With the best model range in its Australian history and a red hot sales truck market, these should be bumper days for Hino’s Australian operation. However, a dark cloud has drifted down from Japan in the form of an audacious emissions cheating scandal, stifling production and availability, and taking the gloss off impressive models like the flagship SS2848 hi-roof prime mover.
Seriously, you really have to wonder what arrogance and foolhardiness gets into the heads of some top executives. In this climate-conscious age of intense bureaucratic and media scrutiny of emissions compliance, not to mention the instantaneous influence of social media, do they honestly believe they can fool all the people, all the time?
From the outside looking in, it seems that’s exactly how some think, with the latest example coming from Hino Motors which is, of course, the truck offshoot of global giant, Toyota.
For its part, Toyota claims to be shocked by Hino’s falsification of emissions and fuel data which is said to date back as far as 2003, just two years after Toyota took control of Hino in 2001. However, many of Hino’s presidents have come from Toyota ranks, including current chief Satoshi Ogiso who was quick to fall on the sword of corporate apology.
“I am so deeply sorry … misconduct had been carried out for a widespread variety of models,” he said. It is not yet known if Ogiso-san will be cut from Hino’s top job.
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Hino SS adds around 700mm to overall cab height compared to standard roof models, allowing significantly more interior storage space
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According to various reports from Japan, teams endeavouring to meet unattainable emissions standards felt so pressured, they falsified test results on a wide range of models and tampered with fuel efficiency data in heavy-duty engines.
Hino conceded in March this year that it had faked data and a group of outside experts were called in to investigate, compiling a detailed report asserting an ‘inward-looking and conservative culture’ and a company leadership more concerned with numerical goals and deadlines than operating procedures or engaging with frontline workers.
While German powerhouse Volkswagen rightly gets the gong for the most infamous and comprehensive of all emissions cheating scandals, several major Japanese brands have been similarly tarred as cheats with Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Yamaha and Nissan now joined by Hino.
Yet it seems the impacts of Hino’s actions are set to worsen with the company recently announcing it will stop production of medium-duty (500-series) and heavy-duty (700-series) trucks for at least a year.
Meantime, the company says it is still evaluating the impacts of its data falsification on US and Europe markets, and is co-operating with authorities in those markets. However, no mention has been made of Australia and despite several requests for official comment from Hino Motor Sales Australia (HMSA), there had been no response when this article was written.
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Like its 700-series siblings, interior layout of the SS model is arguably the best among Japanese competitors in the same class
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Hino is the second highest-selling truck brand in Australia, perennial bridesmaid to historic market leader Isuzu. Consequently, it’s surprising HMSA is not prepared to at least outline to its multitude of customers the possible impacts on Australian supply lines of Japan’s transgression and its subsequent production shutdown.
Indeed, the local company’s silence even appears somewhat at odds with a comment by Toyota supremo, chief executive Akio Toyoda which said, “The wrongdoing at Hino betrayed the trust of customers and other stakeholders. I deeply regret what has happened.”
It also seems the timing could not be worse for HMSA. After all, over the past few years the company has progressively introduced an exceptionally strong and advanced model range which includes standard and wide cab versions of its 500-series medium-duty range and most recently, an extremely impressive 700-series heavy-duty line-up.
RELATED ARTICLE: Hino expands into GIppsland.
And it all comes at a time when Australia’s demand for new trucks has never been greater.
Despite the dramas
Whatever the difficulties and repercussions of Hino’s inane action in falsifying emissions and fuel data, the simple fact is that its trucks are today more appealing than they’ve ever been and despite the emerging uproar, the invitation to drive an SS2848 high-roof prime mover was willingly accepted.
Almost a year earlier we’d been most impressed by the features, road manners and performance of an FS2848 truck and dog combination, and it just seemed right to see if the prime mover model would be equally well-mannered, coupled to a tri-axle drop-deck trailer partially loaded with a pair of Hino 300-series trucks from the light-duty range.
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For hauling high trailers in regional roles, the Hino SS2848 is well equipped with a slick powertrain and exceptional retardation system. Road manners are excellent
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The intention from the outset was to simply run the combination from Hino headquarters at Taren Point in Sydney’s southern suburbs down the coast via the descent of Mt Ousley, turn around near the seaside town of Kiami and head back to Hino through busy afternoon traffic. All up, little more than 220km in what could be generally regarded as a typical regional run for a truck of this type.
As we’ve stated before, there’s a lot to like in the extensively revamped 700-series with the SS high-roof adding around 700mm to the overall height of a well-appointed cab and the convenience of large overhead lockers. Sure, the engine cowl infringes on space and the bunk’s not ideal for regular overnight stays but with the extra internal height, it at least provides a reasonable place for a snooze or an occasional overnight stay.
Much of what we reported after driving the truck ’n dog version is equally relevant to the SS model. Like, ‘Mounted on a four-point air suspension arrangement, the impressively refashioned cab stands reasonably tall but well-placed grab handles and wide non-slip steps make it an easy climb to a spacious, comfortable interior. The driver sits on a quality Isri high-back seat with ample adjustment aided by generous tilt and telescopic steering wheel increments.
‘What’s more, the ergonomically designed wraparound dash features all-new instrumentation with large, high contrast speedometer and tachometer, and a central multi-information display which contains important details for safety settings, driving economy, gear selection and vehicle maintenance data. And, of course, there’s a high quality multi-media unit for the radio and all the technical titbits such as Bluetooth and reversing camera.
‘Additionally, control buttons on the steering wheel offer fingertip ease for phone calls and adaptive cruise control settings while column-mounted stalks are provided for the engine brake (and retarder), wipers/washers, lights and the like.’
On the performance front, and given the emissions data scandal, it’s now reasonably obvious why Hino hasn’t pushed its 13 litre engine to 500hp or more. Nonetheless, the company has done a superb job of streamlining the common rail engine’s performance peaks of 480hp (353kW) at 1600 to 1800rpm and 2157Nm (1590lb-ft) of torque from 1000 to 1500rpm. In fact, with peak power and top torque on tap across a broad rev range, engine performance can feel decidedly brisk in suburban traffic streams as it feeds through the intuitive smarts of ZF’s super-smooth 16-speed Traxon automated transmission, operated through a simple rotary knob on the left side of the dash.
Safety played a major part in development of the 700-series with its ‘SmartSafe’ package featuring the modern and increasingly accepted advances of autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection and ‘safety eye’ functions, a driver awareness monitoring system, vehicle stability control, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and an electronic braking system.
Another major safety asset comes in the form of a Jacobs engine brake along with ZF’s multi‑stage Intarder hydraulic retarder. Quite simply, the effectiveness of the retardation system on Mt Ousley and everywhere else was absolutely brilliant.
Yet, given all the advanced safety features in the new range, it’s surprising Hino hasn’t yet adopted disc brakes. Maybe next time!
Still, ride quality, steering and overall road manners of the SS2848 were every bit as good as expected – spot on!
However, with the truck and trailer grossing just 24 tonnes or thereabouts, fuel economy was perhaps only reasonable at 2.2 km/litre.
At the end of last year after driving the FS2848 truck ’n dog model, it was easy to conclude: ‘Hino is in a prime position to capitalise on a range of new models which on one hand etch an entirely new line in the sand for the brand, and on the other, have the potential to exploit shortcomings in a couple of its competitive countrymen.’
The way things stand at the moment though, it’ll be Hino’s competitive countrymen doing the exploiting as Toyota’s truck maker works to extract itself from an increasingly deep and self-inflicted mire.