Delivery Magazine Issue 65 APR-MAY 2016

AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

www.deliverymagazine.com.au

ISSUE 65 APR/MAY 2016 RRP: $8.95

isuzu’s ute beater

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NLR SERVICEPACK

TESTED

W

ithout doubt, the groundswell of interest in small car-derived delivery vans pretty much owes its success to the Volkswagen Caddy. While there were predecessors such as the Holden Combo, the Caddy got the backing of the manufacturer through a focus on light commercials that wasn’t even considered relevant by those at General Motors.

Moving up in length and interior volume to the Caddy Maxi is necessary before you can choose between the six-speed manual and the seven-speed DSG, with the same twin-driveline options for the Maxi Crewvan. By increasing van size, you also increase payload to 847 kg, but that decreases down to 726 kg when you opt for the five-seat Maxi Crewvan.

Although it’s been nearly 12 years since the first Caddy launched onto the European market to produce 1.5 million of the little cargo carriers globally, the recent much publicised events at Volkswagen, internationally, have failed to put a dampener on its performance.

The steering response from the electro-mechanical speed-sensitive power steering doesn’t feel much different from that of a conventional hydraulic power-assisted design, but, that development, together with the inclusion of auto stop/start engine control, is typical of the way that passenger car design is heading.

What the debacle on global exhaust emissions has affected, though, is the availability of diesel engines in the Caddy range, with VW preferring to take the proven accepted emissions ratings of petrol only, four-cylinder power while the company sorts out its own dirty laundry on a global basis.

Right now, buyers of the fourth-generation Caddy don’t really have an engine choice. All versions come with a TSI petrol engine that produces 92 kW and stays frugal around town thanks to auto stop/start, while returning regenerative power from brake energy recuperation.

Although small in capacity terms for a light commercial sold in the Australian market, the 1.4-litre TSI produces its power output of 92 kW at 4800 rpm, with a peak torque rating of 220 Nm from 1500 to 3500 rpm.

Despite its small cubic capacity, the TS1220 engine makes up for lack of cylinder size by featuring a turbocharger, just like its previous diesel powered siblings. This reflects not so much on the maximum power output, but more so on the peak torque rating, which becomes available at typical diesel rpm levels.

Getting maximum power out of small capacity engines these days requires the use of premium unleaded fuel, and the current Caddy is no exception, with a minimum 95 RON rating. And while it can replicate the performance expected from a diesel, it can’t match the fuel economy, returning a combined consumption figure of 6.2 l/100 km with the six-speed manual gearbox, bettered by the DSG automated manual seven-speed that returns 6.0 l/100 km.

With its transverse-engined, front-wheel-drive set-up, the Caddy basic specs have changed little. It still runs on MacPherson struts with double wishbones at the front end, while at the rear it has a rigid axle on leaf springs.

There are four different variants in the Caddy range.

Starting with the standard SWB van and its payload of 733 kg the only transmission choice is the seven-speed DSG AMT.

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The doors at the rear provide the buyer with the choice of tailgate or barn type and there’s the option of a side sliding door on the nearside, with or without glass windows.

Moving into the options list also brings in some further car-derived features, such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning “Front Assist” with City Emergency Braking (City EB), front fog lights with a cornering function, rain sensing wipers and auto headlamp activation with daytime running lights.

If you don’t care too much for the standard infotainment system, there are two higher levels available, culminating in a 6.33-inch colour touchscreen with proximity sensor, on-board navigation, Bluetooth with audio streaming and phone matching.

Safety features such as front, side and head airbags for the driver and passenger are standard inclusions, as are electronic stability programmes, ABS, traction control and hill hold.

The decision by Volkswagen to introduce the Caddy van with only the seven-speed DSG automated manual gearbox is in Delivery’s view somewhat strange, as the added oncost of the DSG unit in other VW products suggests that it comes with a cost penalty of $3000.

LITTLE BOXES This pricing structure may well direct the buyer to consider the larger sized Maxi Van, which does offer a six-speed manual gearbox at a lower overall cost of $28,190, proving that you can have something bigger by paying less initially.

The seven-speed DSG automated manual transmission remains a disappointment, despite attempts through the years to refine its clutch actuation when the vehicle is stationary. The DSG openly attempts to engage and disengage 1st gear when sitting at the traffic lights in Drive and with the park brake applied. If the driver places their foot on the footbrake and doesn’t touch the park brake then auto stop/start comes into play, relieving the clutches from having to attempt to make a decision until pressure is released from the footbrake and the engine restarts.

The purists here might object to sitting stationary in traffic with just the footbrake and not the park brake applied. Those that don’t drive according to the rulebook will probably not care.

LITTLE

BOXES

The fourth-generation Caddy returns to petrol power – Words by Chris Mullett DELIVERY

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TESTED

Stuart Martin finds there’s much to like about the top-spec Triton

T

he all-rounder is a term that can be applied to many of the dual-cab utes now on the market, and Mitsubishi’s Triton certainly falls into that category.

The Exceed flagship is a versatile and well-equipped load-lugger, and, if you can get beyond the polarising exterior, there’s much to like.

The top-spec Triton asks $47,790 and that undercuts many its rivals, most of which (apart for the Nissan Navara) dwell on the other side of $50,000.

The features list does the price tag some justice, with dual-zone climate control, although minus rear vents, which is an oversight not exclusive to the Triton in this segment. The steering and seating position benefits from reach and rake adjustment (a rarity in this realm), plus there is cruise control, keyless entry and ignition, power-adjustable folding door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with sound, phone and cruise controls.

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And there’s more to come, with leather trim, power adjustment for the driver’s seat, a touchscreencontrolled infotainment system with sat/nav and a six-speaker sound system with digital radio, Bluetooth and USB input and a trip computer.

It sits on 17-inch alloy wheels and has mudflaps all round, chrome exterior trim bits, as well as front fog lights, tubular side steps and a sports bar, which is only there for aesthetic value. The test ute also had the hard tonneau, which looks neat but doesn’t do much for load-carrying versatility.

A single-strap unlock mechanism for the rear seat backrest requires familiarity in order to access the integrated child seat anchor points for the sporadic school run. It’s a better system than that now offered by Navara and HiLux, but the absence of rear vents and a 12-volt socket is an oversight sadly not restricted to the Mitsubishi.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Triton Exceed is a top of the line model but at a highly competitive price.

Well specified, it stands direct comparison with the best of the competition.

Wearing a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the top-spec Triton has a reversing camera (but sadly rear parking sensors are an accessory), dual front, front side and fulllength curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes (retaining the rear drums), stability and traction control, with a trailer stability assist function which allegedly stops trailer oscillation.

While the Triton includes trailer stability assist among its arsenal of safety features, a towing test involving a two-tonne load of long timber lengths on a car trailer inadvertently tested the system’s ability.

While the car remained heading in the right direction, there was plenty of the tail wagging the dog, well beyond the point of driver comfort, suggesting that if there was any electronic interference or assistance it certainly wasn’t that obvious.

Other towing jobs showed the driveline and rear suspension had enough grunt to pull a decent weight without great concern for forward progress, but its lighter kerb weight (albeit supplying a good power to weight ratio) may detract from its appeal for regular towing.

There’s also rain-sensing wipers, automatic Xenon headlights, daytime LED running lights and a full-size matching spare wheel.

The cabin is quiet and comfortable for four adults, with good front-seat comfort and reasonable in-cabin storage.

Ride quality is more than acceptable for the most part, the front (independent wishbones, coil springs and anti-roll bar) doing a decent job at keeping comfort at good levels.

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FEATURE other of three, Shaz Harrison-Shaw, knows all about what it’s like to be financially strapped when trying to maintain normality and at the same time bring up a young family.

“Because of my own situation some years ago, my family was struggling financially. Sometimes all it needs is a brief respite from the pressure of trying to cope when you don’t have very much, and I have made it my mission to help people that are in the same position that I experienced,” said Shaz.

Back in 2012, Shaz started “Need a Feed” as a social enterprise organisation to collect and distribute food parcels to individuals and families in need. Today, after just four years, she organises a team of over 20 volunteers that cover an area around Wollongong that stretches from Albion Park to Helensburgh, helping to keep food flowing to the needy and families suffering from undue stress.

“We work in partnership with several organisations who connect us with families who need food support,” said Shaz.

“Clients who are referred to us pay a nominal fee to receive the food parcel – this helps to sustain the food programs and also helps clients to feel they are contributing to the community. Fresh food is added to the parcel depending upon availability,” she added.

Thanks to the involvement of the IMB Bank, the Need a Feed service received a significant boost to its funding. As the result of a donation from the IMB Bank Community Foundation, Shaz was able to head off to a suitable local vehicle dealership to find the ideal vehicle that could assist with collection and delivery, but could double up as family transport as well.

“We had the funding organised to purchase a suitable vehicle, but when we started telephoning some of the different dealerships around the Sydney area a lot of the sales departments didn’t even bother to return our call. Even after repeated calls they ignored our request for a quote for a suitable vehicle.

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“That attitude changed when we rang Mercedes-Benz.

Originally we had thought the Valente would be too expensive, but when we enquired we found the cooperation and interest of Mercedes-Benz was really encouraging.

“All too easily we arranged to purchase a Mercedes-Benz Valente within our budget through our local Wollongong dealership, and it has turned out to be a fantastic vehicle.

“It’s such a great dual-purpose design as it can turn from people mover into cargo carrier just by removing the seats.

The diesel engine is really economical; we only seem to need to refuel it every two weeks.

“The Valente forms the backbone of our distribution, with other vehicles being supplied by our volunteers themselves. Food comes from different locations and we also buy food from retailers that are overstocked.

REPORTING FOR DUTY “Our mission statement is very simple to understand.

We’re all about integrity, honesty and transparency to support local families, without discrimination, in times of need.

“We work in partnership with Barnardos Family Referral Service, various neighbourhood centres, Darcy House - Port Kembla and the Lions and Rotary Club. These organisations connect us with families and individuals who need support with one of life’s basics – food,” she added.

REPORTING

FOR DUTY WHEN DUTY CALLS, IT’S VALENTE TIME DELIVERY

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FEATURE

ast year Iveco celebrated its 40th anniversary as a commercial vehicle organisation that was formed in 1975 from a union of five European company brands comprising Magirus-Deutz, Fiat Industrial Vehicles, Lancia, Unic and OM.

In 1992 Iveco acquired International Trucks in the Australian market, and so started the blending of the different product lines of the company to create the very broad base of products through those five brands that can claim a heritage dating back over 150 years of vehicle building experience.

For 2016 there’s a new wave of enthusiasm flowing through the corporate veins of Iveco as the company seeks to re-establish its credibility and fulfil a series of personal goals by the current management team that will see the brand becoming a stronger option for the Australian buyer.

No longer appearing to be a lone sheep, Iveco’s operations are under the parenting umbrella of CNH Industrial, which supports and strengthens its global operations with Iveco manufacturing plants in Europe, China, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Africa, and business facilities in over 160 countries.

If the CNH Industrial title means little to you, then let your mind roam across the component parts of this organisation where it includes Case IH, Steyr, New Holland Agriculture, New Holland Construction, FPT Industrial, Magirus, Iveco Astra, Iveco Bus and the Heuliez bus brands and additional divisions.

What Iveco can offer the Australian transport operator is a product range that extends right through from the Daily light commercials that can be driven on a car licence, up to road train rated 6x4 prime movers.

The van and cab/chassis sector suddenly gets a lot more competitive – Chris Mullett reports on the latest updates to the Iveco Daily

daily delivery

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DAILY DELIVERY

Daily is the European van of the year and as the range settles in to the Australian market the product specification strengthens the brand appeal. The fluid automatic Hi-Matic from ZF is the major advantage in this van segment.

For Delivery Magazine readers we are looking specifically at the Daily light commercial range that encompasses vans of all sizes, from low-roof models to high-roof, varying length wheelbases, and increased cargo volumes that maximise space through different roof height options.

It pays to be very specific when looking at Daily van specs as the interior cargo volumes now available include models with 7 cu.m, 9 cu.m, 11 cu.m, 12 cu.m, 16 cu.m, 18 cu.m and a massive 20 cu.m. What this option range provides is everything from an around town local delivery van to an on-highway, interstate delivery truck for express parcels or even light removals, given the amount of interior space.

In this mix of product there are light and medium vans and cab/chassis versions with single cabs or crew cabs, together with larger vans that require specialised drivers licences in the 4.5-7.0 tonnes categories. Finally, there’s another variation heading our way that’s due to arrive in Australia in September in the form of a minibus, offering eight-speed fully automatic transmissions and a choice of different interior trim levels.

Customer service is what makes a brand successful, and an operator buying the Daily gets the benefit of dealing with a full-range truck service outlet that can offer extended hours servicing so a vehicle can be maintained and serviced outside normal car dealership operating hours.

This is a huge advantage as a vehicle doesn’t have to be off the road during working hours, requiring the owner to source a temporary replacement (not necessarily possible due to vehicle configuration). It’s ironic that a car dealership will provide loan cars for people that can go to work on the bus, but the operator of a working vehicle gets no such treatment.

Delivery Magazine recently joined Iveco executives for a day spent discussing the company’s marketing plans for the oncoming year, and also had the opportunity to drive examples from each of the different product ranges.

In the light-duty van segment, Daily volume at the close of 2015 was up by almost 54 percent, while, in the lightduty truck segment, a volume increase of over four percent was posted for combined sales of 869 units.

Iveco Australia Marketing Manager, Darren Swenson, said the performance was pleasing and provided a solid platform for continued growth.

“Following the launch of the new Daily range in May and arrival of stock in the second half of the year, the result is a solid outcome,” Mr. Swenson said.

“Buyer interest in our market-leading eight-speed full automatic models have been particularly strong in both van and cab/chassis variants. And when combined with the range’s other key features, such as diesel turbocharged engines of up to 150 kW/470 Nm, advanced safety equipment and superior volume and GVM ratings, the Daily is an attractive buying proposition.

“This sales performance gives us confidence that the brand will be able to further improve its position in 2016,” added Mr. Swenson.

Iveco has really stolen a lead over its light commercial competition in the Australian market by offering a prebodied three-way tipper bodied version of the Daily.

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FIRST DRIVE

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ASTERFUL Renault’s new Master Bus ticks all the boxes for a wide range of applications

ompetition for the hotel to airport transfer section of the market is definitely hotting up. We’ve seen Mercedes-Benz add a raft of safety features to its Sprinter Bus that were developed from those available in the passenger car sector, and, from this January onwards, Ford has added a bus version to its Transit range. Volkswagen has a new joint venture product with MAN to replace the Crafter that’s due for production from a new factory in Poland this year, and Chinese manufacturer LDV has added a bus version of the V80 to its offering in our market distributed through ATECO. Into this increasingly competitive market comes French manufacturer Renault, with a factory built 12-seater (including driver) that’s based on the Master L3H2 long wheelbase, and after Delivery Magazine scored a first drive evaluation we can confidently predict it will be a game changer.

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MASTERFUL

A spacious interior and ease of access, together with plenty of rear luggage space are major benefits of the Renault Master bus.

As previewed in the last issue of Delivery, the Renault bus offers a very high standard of interior fit out, with an appealing specification of comfortable, seat-belt-equipped seating, good head and shoulder room, and great ease of access and egress.

The front-engined, front-wheel-drive format enables Renault to keep the floor height down lower than would be the case with a rear-drive configuration, due to the need for clearance over the drive shaft. That feature alone means fewer steps to enter the saloon area and the resultant lower roof height that reduces the restrictions on access into low roof car parks.

At 2.47 m, the roof height provides plenty of headroom for those entering or leaving the bus and there’s no compromise, with 1.88 m of interior cabin floor to ceiling dimensions preventing scalp dents for all but the very tall.

Additionally, with an overall length of 6.2 m, there’s plenty of cargo space available to prevent the need for towing those extremely bouncy luggage trailers around. If you do need to tow, the capacity is 2500 kg and a further 200 kg can be carried on a roof rack.

Access into the cargo area is though two full-height and full-width barn doors at the rear. These open out to provide full access, and with suitable racking and a cargo barrier fitted behind the rearmost seats it will be possible to store luggage safety on different levels without the risk of it moving forwards in the event of an accident.

The seating configuration is based on a front left and centre seat alongside the driver, followed by three rows in the rear in a two-seat, three-seat and finally four-seat layout. Each seat is finished in a cloth trim, is capable of reclining (except for the rearmost row), and features lap/sash three-point seat belts. Two of the seats are also fitted with ISOFix mountings for child restraints.

Not wishing to harp on about the lack of anything worth discussing on the Toyota specification, a close look at the Renault Master reveals a really impressive list of features.

To cater for the modern traveller that demands immediate communication options, adjacent to each seat is a double USB point for charging phones and tablets.

An auxiliary air conditioning unit in the rear looks after high demand heating and ventilation requirements and there are LED strip lights blended into the side panelling for ambient lighting, in addition to the main cabin lights. The side windows are also fitted with curtains.

Access into the main passenger area is though an electrically operated plug-type side door, and as this opens it triggers a slide-out step beneath the door opening.

The cargo area is more than sufficient for the expected cargo that comes with 11 passengers and the spare wheel does not impact on cargo space as it is mounted under the floor.

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in

FEATURE this era of total dependence on computerised control systems and electronic databases, there’s one thing that can grind your company operations to a total halt. No electricity!

Suddenly everything stops. If you’ve installed an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system to provide battery power to your computer systems you still have maybe 20 minutes in which to shut down all your terminals while storing the latest data. If you’ve not spent the money on an infrastructure that includes UPS, then you run a serious risk of losing a record of the day’s work.

In our experience it can take you several hours just to find out how long it will take to restore power to your area.

How you plan your day, control your fleet, update your client lists and complete your invoicing is now taken out of your hands completely. By saving what is, in fact, a very minimal cost of installing a stand-by generator to counter just this sort of event, you’ve just suffered the far higher cost impost of employing staff that cannot function and having a customer base that cannot be serviced.

As a rule of thumb, if your transport yard has fuel bunkering infrastructure then a stand-by powergen system is virtually mandatory. Even if your operation is much smaller, the convenience of being able to continue to function when the world around you has turned black, creates an air of smugness that you can genuinely enjoy, especially if it was your own signature that pushed through the paperwork to install the stand-by system in the first place.

To get the latest news of developments in power generation, Delivery Magazine interviewed the aptly named Chris Watts, sales executive for the power generation division of Cummins South Pacific in NSW. “For a trucking business we would recommend a generation capability of 50 kVA to 100 kVA for three-phase power and to run systems such as air conditioning units,” said Chris.

“It is certainly worthwhile spending some time to understand that you do not need to install a power generation system capable of running every aspect of your business. By programming the power control board you determine what systems are backed up and which can be left without power until the mains supply is restored,” he added.

It’s a State requirement that power generation equipment is installed by qualified and licenced electricians. The electrical power generated is then passed through an ATS system at a single point where mains electricity and generated power ultimately meet.

The ATS system will then be capable of registering the incoming mains power and it will monitor which is the preferred source. It can also register if the incoming power has dropped from the norm, as can happen to a mains electrical supply at peak load times. If this mains power drop is detected, the stand-by generator will then start automatically to take over from the mains supply until that system recovers from an extra-ordinary peak load to restore its own standard voltage.

There’s increasing justification for total independence from blackouts and brownouts by installing stand-by power generation

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SUPPORT POWER

There is always the option available of either automatic or manual control of the stand-by generator, enabling the decision to start or stop to be made on-site if required. It is also possible to install an E-Switch inside a building to provide remote access and control to the generator system.

The average small business will be looking more towards a 28 kVA system, powered by a three-cylinder Cummins diesel. Move up to the 50 kVa levels and engine design moves to a four-cylinder Cummins diesel, both of which are sourced from the Cummins engine factory in India.

These engines are very much built to full global spec’ and are found fitted to Hitachi dump trucks as well as other equipment.

With a powergen specialist in each state, Cummins has experienced staff available to oversee each installation and to ensure the system selected has the capacity to complete the work task. This infrastructure also enables Cummins to provide on-site servicing for customers.

The company is currently looking at the expansion of its range by introducing a wider selection of fuel capacities, aiming for a typical ten hours continuous running time between refuelling.

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T TESTED

he UD brand has come a long way since it became a member of the Volvo Group. While UD Trucks has always had a loyal following in Australia, in recent years it would seem the brand has had a boost in terms of technology, performance and, just as importantly, image.

The competition in the medium-duty market has always been hard fought between the three main contenders, all of which are Japanese brands. With this in mind, Volvo Group has done a great job of integrating the UD Trucks brand into the family and bringing it up to date without losing any of the attributes that had made UD so popular in the past.

(651 lb-ft) of torque respectively, plenty of power for that specific GVM. Transmission options on the MK 11 250 include six-speed manual or five-speed Allison automatic transmissions, however the MK 11 280 only comes in manual. The MK is also available with a choice of leaf spring or air bag suspension on the rear, making it one of the few trucks in its segment available to offer both an automatic transmission and air suspension as factory fitment.

While the UD range is still fairly limited in Australia, the trucks it does have available will meet the needs of the vast majority of local operators very nicely. What’s more, they are not the basic trucks they used to be, and offer all the driver comfort and technology that you might not expect for the realistic price tag.

Inside the cab, the work environment is modern and comfortable. The driver gets an air-suspended seat with adjustable shock absorber, and a tilt and telescopic adjustable steering column. The standard audio system is a 6.1-inch touchscreen unit with CD, USB and SD inputs, digital radio and in-built NAVTEQ truck specific GPS. There is also capability to add up to four external cameras, including an IR night vision option. Electric windows and heated power-operated mirrors are also fitted to make life easier on the driver. More importantly, the safety features include a driver’s airbag, seat belt pre-tensioner and ABS braking as standard.

The UD MK11 Condor is one of the feature-packed models that would seem to offer great value to those in the 11-tonne GVM market. Powered by a 7.0-litre, in line six that comes in 250 hp (180 kW) and 280 hp (206 kW) options, delivering 716 Nm (528 lb-ft) and 883 Nm

To see what the MK really offered in terms of practicality, I jumped aboard one for a short drive around Melbourne.

The MK11 250 I drove was fitted with the Allison five-speed automatic transmission and had four full IBC tanks inside the 10-pallet tautliner body.

FAMILY TIES UD Trucks has a strong reputation over decades of availability in Australia.

Dave Whyte tries out the MK11 250 at the lighter end of the market 62

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FAMILY TIES Following a short walk-around and product familiarisation from UD’s product expert, Paul Munro, it was out onto the streets.

Given that the MK is designed with local deliveries in mind, it was decided to take a route that took in freeway, main road and residential street conditions. The eventual route also included a small carpark – a true test of any trucks manoeuvrability.

With 4000 litres of liquid on board, the smoothness of the Allison automatic was immediately obvious. The steps between gears were seamless and provided smooth, constant acceleration while keeping the engine in its most efficient rev range. Engine noise levels were very low inside the cab, and vision was excellent, with the low-set dash and large windscreen providing a clear view ahead, while the large mirrors gave a good display of things behind. The seat did a good job of ironing out the bumps, without any excessive rebound or bottoming out. The trick is to be honest when you adjust the weight scale on the seat, and don’t shave off those extra kilos you forgot to mention on your Facebook profile.

With the auto box doing its thing, it was easy to concentrate on the road ahead. The MK proved itself to be very nimble in the residential streets, and managed the small carpark without any issues. On the freeway, the handling was very good, even with all that liquid sloshing around in the back. The low chassis and floor height no doubt contributed to the great handling, and would surely be welcome for those deliveries that were done by hand or required a driver to climb into the load area.

One thing that did surprise me about the MK was the engine braking. Older UDs would seem to speed up when the exhaust brake was activated, and an old hanky out the window would probably have been more effective. Not with this truck though. While the MK still uses a simple exhaust brake, the transmission works to keep the engine rpm in the most effective zone, and, even at the max GVM, it works remarkably well.

Following on from my drive in the MK, I visited an operator who has recently made the switch from another Japanese brand and purchased two MK11 250s with factory-fitted tipper bodies. They also have four more on order to be fitted with mini-mix agitators.

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happy a FEATURE

HINO

With its best sales results for seven years, the Hino brand is hopeful of continued growth through 2016

midst the power and the passion associated with customers that consistently buy heavily customised trucks with North American drivelines, or highly sophisticated European makes, there exists almost a third dimension of truck buyers, those that just want a utilitarian workhorse.

Welcome to the world of the white truck, an area dominated by the Japanese manufacturers of Isuzu, Hino, Mitsubishi Fuso and UD.

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It’s fair to assume that in the near future this quartet of choice is going to be expanded to include additional truck models from India, South Korea and perhaps Thailand, with yet more competition to come from China.

Establishing a brand reputation takes time, commitment and international resources. Customer support is much more than someone in an overseas call centre answering an email.

HAPPY HINO It relies on extensive financial investment in parts stocking, service technician training, investment in dealerships and a close relationship with customers. Only when all these factors fall into place, can you consider a realistic TCO, along with a resale value at the end of the vehicle life.

With a history spanning now 51 years of truck and bus production, Hino has effectively done the hard yards, often punching above its weight as it fought to match the first thought position of its other Japanese rivals when it came to the decision-making process of a typical buyer.

There are certainly aspects of the Hino Truck business that have benefited from being associated with the all-encompassing domination of Toyota. Although it’s important to keep both divisions at arms length from interference in each others business, the truck maker has been able to include technology jumps created by the car maker, incorporating electronics and telematics that see first light in luxury cars like the Lexus range.

From a historical perspective, the Hino presence in Australia started in 1965 with the sale of six Hino RC100 buses. In 1971, the KL 300 truck model was launched, followed in 1975 by the KR 300/320 and 360 models.

The LB 500/520 and 560 followed in 1978, and by 1982 the more streamlined appearance of the FD and FF made their appearance, including for the first time a fully-automatic transmission.

The heavy-truck segment was addressed for Hino by the launch of the Super Dolphin heavy-duty 6x4 in 1994, joining the “Birds of Prey” series, which, amongst other high fliers, created the Hawk, Super Hawk, Harrier, Raven, Kestrel and Super Eagle.

As Hino clocked up its first half century in Australia last year, in November it achieved its 100,000 sale in our market. This was a milestone following on from some 20 years ago when it achieved its autonomy from Toyota Australia by becoming part of Hino Motors Limited in Japan. This gave the Hino Motor Sales Australia division the separation it needed to create its own image, while benefiting from the support of other divisions such as Toyota Finance.

The Hino presence in Australia started in 1965 with the sale of six Hino RC100 buses.

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FEATURE

TRADIE’S ISUZU HAS TRUMPED THE UTE MARKET BY OFFERING A FULLY-BODIED SERVICE PACK FIT OUT FOR THE COMPACT NLR LIGHT TRUCK 72

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TRADIES SPECIAL

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f you’ve been following the sales performance of the Japanese truck manufacturers you’d be aware that Isuzu can rightfully claim to have held the number-one sales spot nationally, for the entire truck category, for 27 consecutive years. That solid performance results from the establishment of a management team that has shown time and again that it not only provides what the market requires, it adapts to maintain its edge as market leader.

Medium-weight trucks have featured ready-to-work tray bodies for some time, and we are all familiar with the factory-bodied, all-steel tippers that form the backbone of landscape gardening fleets across the country.

And now for something completely different.

As the price of Japanese and European utes have climbed skywards, it’s not impossible to find that a 4x4 ute with all the trimmings can top out on pricing at over $60,000. But as the standard equipment and safety features incorporated in the latest crop of utes has increased, there’s been a trend that people-carrying and load-carrying ability has actually decreased.

It’s now not uncommon to find that a newly-purchased ute features suspension settings that favour comfort rather than hard work – meaning that for those serious about carrying full-weight loads, the vehicle will probably require a suspension upgrade before it even turns a wheel.

Of equal significance is the correlation of maximum towing weights. With many of the utes coming onto the market claiming a maximum braked trailer towing limit of 3500 kg, it should be realised that as the weight of the trailer nears maximum, the overall weight of the ute and trailer combined has to take into account the need to balance the cargo weight in the towing vehicle against the weight of the load carried in the trailer.

Wherever you see tradie’s vehicles parked alongside a building site these days, they all seem to be coupled up to toolbox trailers with lift-up side panels covering the storage area. Because of the combined overall length of the ute and the trailer, space at the roadside is impacted as the work crews jostle for parking space.

The Isuzu NLR 45-150 SERVICEPACK starts its life as a cabover light truck, using a derivative of the bullet-proof 3.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that powers the Isuzu D-Max ute.

At 3.0 litres, the version used in the NLR pumps out 110 kW at 2800 rpm and a peak torque rating of 375 Nm from 1600 to 2,800 rpm. Behind the engine sits the Isuzu MYY-6S six-speed automated manual transmission or a standard five-speed manual gearbox.

The front suspension features a fully independent coil spring and wishbone design, much the same as the standard range of one-tonne utes, while at the rear is a standard “live” axle supported on taper-leaf springs. Unlike a lot of one-tonne utes, the NLR features disc brakes all round with the safety features of EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, traction control and stability control.

With its Euro 5 exhaust emissions the NLR is cleaner than many passenger cars for tailpipe legislation, and inside the cab you get driver and passenger airbags, with seat belt pre-tensioners. Optional extras include an inbuilt satellite navigation system with three years of free updates, reversing sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system, an airbag compatible bullbar and full connectivity should you wish to add direct feed to the dashboard screen from up to four camera inputs.

All too often we hear of children being run over and killed by reversing vehicles. This inbuilt safety system with camera monitoring provides a real workplace safety benefit that is not easily available on standard vehicles.

With its 6.2-inch touchscreen display, the sat/nav system links with integrated Bluetooth and voice recognition for a full digital audiovisual entertainment system that offers a storage capacity of up to 4.0 Gb for music files, plus USB/ SD card and other auxiliary input connection options.

But what makes the NLR SERVICEPACK of significant interest is that it comes pre-bodied with a full Australianbuilt service body featuring eight lockers, LED lighting inside each locker, an ADR compliant towbar with integrated steps, optional ladder racks and a secure load space area running up the centre of the tray between each of the banks of side lockers that is fitted with load restraint hooks.

Everything carried by way of tools of the trade can be stored in the side lockers, out of sight from interested parties and with theft prevented by a single remote locking function from the vehicle key fob that locks all side lockers as well as the cabin doors. Each locker features adjustable shelving with chrome plated cast hinges.

In addition to the almost 3.0 cu.m of lockable storage, the centre strip on the tray offers a flat storage area of 1800 x 1000 mm with barn door type latched gates at the rearmost end.

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