and are manually locked, once engaged 4×4 can be selected on the move by the driver, via a button on the dashboard.
High or low range is also driver selectable via a button on the dashboard – the vehicle must be stationary to change ranges.
The selection of 4×4 and high low range are indicated to the driver within the vehicle’s instrumentation display.
“The Hino 300 Series 4×4 is now the safest Japanese-built truck in its class, with an impressive list of standard features including driver and passenger SRS airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, cruise control, 4 wheel disc brakes and reverse camera,” Petrovski continues.
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When 4×4 is engaged via the transfer case, drive is delivered 50/50 to the front and rear axles, says Hino.
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Hino states that the vehicle is the only 7,500kg Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) 4×4 truck in Australia with VSC and reverse camera as standard features.
“The Hino 300 Series 4×4 will be the only 7,500 GVM 4×4 with 4-wheel disc brakes, which reduce stopping distances, and increase servicing efficiency, which we know is key for our customers in remote locations.”
Hino says driver comfort was a priority when designing the new truck. Features include the ergonomically designed interior featuring a magnetically dampened driver’s suspension seat and updated instrumentation and switches for 4×4 operation.
The Hino 300 Series 4×4 will be begin arriving at selected Hino dealerships in October.
Read a full analysis of the new Hino 300 Series 4×4 in an upcoming edition of Owner//Driver.