Ken Blanch Transport has added a Fuso Shogun 510 to its Taree-based fleet
The Shogun joins a Freightliner Cascadia and Mercedes-Benz Actros as the latest models provided by local Daimler Truck dealer, Mavin Truck Centre.
The business owner, Ken Blanch, sought a truck that could haul bricks and steel around the region, but also go for the occasional run to Newcastle or Brisbane.
Fuso had just launched the Shogun 510, the only Japanese truck with more than 500hp according to Fuso, and Mavin Truck Centre salesman Steve Pinkstone suggested it would be perfect for the role.
Blanch is glad he chose the Shogun.
“It’s a good thing,” he says. “It’s doing the job well.”
The top-shelf Shogun features the OM471 13-litre six-cylinder Euro 6-rated engine from the Daimler Truck stable and produces 510 horsepower and 2500Nm, more than any other Japanese truck according to Fuso.
It is strong down low with 86 per cent of maximum torque available from just 800rpm, while 84 per cent of maximum torque is still available at 1700rpm.
The engine features an asymmetric turbocharger and the latest generation common rail system with variable pressure boosting for ultimate fuel efficiency.
The performance of the Shogun engine was one of the key reasons Blanch selected it for the role.
“It’s replacing a (15-litre) DD15 (Freightliner) Argosy and it’s doing fine; manages it no problem,” he says.
The 510 Shogun uses a 12-speed fully automated transmission (AMT) that features the clever EcoRoll system to maximise efficiency. It also features a powerful three-stage engine braking system gives the driver more control.
The support from the local Mavin Truck Centre, the winner of the 2021 Daimler Truck Dealer of the Year award, is welcomed by Blanch.
“The Mavin’s guys give us great support,” says Blanch. “Nothing is ever a problem for them. It certainly helps to have that backing.”
The Shogun 510, along with all Shogun models, benefits from the latest generation of Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) that now uses camera and radar camera technology to provide enhanced pedestrian sensing capability, making it able to completely stop for a moving pedestrian in the event the driver does not respond to an audible warning. Radar-based adaptive cruise control is also part of the package.
Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), a driver airbag, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Hill Start System (HSS) assistance function are also standard.
Australia and New Zealand are the only markets in the world that offer the 13-litre Shogun 510, which was developed in response to requests from local operators who wanted a Japanese truck with more than 500hp.