Delivery Issue 53 April-May 2014

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ISSUE 53 APRIL/MAY 2014 RRP: $7.95

FORD’S

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TRANSIT

CUSTOM

RENAULT’S MASTER SINGLE CAB,

HINO’S CREW CAB 300 AND

THE MERCEDES-BENZ V-SERIES

FEATURE

CHICAGO SHOW Have the time of your life in Chicago as the windy city turns it on for the US auto industry

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illed as the nation’s largest auto show, Chicago piled on the appeal this year with a strong display of new models at a show with a history dating back over 113 years.

The American nation thrives on the adulation of the pickup truck, which still claims the number-one sales slot when it comes to vehicle type. What makes this statistic more surprising though is how the American automakers have still not grasped the idea that by offering a factory produced right-hand-drive version for overseas markets it could open a global opportunity that has so far always been missed.

Chevy lovers had their fill with a performance-tuned, restyled 2014 Silverado from custom specialists Lingenfelter and Southern Comfort Automotive.

The Reaper is described as a mean, muscular and expertly tuned Limited Edition 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The supercharged Reaper includes a three-inch lift with long travel off-road suspension, Fox Racing performance remote reservoir shocks, 20-inch Reaper wheels mounted on General Grabber light truck tyres and a Lingenfelter Performance exhaust system.

The Reaper also features a custom hood fitment and grille assembly, high-clearance bumper, wide-body fender flares and a wheel-to-wheel rock guard with removable side steps. Its custom lighting design includes integrated LED driving lights, side/front fender marker lights and an integrated off-road flood light system. Optional upgrades include: a Magnuson TSV1900 Supercharger available on either the 5.3-litre or 6.2-litre V-8 engine, 17-inch beadlock wheels mounted on General Grabber Red Letter tyres, Reaper graphics and a frozen matte paint finish.

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CHICAGO SHOW

Staying with Chevrolet, and the all-new 2015 City Express went on sale; illustrating the links General Motors have with joint venture partners Renault and Nissan. The standard US-made Express 1500 and 3500 vans share the same 6.6-litre diesel as the Silverado with suitability for using B20 bio-diesel plus the CNG/petrol bi-fuel option.

North America is all about big utes. Whether you want CNG/LNG/Petrol/Diesel or a combination thereof, the US automakers still haven’t realised some parts of the world drive on the other side of the road.

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TESTED

CUSTOM

MADE FORDS TRANSIT CUSTOM MAKES A QUIET ENTRANCE ONTO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET

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n what some might describe almost as a Clayton’s launch, the Transit Custom has slipped into the Australian marketplace.

Available in short and long-wheelbase variants, it’s initially only the shortie that’s on sale. Buyers wanting greater length and cargo capacity will have to wait until mid-year for more length.

By linking the Transit name to Custom there’s an obvious expectation that this new Ford is a replacement for the boxy van that was first introduced back in 1965, seven million of which have been sold in 78 countries. Not so.

The replacement for the traditional Transit is on the way, but it is going to be at least mid-year and probably fourth quarter before it turns a wheel on Australian soil.

The Transit Custom is a medium-sized panel van with aspirations of eating into the market share of VW’s Transporter, the Mercedes-Benz Vito, Hyundai’s iLoad, Renault’s Trafic, Toyota’s HiAce and Fiat with the Scudo.

The greatest feature possessed by the Transit Custom is that it comes to OZ already certified with five stars under the EuroNCAP crash safety assessment programme. This rating differs from that applicable to the Vito, currently the only other five-star rated medium van, in that the classification applies right through the range, rather than only to a top spec’ model.

We will start with pricing, which Ford has released for both the shorter 290S as well as the longer 330L, despite the latter not being available until June.

At $37,490 and $39,490 it’s right in the ballpark for this segment and it comes with an extended warranty of five-years/200,000 km. This warranty period is longer than Ford’s standard issue but only applies at this stage on sales up to the end of the June. It’s better than the norm, 32

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but still no match for the unlimited/five years of the South Koreans such as Hyundai. Buyers do gain 24/7 breakdown assist.

In general terms, the Transit Custom is a semi-bonneted design with a transverse front engine that drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

It follows current practice of keeping the wheels towards the extremities of the rectangular box shape and it comes only with rear barn doors and a sliding side load door on the kerbside.

The cargo area has a standard floor liner that protects the paintwork and there are plenty of tie down points for lashing cargo. Interior panels are protected by plywood inserts. Because of the front-wheel-drive set-up the cargo deck is lower, meaning a lower step height of 508 mm and easier access for the driver.

The cargo area itself is encapsulated between the full width and full height all-steel bulkhead and the rear barn doors. Interior dimensions provide 1,390 mm between wheel arches, a floor to roof height of 1,406 mm, width of 1,775 mm and a load length of 2,555 mm for the 290S and 2,772 mm for the 330L, to provide a cargo volume 5.95 or 6.83 cubic metres respectively. With an overall height of 2,002 mm it will fit into underground garages,

CUSTOM MADE

With 5 Star ANCAP rating Ford is now at the top level of safety.

but might require the unscrewing of the roof-mounted antenna. This is mounted offset on the roof towards the passenger side and within arm’s reach of the nearside door.

Although the overall length difference between the short and longwheelbase versions is just 367 mm, the corresponding difference in turning circles is an additional 1,300 mm, with the 290S turning in 10.9 metres and the 330L in 12.2 metres.

The European manufacturers all favour fitting a full bulkhead within the cargo area to make theft of the load more difficult and to protect the driver or passenger from injury if the load is thrown forwards during an accident.

This has its advantages as it means the cabin is easier to heat or cool. It does have the disadvantage that the driver cannot reach behind to grab a handy parcel, but, correspondingly, the bulkhead does cut down noise intrusion into the cabin.

Whereas some bulkheads are removable, this one is very permanent, as the cabin trim extends down the bulkhead from the roof headlining. There is also an access flap that hinges upwards to a magnetic catch, which enables the

under-seat area to be used for extra storage from the cargo area such as for pipe storage or long lengths of timber.

The dual passenger seat backrest is actually bolted to the bulkhead, but there is a small flap-down tray that flops forwards out of the centre seat backrest, providing a table of sorts for writing. It looks a bit flimsy and is not a patch on the fold down seat back inclusion in the Renault Master.

The passenger seat bases flip forwards to give access to very usable storage space underneath the left-hand and centre seats. The space under the driver’s seat is already occupied by a twin heavy-duty battery set-up, but in the event of the need for a jump-start, terminals are provided under the bonnet.

Ford designers showed with the Ranger ute that it had grasped the idea of interior cabin storage and used available space very well. The same applies to the interior storage options for the Transit Custom.

Big door pockets, cup holders for coffee and a lift-up locker for electrical connections to phones, chargers, crash cams and radios are all within easy reach.

There is an iPhone slot as well on the dashboard in front of the driver, and a single DIN slot in the header rail for a CB or two-way radio.

What is surprising is that, for a relatively recent design, there is no area on the dashboard capable of accepting an integral SAT/NAV unit. It’s back to the suction cup windscreen mounts and an aftermarket unit if you run in unknown territory.

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TA XI FEATURE

With the demise of Commodore and Falcon, Delivery looks at the alternatives for the TAXI industry

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ord and Holden have traditionally supplied taxi spec’ models of the Falcon and Commodore for all of Australia’s capital cities. In recent years Toyota has added a few Camrys, both in petrol and hybrid form, and there has been a fair effort to place the Prius on the Aussie cab rank.

Over in Europe, or more particularly in the United Kingdom, the typical London black taxi has been the subject of various design exercises by Japanese manufacturers. At first sight it might seem a relatively small market, but over in the US there is also a requirement for a specific, purpose-built taxi, hence the interest from Japan and the flurry of activity currently taking place.

The traditional black London taxi has a wealth of history with a great variety of different companies involved in taxi design. From an early design brief that demanded an occupant in the rear seat be able to wear a top hat, there were also unusual requirements carried over from the horse drawn taxi that required space for a bale of hay to be carried to feed the horse. The advent of the internal combustion engine happened before the requirement to carry the bale of hay was discontinued.

While on the subject of taxi history, the name itself comes from an abbreviation of taximeter, and the German word “Taxe” meaning a charge or levy. The term “Cab” is an abbreviation of cabriolet, originally a light two-wheeled carriage pulled by a single horse. It later became known as a description for a convertible car.

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Today we are seeing a downsizing of engines and compact bodywork, but that is really nothing new for taxi operators. Between 1907 and 1910, Adams of Bedford produced taxicabs with two or four-cylinder engines. In 1906, Agylle produced a cab-over taxi design just 3.04 metres in length. Initially powered by a 12/14 hp engine, in 1910 it got an increase in power with the adoption of a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder.

After World War II, taxi development was handled by Austin in co-operation with the coachbuilders Carbodies of Coventry, and London taxi dealers Mann and Overton.

This collaboration gave rise to the FX model, which continued through various redesigns while retaining the FX nomenclature through to the FX5 in 1979.

The general appearance of the black taxi looks remarkably unchanged, from a distance. What has altered, though, is the creation of a global market for a common design, taking the black taxi concept to a new generation of commuters worldwide.

The Tokyo Motor Show held last November enabled Toyota to showcase its JPN Taxi Concept.

The vehicle’s proportions and packaging have been tailored to give it the manoeuvrability that’s essential in urban traffic, and to make access easy for passengers, especially children and older people, with a high cabin, low floor and electric sliding door. It also comes with a new powertrain, an LPG hybrid system that offers better environmental performance around town.

TAXI The cab seats five and is equipped with a large interior monitor showing passenger information including the route to the destination and the fare.

But, it’s not just Toyota that has its sights set on creating a vehicle to carry a yellow “For Hire” sign.

To get the right “feel” and end result, Nissan completed the design of its solution for a global taxi in London, at Nissan’s European design centre in Paddington.

Based on the company’s successful multi-purpose NV200 platform, Nissan has redesigned the vehicle to better reflect the iconic nature of the traditional black cab.

Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in Paddington is the same design centre responsible for the Qashqai and Juke. The new taxi will be launched in December 2014 with a modern, clean, 1.6-litre petrol engine equipped with an automatic gearbox.

Furthermore, Nissan will launch a zero-emission electric version of the NV200 taxi in 2015.

The NV200 cab for London is part of Nissan’s global taxi programme, which also encompasses New York, Barcelona and Tokyo. The London version’s design is bespoke, reflecting the rich heritage and status of London’s black cabs, plus, of course, it incorporates the required turning circle of 7.6 metres.

Andy Palmer, Chief Planning Officer and Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Corporation, said, “Alongside this, our engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, have continued work on the cab, running real-world trials on the streets of London.”

Nissan intends to put the NV200 Taxi for London on sale in the capital in December 2014. From launch, the new taxi will be available with a 1.6-litre petrol engine equipped with an automatic gearbox. Compared to current diesel London taxis, this engine will be far cleaner, with lower levels of NOx and particulates.

Nissan is also forging ahead with its pioneering work in the sustainable motoring field, developing a 100 percent electric taxi – the e-NV200 – that it aims to have on the streets of London years ahead of the Mayor’s target of 2020 for the development of a zero-emissions taxi.

Nissan’s electric taxi will be on the streets of a UK city in 2015.

Nissan has revealed that ADV Manufacturing will be responsible for the final assembly of its new Taxi for London. It represents a joint investment with Nissan of £6 million to build a brand new, dedicated taxi manufacturing facility in Coventry.

The base vehicle will be sourced from Nissan’s Barcelona factory and shipped to the ADV plant in Coventry for final taxi assembly. The extensive taxi transformation includes new bodywork, taxi interior refit and revised suspension and steering.

The demise of the Commodore and Falcon could pave the way for the importation of purpose-built Taxi alternatives from the UK as shown by these examples.

Among the specific changes that have been made to the front of the NV200 taxi are round headlamps and a remodelled grille mirroring the traditional black cab “face”. LED lighting has improved visibility of the traditional taxi sign.

Design Excellence Manager at NDE, Darryl Scriven, said, “The main challenges were concerned with making sure customers can easily recognise it as a taxi. Being in London, we were able to go out and talk to cabbies about what was important to them, as well as look at the vehicle from a customer’s viewpoint. It’s unusual for us to be able to work on something as bespoke as this, specifically for one location in the world, and we are very proud to have been asked to do so.”

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CHINESE

CHOICE G

et used to hearing about BRICS. No, it’s not a misspelling; this is where your next generation of automakers may be developing their products and contemplating taking a greater role in global vehicle supply.

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and, as an acronym, it groups together countries that are all in a similar stage of newly advanced economic development. The BRIC component of the five countries account for over one quarter of the world’s land mass and 40 percent of global population, at three billion people.

The automotive industry in China has been the largest in the world in terms of production since 2008 and exceeds the total production of Europe and North America combined. Estimates suggest that the Chinese car market

will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030, exceeding 200 million cars, vans, buses and trucks on Chinese roads by 2020.

Despite all this growth, the Chinese auto industry is generally lacking in the standards of quality of final assembly and sophistication that is expected in European products. Its automakers have also not quite mastered the idea of product support, with questionable parts supply and availability on a continuing basis in sales markets overseas.

It’s now just over one year since Delivery Magazine sampled the first LDV van registered in the Australian market, and, despite lots of predictions about taking the market by storm, not much as actually happened.

LDV is a division of SAIC (Shanghai Auto Industry Company), the largest auto manufacturer in China.

What makes its van range significantly different from that

What’s the next step for Chinese van maker LDV – Chris Mullett reports 48

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CHINESE CHOICE of other Chinese manufacturers is that the origins of the LDV light commercial range are not actually Chinese, but date back to South Korean manufacturer Daewoo, which at that time was a subsidiary of General Motors.

Designed originally as a joint venture between Daewoo and British van maker Leyland DAF Vehicles (LDV), plans went awry when Daewoo went into receivership in 2000 before the project came to fruition.

LDV subsequently acquired the exclusive rights to the van from General Motors, which had taken over Daewoo, and after purchasing the existing tooling it shipped it all to Birmingham from the Daewoo plant in Poland, the original location for its assembly.

In January 2005, LDV launched onto the British market.

It was an exciting design aimed at rivalling the market leading Ford Transit and featured an engine range by VM Motori.

In July 2006, the Russian conglomerate, GAZ, made a move on LDV in the UK and acquired the van maker from the venture capital group Sun European Partners. It was the GAZ intention to market the van range into the rest of Europe and Asia. GAZ proposed to increase production in the LDV plant in England, while also commencing production in a new plant in Russia.

Owing to the worldwide recession, production was halted at LDV’s Birmingham factory in December 2008.

The following year the assets of the company were sold by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers to China Venture’s firm Eco Concept.

Now it was the turn of China to figure in the development of the van range, with the company then becoming part of China’s largest automotive maker, SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Company). SAIC also owns the British MG brand along with the rights to Rover passenger car designs, which it has re-branded as Roewe, marketing them in China and some European markets. SAIC also has joint ventures with both GM and VW in China.

To understand some of the scale of this organization, SAIC in 2011 manufactured 1.1 million Volkswagen models and 1.2 million Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles. By comparison, the total Australian market on a good year peaks at less than half this combined figure.

Having purchased the LDV brand, SAIC has spent the intervening period updating the equipment levels and specification to improve competitiveness. Since 2009, SAIC has invested in further R&D and engineering to ensure it meets the latest European standards.

The factory is brand new and the assembly line is as clean and spotless as any European competitor, with quality control accreditation standards of TS16949. When Delivery Magazine visited the plant in 2012, the production levels were running on a one-shift basis with a capacity of 30,000 units per year and turning out 11 units per hour.

This production level can be ramped up to a three-shift system with a peak capability of 75,000 units per annum.

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CHEEK

TESTED

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he light-truck market in Australia has long been the domain of Japanese manufacturers, with only a modest share of the market occupied by offerings from European brands. However, in recent years the Europeans have

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been making inroads, with the combination of good load capacity and car-like comfort. With the light-truck task mainly being around town duties, handling and vision also have a big effect on sales figures.

In typical European style, the Renault Master cab/ chassis is powered by a 2.3-litre turbo diesel. This engine produces 110 kW and 350 Nm of torque, the latter of which is available across a wide band from 1500 rpm to 2750 rpm. This is driven through a six-speed transmission, available in either manual or automated manual (AMT) form, and delivered to the road through the rear wheels.

With a GVM of 4500 kg, the Master offers a payload of just under 2.5 tonnes (depending on tray weight), and 3 tonnes braked towing capacity.

EKY

CHEEKY CHIC

RENAULT’S MASTER SINGLE CAB LOOKS A CUT ABOVE THE AVERAGE. WORDS AND IMAGES

BY DAVE WHYTE.

CHIC

European cars and trucks have a reputation for driver comfort, and the Master is no exception. With wide opening doors, large steps and well-positioned grab handles, access is easy – an important factor when you are doing multiple drops or pickups throughout the day.

The seating layout consists of three seats, with the ability to fold the centre seat forward to provide extra

work space. This work space offers a rotating table top, a couple of small storage areas for pens, your phone or any other small items, and two extra cup holders. I found these useful as my cup wouldn’t actually fit in the cup holders below the dash. For my time in the Master the centre seat was mostly in the folded position.

Once in the seat, it is clear that the Renault cab is designed with the driver in mind. All controls are within reach, with easy identification and operation. The small steering wheel makes for good vision through to the instrument cluster while providing great steering control, but more on that later.

The stubby indicator and wiper stalks can be easily operated without the need to remove your hands from the wheel, as can the controls for the radio, which are located on a separate stalk mounted on the steering column. The cruise control is operated by buttons mounted on the steering wheel, with a selector switch on the dash that allows the driver to choose between limiting the maximum speed and setting the cruise control as normal.

European comfort and sophistication could make for a major reshuffle in the sales performance of single cab utes and chassis cabs.

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PREVIEW

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V-LINE

Mercedes-Benz launches the V-Class People Mover

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hat’s got three body lengths, two wheelbases, provides a choice of engines, can carry up to eight people and yet still whizz into underground car parks without leaving a dent on the roof or losing the antenna?

The answer is the Mercedes-Benz V-Class.

With six standard-fitted airbags for driver and front passenger, the new V-Class offers a more comprehensive array of passive safety features than the previous model.

The airbags, which can deploy very rapidly in the event of an accident, include:

The German manufacturer has been experiencing considerable success with the Australian-developed Valente and has now moved a whole step further into safe, spacious and comfortable people moving. Already released in the European market, Australians will have to wait until later this year to take advantage of the new levels of safety and convenience this model brings to the marketplace.

In doing so, the V-Series replaces the Viano, Valente and the recently discontinued R-Class.

• two adaptive airbags for the driver and front passenger that can be triggered in two different stages depending on the severity of impact, • two thorax/pelvis sidebags in the front-seat backrests, and • two window airbags for the driver and front passenger.

Sharing a common overall height of 1.88 metres, the V-Class starts off with its completely new body design on a wheelbase of 3200 mm and an overall length of 4895 mm. Next up, and the model line stays with the same wheelbase but extends the overall length to 5140 mm, thanks to increased rear overhang. Finally, for those for whom length is everything, the V-Class extra-long comes in with a wheelbase of 3430 mm and an overall length of 5370 mm.

After gaining up to a five-star rating with Vito and Viano, Mercedes-Benz has focused intently on protecting the passenger compartment during an accident. Large deformation zones at the front and rear absorb the impact forces of a collision over a large area, so that the passenger cell, made of high-strength steel alloys, remains intact.

The substructure consists of a frame with four longitudinal members and four cross members, which in a crash effectively ensure the distribution of the impact forces. The construction also underscores the excellent torsional rigidity of the new V-Class.

When it comes to pedestrian protection, it might come as some consolation for the person spread-eagled over the bonnet that, owing to the larger deformation space between the bonnet and the components underneath, the loads that possibly will occur in an accident are reduced.

Excess weight requires more fuel to move about, so, to cut vehicle weight, all doors and the tailgate are designed as lightweight steel components with a monocoque design.

Pinpoint reinforcements help improve the crash safety of the MPV in spite of the weight-optimised construction.

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As an optional extra, larger window airbags are available which extend over three seat rows from A-pillar to D-pillar.

Driver and front-passenger seats are additionally fitted with a height-adjustable 3-point safety belt, belt tensioner and belt-force limiter, as well as seat-belt reminder and 4-way head restraint. The rear seats also afford a high level of safety. All rear seats have integrated 3-point safety belts with belt-force limiter and 4-way head restraints.

We are now seeing a flow through of safety features from the passenger car range, and V-Class is the first of the Benz MPV models to include PRE-SAFE® Occupant protection as an option. When an accident threatens, it initiates protective measures so that the belts and airbags can develop the best possible protective effect during the collision. A comparable technology is not offered by any other manufacture in this vehicle segment.

PRE-SAFE® is linked to Brake Assist and the Electronic Stability Program ESP®, enabling sensors that detect potentially critical driving situations and send the relevant information to the electronic control units.

And there’s more. The information provided by the short-range radar sensors of the optional DISTRONIC PLUS adaptive cruise control system in conjunction with COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST uses electric motors to add extra tension to the front seat belts 200 milliseconds before an unavoidable collision, thus reducing the forces exerted on the driver and front passenger during the crash.

Preventive occupant protection is activated in the event of emergency braking or high lateral acceleration – heavy understeer or oversteer, for example, or fast, sudden movements of the steering wheel by the driver. The powered front driver’s seat is also moved backwards or forwards to find the optimal position to provide added safety levels from an accident standpoint. The cushion angle and backrest inclination are also optimised.

THE V-LINE If the good fairy is watching over you and helps the V-Series to avoid an actual impact, then all the safety systems mentioned above relax and reset themselves.

Supposing the good fairy is a bit slack on the day, if a crash does occur despite all countermeasures, and the belt tensioners and the airbags are triggered, the airbag control unit sends a corresponding message to the CAN data bus of the V-Class. The connected control units then autonomously carry out a series of measures designed to protect the occupants and, if possible, assist rescuers.

The measures include: • conspicuous illumination of the vehicle with activation of the hazard warning lamps and the interior emergency illumination to make it easier to find the vehicle, • emergency door unlocking to provide the possibility of escaping from the vehicle, • lowering of the side windows to allow the airbag gases to escape, • shutdown of the auxiliary heater and fuel pump to reduce the danger of a fire, • switching off the interior blower, and • activating the air recirculation function so that smoke possibly developing in the engine compartment will not be blown into the interior.

If all these functions have triggered, there’s no doubting the driver and passengers are going to want to exit the vehicle, and, frankly, we would expect them all to be a little shell-shocked by the experience.

With the two equipment lines, V-Class and V-Class AVANTGARDE, and an Exterior Sports package and an Interior Design package for each line, the new MPV can be individualised to suit any taste and requirement. As a result, it meets a wide variety of customer needs and is just as attractive for families as it is for people who need a variable and spacious interior for their leisure and sports activities. In addition, it is ideally suited as a luxurious VIP or hotel shuttle.

Other highlights include the free-standing central display, the multifunction steering wheel with 12 function keys and DIRECT SELECT selector lever (plus steering-wheel shift paddles with automatic transmission) as well as the innovative touchpad, which allows all telematics functions by means of gestures or by entering letters and characters like on a smartphone.

The touchpad is available in conjunction with Audio 20 CD or COMAND Online. The latest generation of COMAND Online combines all audio, telephone and navigation functions and additionally offers an internet browser, the LINGUATRONIC voice control system, and transmission of traffic data in real time. The optional Burmester® surround sound system with 16 speakers and a bass reflex speaker delivers the perfect listening experience.

The Mercedes-Benz MPV is the only vehicle in the segment to offer optional 4-way lumbar support and active seat ventilation with reversing fans to ensure a consistent relative humidity at the contact area with the leather seat for driver and front passenger. Hopefully, the seat technology does not extend to the level provided by a typical Japanese toilet seat with bidet function.

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here have been huge advances in the performance, ability and comfort levels in the light-truck segment in recent years. The three brands of Hino, Fuso and Isuzu have consistently lifted the bar on design and ability and the result has been really noticeable, even at the model range entry level.

Delivery has spent a week behind the wheel of what at first sight looks like a council workers special. It’s the Hino 300 Series crew cab and it comes for the first time with a full factory built and supplied tipping body.

Before covering off the mechanical bits and pieces we will look firstly at the body itself. All steel factory supplied Japanese tipper bodies have always been impressive for their strength and for the fact that most come with a drop-side body as well as rear end-over tipping tailgate.

The body for the 300 Series tipper comes from Kyokuto Kaihatsu Kogyu, a bodybuilder based near Osaka on the island of Honshu. It’s easy to work with and has the unusual aspect that the rear tailgate is actually a split-fold barn door design. This means that when the tailgate has to be swung away from the closed position, it can be swung out within confined areas to lock into place against the side of the body.

This is one feature that will prove useful when swinging a tailgate out into traffic or when driveway access is tight.

The body is easy to operate and tips by switching on the PTO via a dashboard rocker switch, moving the hoist control lever backwards and raising the clutch pedal with the engine operating at idle rpm.

For once there are adequate rope rails for securing tarps and the spare wheel is mounted between the front of the tipper and the rear of the cab wall, keeping everything nice and tidy. For the Australian market, the tipper we trialled was fitted with a roll out mesh tarp that retracts onto a roller and stores on the tipper body header rails.

It might sound a bit simplistic, but the tarp is pulled out by rope and its leading rail locks into position behind two hooks mounted on either side of the tailgate. That results in the tarp running at an angle from the top of the tipper header rail to the top of the tailgate. Throwing a rope over the tarp behind the header rails and tying it off on the forward rope rails profiles the cover to the load.

The cab is non-tipping, mounted onto the chassis and provides both a comfortable and surprisingly quiet workplace. Road noise is very subdued and visibility through the large mirror heads with convex spotter mirrors is vibration free and very expansive.

The driver gets a small inner-sprung suspension seat that does improve the ride and comfort level, and with two seats across the front and four across the rear it’s a true seven-seater, including the driver.

There is plenty of stowage area, plus cup holders and large door pockets but what makes this cab interior unusual is the combined audio and Sat/Nav system.

This is real car-like territory and shows how far light-truck design is moving.

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CREWS CONTROL

There are obvious links here with Hino’s parent Toyota in terms of the level of technology sophistication. The Hino 300 comes with disc brakes on all axles, dual SRS airbags, ABS, vehicle stability control, traction control and hill start control (when fitted with a manual gearbox).

With all these traction and safety initiatives the Hino 300 sets itself apart from many far more expensive vehicles.

The only area in which it misses out is by not offering three-point seat belts for the rear centre and front centre passengers, relying on a centre lap belt only.

There are three versions of the Hino 300 crew-cab tipper - the 717, the 816 auto and the 917. All use the same fourcylinder, 4.0-litre diesel that offers 110 kW at 2,500 rpm when fitted with the auto transmission and a slight increase in power to 121 kW at the same rpm when mated to the manual gearbox. Torque ratings are also slightly different with 420 Nm at 1,400 rpm for the auto and 464 Nm when matched to the manual gearbox. Both transmissions are six-speed units.

High levels of comfort and safety with a strong all-steel body make a great crew cab tipper.

There’s a slight difference in gearing, which is indicated by the power and torque variance, as the manual gearbox runs a single overdrive final ratio while the automatic transmission features a double overdrive. Direct drive for the manual is 5th, for the auto it’s 4th.

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HINO’S 300 SERIES CREW-CAB TIPPER IS A REALLY GOOD SURPRISE ON THE MARKET DELIVERY

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FEATURE

5 2ars

tor a r o sition f

yeeff

According to Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) data, over 138,000 Isuzu trucks have been sold in Australia over the past 25 years, and approximately one in every four new trucks sold here today wears the Isuzu badge.

In 1989, the Isuzu model line-up featured 30 variants, and, in the ensuing quarter of a century, the model range has expanded to offer over 160 variants, easily the broadest range of any truck brand in Australia.

o that p ent g n i d l nd ho n achievem a s u t e sta y is no mea n o r e umb ntur ving n ter of a ce e i h c A quar

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) Director and Chief Operating Officer, Phil Taylor, said the company was thrilled at reaching the milestone and was fortunate to have many loyal customers who have strongly supported the brand over the last two and a half decades.

of

know that the Australian truck industry thrives on chrome, stainless steel, alloy bullbars and bling. The love affair with Kenworth and its Peterbilt sibling, or models from Western Star, Freightliner or Mack, all thrive on the fact that your truck can become a mobile billboard of extravagance. It’s what makes us proud to be behind the wheel, and it showcases the care we take in the presentation of our companies and the industry in general.

E W

But no amount of bling and stainless steel will actually improve your cash flow or increase your bottom line. The major factor that gives you a return on investment is the reliability of your truck, its cost per kilometre of operation and its return on investment.

“There are very few companies across any product category that can claim 25 consecutive years of sales leadership, let alone in an industry as mature and competitive as the Australian truck market,” Mr. Taylor said.

“We’d like to thank our loyal truck customers for their continued support in helping us achieve these excellent sales results over the years,” he added.

Although 2013 was a challenging year for the truck market, with marginally fewer sales in total for the industry, Isuzu finished the year with a total of 6,814 truck sales and 22.2 percent market share, almost 9 percent (market share) ahead of its closest rival.

1989

That’s where Isuzu comes into the equation.

This Japanese manufacturer first came onto the Australian market way back in 1972 with a Bedford badge on the bonnet. Through the years it lost its Bedford connection and in 1980 it branded all its products as Isuzu. From then on, it continued to add models to its line-up and plug gaps where opportunities existed to add sales and increase market share.

In 1989 Isuzu was literally on a roll. The company achieved sales leadership across the total truck segment and it has maintained that position for the subsequent 25 years to the present day.

In anyone’s reckoning, holding market leadership right across the truck market is an astounding feat, not only of ability, but of the endurance needed to continually beat the performance of every other truck manufacturer, whether from Japan, North America, Europe, or, more recently, Korea, India and China.

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25 YEARS OF EFFORT As well as taking out overall sales honours, Isuzu continued to dominate the light market with a total of 3,246 units for a 38 percent share, while also comfortably leading the medium market with 2,657 units for a 39.9 percent share.

In the heavy market, Isuzu finished in fourth place achieving an 8.2 percent share, with the company’s FY Series 8x4 range beginning to gain traction in the sales charts.

Mr. Taylor is predicting sales across the total truck market will increase in 2014 in line with an improving economy and greater business confidence.

“IAL analysts are forecasting total market growth this year in the vicinity of five percent,” he said.

“Stability in Government, historically low interest rates and positive trending confidence all point to a more buoyant sales environment in 2014.”

There is much more to achieving market leadership than simply selling trucks. Success comes from a holistic approach of having dealerships in the right locations, providing the best levels of customer support, extending roadside assistance support to anywhere in Australia, and offering background systems such as service and maintenance agreements, insurance and finance packages.

2005

The company started using the slogan “Reliability is Everything” back in 1982, and it remains its mantra today.

“Every year has been hard fought,” said Mr. Taylor.

“Today it’s a mature market and customer focus has shifted attention to how we can help them. In 2005 we launched Isuzu Care, and this forms the background of our focus on the customer.

“There are now 60 dealerships and service outlets supporting the brand, and the Isuzu Care call centre is able to respond to any enquiry on a 24/7 basis. We take nothing for granted,” said Mr. Taylor.

Isuzu’s Chief Engineer Simon Humphries used the occasion of the 25 years of continued market leadership to highlight yet more new models for the Australian market.

Isuzu is now adding five new Limited Edition models to its line-up. These are variations of the FRD 600 Long and FSD 700/850 Long Series and are developed on the ‘S’ platform.

2014

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79

FEATURE

HISTORY IN THE MAKING DAVE WHYTE COMPARES YESTERYEAR WITH THE PRESENT DAY

BY

now you may have heard that Isuzu are celebrating its 25th year of leadership in the Australian truck market. This is no mean feat, and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this milestone not only represents the success of the company, but also the products that have kept the competition at bay. While the marketing team does a great job keeping the latest models fresh in our minds, the trucks that formed the foundation of Isuzu’s success have become a part of transport folklore. That’s not to say they are relegated to museums or the history books - there are still many fine examples out earning a living every day - but they are a world away from the current Isuzu offering.

The march of progress has led to great improvements in terms of driver comfort, fuel efficiency and specification options to ensure the vehicles’ suitability for the task at hand. While the incremental improvements seem small from year to year, the difference between the early Isuzu product and the current day models is massive.

This was made very obvious recently when Delivery had the opportunity to drive some of the latest Isuzu models alongside a restored 1979 SBR 422 tray truck.

To celebrate the 25 year milestone, Isuzu had arranged a drive program around the beautiful Yarra Valley, east of Melbourne, with three models available to drive on various roads in the area. These included a current model NQR450, a 2005 model NPR200 and the old school 1979 SBR422.

While the SBR was around well before Isuzu claimed the title of market leader, it is widely regarded as the truck that built the brand in Australia. The reliability and power of this model is what helped Isuzu climb to the top, and this is not

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forgotten by those in control of the company today. Quite the opposite is true in fact, as proven by the passion that they have for the restored SBR. Along with the three test vehicles, there were a couple of examples of the new limited models on display at the event. While we couldn’t drive the new limited edition models (no-one knows how limited, not even Isuzu), they were available for us to admire. Based on the FRD and FSD models, the limited edition units feature LED daytime running lights, polished Alcoa aluminium wheels, upgraded stereo speakers, truck-specific satellite navigation and steering wheel mounted controls for the standard audio/visual unit. While no price was given, customers are assured that these limited edition trucks will be “very competitively priced”.

At first glance, it seemed strange to offer two of the smaller trucks in the current line-up as comparison against the larger SBR. However, the spec sheet for the current NQR shows that the GVM of this “little” truck is actually greater than the SBR, by around 700 kg. Surprisingly, the newer truck does come in about 300 kg heavier in cab chassis form (based on equivalent wheelbase), which could presumably be put down to the added safety features and technology on board. It seems quite strange that thirty years of research has only resulted in an extra 400 kg of carrying capacity, but the latest generation Isuzu trucks offer many other benefits over their elders.

Even though none of the drive event trucks were loaded, the differences were still obvious, with a considerable improvement in comfort and features between each model.

In the heat of summer, the most obvious was the fact that the two newer variants offered some relief from the heat

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

The SBR has been restored by Isuzu Australia as a fully functioning reminder of the early days of the company and its products.

by way of air conditioning. The SBR offered only the side windows and two roof vents to help a driver maintain his or her composure. This was a glaring demonstration of how driver comfort has improved, and how spoilt we all are today. This was emphasised by the fact that both newer models were also fitted with AMT transmissions, taking even more stress off the driver.

Another fine example of progress sits under the cab of the NQR. The current Isuzu SITEC series III four-cylinder engine fitted to the NQR offers a lot more power than the older six-cylinder variant, delivering 139k W (186 hp) and 510 Nm of torque versus the 97.5 kW (135 hp) and 343 Nm.

This performance increase comes from a smaller, lighter and more efficient engine with two less cylinders. The extra power and torque mean that taller gearing can be used, providing better acceleration and higher cruising speeds, along with better gradeability. For the driver, this results in fewer gear changes (even if the AMT is doing all the work here), and a better chance of keeping up with the traffic flow.

For our drive, the SBR didn’t reach any speed above 85 km/h (though I’m told it will do 90-95 km/h), due to the gearing and the heat. I didn’t want to be the one to blow up the newly restored truck on its first outing, so slow and steady was the order of the day. At the posted 100 km/h speed limit, the NPR and NQR maintained their cool, and still had plenty of power in reserve. Not only that, but conversation was easy, with greatly reduced noise levels in the cab.

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