SAFER CLEANER CONNECTED

THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

sit lower on the smaller nine litre. In fact around 120mm, which clearly means it is less of a climb up into the cockpit. This is an important aspect for drivers who are in and out of the cab all day, doing metro delivery runs, with the lower climb height making it a much easier truck to live with.

It is easy to identify the engine spec from the outside with the smaller engine 700s featuring a three-bar grille and the 13-litre versions having a four-bar grille.

closer to the ground is very similar to its big brother.

Like the bigger truck, there is a seveninch multifunction display that can be scrolled through to give a variety information to the driver, accessed by toggle switches on the steering wheel.

little vibration or rattle. This is a very sophisticated diesel, which when we first drove it in the wide cab 500 impressed us, and led us to say that it was the closest thing to a European engine we’d ever experienced in a Japanese truck. That was of course before Fuso put the 13 litre in its Shogun, but that is a European engine.

The new cabs now have a four-point suspension system, which certainly is something that benefits the ride and overall NVH in the cab. We felt it and appreciated it in the 13-litre on our trip to the ‘Gong, and it was equally appreciated in our city work in the nine-litre.

In fact the entire dash is easy to access and read and now that Hino no longer offers a manual trans in the 700, the designers did not have to grapple with where to place a gear stick. In the ninelitre, mated to an Allison six speed auto there is a touch pad control, while the 13-litre had a rotary dial on the dash to select gears.

This truck was an FR 2632 6x2, which following the same nomenclature code indicates that it had a 26 tonne GVM with the 320hp version of the nine-litre. The truck had the standard wheelbase with a 14-pallet tautliner curtain-sider.

THE ALL-NEW 700 SERIES, BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.

The Hino people had loaded it to 18 tonnes with a bunch of IBCs in the back.

With the lower entry on this truck also comes a better and safer climb up by staggered steps, on both models, while there is also a redesign of the front access flap to pre-check vital fluid reservoirs. The nine-litre interior, apart from being

In terms of creature comforts, all 700s come with climate control aircon/heating as standard, while there is a full-width bunk behind the seats that is enough for drivers to rest on, or to store baggage etc. but is not really designed for a comfortable night’s kip.

Fire the nine-litre up and there is very

With the engine purring in the background, we touched the Allison selector pad and moved away, negotiating the back streets of Taren Point on our way north, this time heading for a loop around the metro areas of Sydney. We were emulating the sort of conditions and work schedule that a truck of this spec would

The new Hino 700 Series rewrites the rules in safety, emissions and connectivity. It’s our safest truck ever, with an enhanced Hino SmartSafe package including Pre-Collision System, Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning System and Driver Monitor. Designed to meet Euro 6 exhaust emission standards, it’s the cleanest Hino heavy-duty yet. With Hino-Connect as standard, customers benefit from superior business intel and support – it’s next-generation telematics delivered in real-time. The all-new 700 Series is the truck of the future, here today. Find out more at hino.com.au normally tackle.

The rigid nine-litre was a lot more manoeuvrable than its tipper dog sibling and in and out of the traffic, with its flexible engine and efficient shifting auto, it proved a breeze to guide around the wet roads of the Southern suburbs.

In fact the big rigid was almost car like in its ease of operation and nimbleness. The shifts from the Allison were smooth, quick and well timed and it proved the perfect package for the sort of work this truck would be tasked with.

With the Allison programmed and mated to the Hino’s engine management computer the gearbox always seemed to have the truck in the ideal rev range in the ‘eco’ band from 900 to 1500 rpm.

Hino has given the 700’s a new braking system that melds with its new safety suite. There is now an Electronic braking system that provides a much faster signal to the modulators and sits alongside and compliments the fall-back pneumatic signal line. Disc brakes haven’t made it on to the agenda with Hino yet, but the 700 uses highly efficient tapered-roller drums and they work just fine.

Underneath the rear of the rigid was a standard Hendrickson HAS rear tandem boasting adjustable dock-height settings, while Hino now fits cross axle diff locks as standard, selected by a switch on the dash, making it a handy way of avoiding being hung up on ramps and gutters, particularly when unladen.

ISRI suspension seats are now standard for drivers making the comfort factor in the Hino even better, with plenty of adjustment in both the seat and the steering column, while the seat belt is attached to the seat, making it a lot easier and comfortable to use.

Vision from the revised Hino cab is excellent, with good all round sight lines and a strong selection of mirrors and cameras to deliver the extra spatial awareness to the driver. The mirrors are electrically powered and heated covering every angle, while the cameras gave extra coverage to the sides and behind, with the display on the central seven inch infotainement screen in the middle of the dash.

Allison in down shifting when needed, the whole package is excellent. This is further enhanced by the brake blending switch, which combines the Jake with the service brakes. With this selected pushing the brake pedal also automatically brings on the Jake to assist, it is very good.

A day and bit driving the rigid 700 FR around Sydney’s increasingly crowded and fraught roads showed us what a good truck this is for tackling this sort of work.

It is quiet, easy to use, safe and above all economical, with an average of just over 3 km per litre.

It’s little wonder that the Japanese brands dominate this sector, and with trucks like the new 700, using either the nine or the 13-litre engine, Hino is going to sell a lot more heavies, particularly with even more new variants on their way, and potentially a 500 plus hp version down the track, not to mention a hybrid model to come.

THE ALL-NEW 700 SERIES, BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.

The nine-litre’s 320hp is aided by its 1275Nm of torque which peaks between 1100 and 1600rpm and has a Jacobs brake as standard. It’s mated to Allison’s 3200, six-speed automatic torque converter transmission.

With a Jake brake as standard, coupled with the six speed Allison, the FR also offered excellent retardation without the need to go for the service brakes. Like its big brother the Jake is activated by a wand on the steering column, but with just the one level not four like the ZF equipped retarder.

Hino and Fuso now have the best artillery on this battlefield, despite the fact that Isuzu has an advantage in territory and ascendency.

We all know how well the Jake works, and with the intuitive nature of the

However the real winners in the technology and refinement race the three Japanese brands are fighting are truck buyers and in particular truck drivers. Life as a driver in a truck like the new Hino 700 would be very comfortable thank you very much and we’d gladly put our hand up to do just that in one of these.

With Hino-Connect as standard, customers benefit from superior business intel and support – it’s next-generation telematics delivered in real-time. The all-new 700 Series is the truck of the future, here today. Find out more at hino.com.au 024

SAFER CLEANER CONNECTED

Next Article