AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS
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www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 40 FEB/MAR 2012 RRP: $7.95
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NEW ENGINES
MAHINDRA’S UTE IMPRESSES
CHINA’S VANS - FIRST RELEASE
TOKYO SHOW GOES ECO
NEWS UPDATE
THE MAIN
Contenders Renault group continued its lead of Europe’s light commercial vehicle market during 2011 for the 14th consecutive year, taking 15.6 percent total market share. Volkswagen delivered 528,000 light commercial vehicles globally, an increase of 21.4 percent over 2010. Caddy improved its sales by 24.7 percent to 160,600, T5 (Transporter) models by 5.2 percent to 155,800, Crafter by 5.7 percent to 39,600 units, and Amarok rose to 66,500 units. In the Australian market VW LCV’s increased sales by 45 percent.
VW
Introduces Blue Motion
The Transporter and Crafter models are now available in Europe with “Blue Motion”, a fuel efficiency improvement announced by Volkswagen. With fuel consumption values of 6.3 and 7.0 l/100 km, the emissions levels are 166 -184 g/ km. The Blue Motion engine technology relates to the 80 kW and 100 kW engines only. A decision whether to import these vehicles to Australia will be made shortly.
Mo Time
with Isuzu Sydneysider Shane Conlon and his workmates raised over $5,000 during the Movember campaign to raise funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression. Their efforts were rewarded by Isuzu Ute Australia presenting Shane with a new D-Max 4x2 crew-cab ute.
Triton Gains Ground
Mitsubishi’s Triton 4x4 increased market share through 2011 by 10.4 percent to achieve total sales of 11,297 units. The Triton underwent an update through the year to include higher specification levels.
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012
Hexa Space from Hyundai
The New Delhi auto show provided Hyundai the opportunity to showcase a concept vehicle under development. Hexa Space is a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) capable of many versatile interior seat position variations, including seat removal for load carrying. Power comes from a 1.2-litre, turbocharged GDI petrol engine.
More Charge
Projecta’s new 12/24-volt charger is a three-stage unit with digital controls for accurate charging of small to large, starting and deep-cycle, batteries.
Amarok Gets a Manly Tag VW’s Amarok has been crowned “Manliest Motor” by UK publication Zoo. Whether being described as “packing so much testosterone that other cars melts in its presence”, or, “it’s that manly, the brute can carry a ton”, will assist it to grow market share in Australia, remains to be seen.
Narva’s
New Work Lamp A compact, rectangular LED work lamp has been released into the Narva range for Australia. This multi-voltage unit can be used in variances of power supply from 9-64 volts, and is fully sealed to prevent dirt and water ingress. It is ideal for forklifts, transport machinery and agricultural vehicles.
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TOKYO MOTOR
SHOW
2011 Low emissions vehicles rule at Tokyo 2011
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ndoubted star of the show was the Fuso stand, where the Daimler subsidiary displayed three low-emissions vehicles: the Canter E-Cell battery/electric light truck, the SuperGreat Hybrid and the latest development of the Canter Eco Hybrid. Not to be outdone on the EV front, Hino released its latest Hybrid model, based on the new 300 Series. An additional concept variant was also displayed, with plug-in function for charging the hybrid battery from a mains outlet. This Plug-in Hybrid concept vehicle was shown connected to an external power supply that could be a two-way connection, with the truck batteries supplying mains connection to boost power supply at peak demand periods. Isuzu wasn’t being left behind in the plug-in hybrid stakes, showing a concept Elf (N Series) with rear-mounted lithium batteries and electric power steering and brake vacuum
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booster. Electric-power-only range is claimed to be 40 km, and a 110 kW/375 Nm, three-litre diesel looks after onhighway running. On the same theme, Nissan presented an Atlas truck with refrigeration body running from the vehicle’s lithium-ion auxiliary battery.
Conventional vans and new utes Nissan previewed its forthcoming HiAce competitor, the NV350 van, as a people mover. Specifications are under wraps until
TOKYO MOTOR SHOW 2011
Thai-look hostess introduced a 2012 Isuzu Ute D-Max that boasted more interior space.
Left: Toyota Auto Body’s wheelchair lift and stow display.
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Allan Whiting tramped the six halls of the Tokyo venue to check out the latest developments in pick-up and delivery machinery. The overriding theme of the displays and new releases was electric power, either as stand-alone or hybrid electric vehicles.
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mid-2012, but in an era where Australian buyers are clearly favouring semi-bonneted vehicles in preference to cab-over vans – iLoad and Sprinter for example – the NV350 is unlikely to set hearts aflutter Down Under, even if it does eventually arrive here. Probably of more interest to Aussies was the Isuzu preview of its 2012 D-Max Ute. The display vehicle was an extendedcab model, powered by a 2.5-litre diesel, with 100 kW and 320 Nm. It’s likely the Australian models will have an upgrade of the current three-litre diesel when the new vehicle is launched here in mid to late 2012. Like its recently-released ute competitors, the 2012 D-Max has expanded in size and has noticeably more interior room for front and ‘dicky seat’ occupants. ‘Suicide’ rear doors allow pillarless entry and exit to the rear seats.
Speaking of easy entry and exit, we loved the display from Toyota Auto Body that converted a stock Prius into a disableddriver vehicle, in conjunction with a powered wheel chair. The chair’s lifting seat brings the driver to car-seat height, allowing easy transfer. Once the driver is seated comfortably, a remote control slides the roof bin out over the chair, and a linkage picks up the folded chair and stows it under the roof bin lid, before the bin slides back into place on the roof rack. How easy is that!
All-electric vehicles Fuso led the truck-payload-capacity, all-electric vehicle stakes with its concept E-Cell Canter that has a rated payload capacity of two tonnes. This truck was seen at the IAA Show in Hannover in September 2010, where it generated a great deal of interest. DELIVERY
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INDIAN DELIGHT It might look a little strange but the latest Mahindra PikUp works well and is very economical – Allan Whiting reports
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Never judge a book by its cover’ our parents urged us as children, and this old home truth applies rather well to the Mahindra PikUp.
This work vehicle’s quirky exterior hides a roomy interior, a state-of-the-art engine, a slick transmission and the first application in this market of Eaton’s mechanically locking differential (MLD).
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The latest Mahindra PikUp is the company’s third effort in this market, and by far the best to date. The PikUp is a giant leap from the Jeep-like, open fourseater Mahindras that were imported here in the early 1990s. Had they been sold as non-road-registrable, light tractors, the Mahindras would have appealed to farmers, because in low range they’d go virtually anywhere. A through-driving rear diff
INDIAN DELIGHT
Warner transfer case compared favourably with the Land Cruiser 70 Series’ 44:1, meaning that it crawled at the same low speed in off-road conditions. The PikUp’s limited slip rear differential was bigger than the Toyota’s and gripped much better. For 2012, Mahindra has retained the strong chassis, axles and suspension, but has given the 2.2-litre diesel a variable geometry turbocharger and intercooler, feeding air into cylinders with Bosch common-rail squirters that atomise fuel at 1600 bar injection pressure. The result is Euro IV compliance and output of 90 kW at 4000 rpm, with peak torque of 270 Nm in the 1600-2800 rpm band. In place of the original limited-slip rear differential is an Eaton MLD self-locker – not a Detroit Locker or NoSpin – that operates without driver intervention and without the driveline ‘wiggles’ commonly felt with automatically locking diffs. The 2007 model suffered from quite flimsy door panels that bowed-out at highway speeds, creating wind howl and making occupants fear for their safety. But the new machine’s bodywork seems much better built. The former garish interior colours have been replaced with much more serviceable dark fabric. The PikUp retains an older-style roof pressing, complete with gutters, making clamp-style roof racks easy to fit. The RRP list starts at 21-grand for a 4x2 short-cab/chassis, and tops out at $30,499 for the Mahindra PikUp 4x4 crew-cab. The latter is around 20 grand cheaper than the competition, and comes fully loaded: cruise control with steering wheel controls; steering wheel audio controls; power mirrors and windows; remote central locking; dual-power air conditioning; sound system with USB and auxiliary jack; armrests on both front seats; ABS disc/drum brakes; twin airbags; sill protection bars; soft tonneau and aluminium 16-inch wheels. The Mahindra PikUp has four large cup holders, two 12V power outlets and aircon grilles in the back seat. The high-roof design isn’t pretty, but means that there’s ample leg-room front and rear, and the seats can accommodate big blokes who are wearing hard hats. If there are only two passengers in the back seat, they can share a broad centre arm rest that folds down from the seat back. The high roofline makes entry and exit easy. The downsides of the interior are the plastic trim that looks tacky and doesn’t fit very well, and only a lap belt for the centre rear seat occupant. centre meant that fitting a splined three-way to the back was easy. However, as a road vehicle the Mahindra was a shocker and the imports ceased quickly. Interestingly, Mahindra tractors are being imported and reportedly selling quite well. The first PikUp model that was introduced here, in 2007, was quite a different vehicle from its Jeep-style predecessor, combining reasonable road manners with strong off-road and load carrying abilities. A four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 79 kW and 247 Nm didn’t compete head-to-head with more powerful Japanese fours, but, overall, gearing of 42.7:1 through a Borg
Under-bonnet, everything is where it should be: easily reached fuel filter and primer pump, and alternator positioned high-up in the engine bay for water protection. There’s an air cleaner restriction indicator, and space for a small auxiliary battery beside the huge starting volt box. Under the chassis there are steel protection plates for the transmissions and a stone deflector in front of the fuel tank. A sump guard plate is needed, as is a better way of running the exhaust pipe over the chassis rail – the engine sump and the exhaust pipe are vulnerable. DELIVERY
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RANGE Amarok and Transporter gain upgrades for 2012 fter making its appearance on the Australian market only as a crew-cab ute, Volkswagen is now growing the Amarok range by increasing options to include a single-cab ute or cabchassis. As reported in our last issue, there’s also an eight-speed fluid automatic transmission due for release to our market. Aimed to be on the Australian domestic market by midyear, the single-cab version of the Amarok can now offer a deck length increased by some 650 mm. Currently released only onto the German market, in 2012 we can expect VW to fastrack the supply, now that it’s also being manufactured in Germany in addition to the original base of Argentina. The length of the ute load bed has been extended by 650 mm to 2,205 mm, all achieved within the overall vehicle length and wheelbase as compared with the four-door, double-cab Amarok. The additional deck length means this version can 36
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easily accommodate two Euro pallets, one behind the other, leaving another 600 mm of bed length available. The width between the wheel arches remains unchanged, at 1,220 mm, to give a total load area volume of 3.57 m2. Load security is provided by the six fastening rings that come as standard. In order to maximise occupant comfort, the single-cab is longer than some other competitors, so that valuable items can also be easily stowed behind both seats, with plenty of room left over to find the optimal seat position. The Amarok SingleCab is powered by the 2.0-litre TDI engine with 90 kW or with the Bi-turbo diesel engine with 120 kW. Driveline options include rear-wheel drive or selectable four-wheel drive 4MOTION with reduction gearing – both in connection with a six-speed manual gearbox. The eight-speed automatic does not offer a low range alternative. Volkswagen is justifiably proud of the fuel economy available with this 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, rating the 90 kW SingleCab version with rear-wheel drive at 7.2 l/100 km, with a CO2 output of 189 g/km.
RANGE CHANGE
19-inch alloy wheels, as well as an extensive range of other optional equipment, including a high-grade navigation system. Moving over from utes to vans and people movers brings us to the latest upgrades in equipment for the Transporter Multivan Business. Aimed at the upper luxury people mover and hire car segment of the passenger carrying market, this mix between a mobile conference room and a comfortable cruiser has a lot to commend it.
Amarok has set new standards for ute comfort and appeal and with additional models soon joining the range it’s set for a strong future.
In addition to electronic differential locks, a mechanical differential lock is also optionally available on the rear axle for both drive versions. The heavy-duty suspension enables a maximum load rating of up to 1.248 tonnes. Safety continues to remain at a very high level. This includes the ESP system as standard, as well as front airbags for driver and front passenger, plus head/thorax airbags, and the ute is classified as a five-star ANCAP safety rating. As well as the base vehicle with a black front bumper, a style pack is also available for the single-cab with a front bumper painted to match the colour of the vehicle, 18 or
The new Multivan Business is the latest top-of-the-range model in the Multivan series. The Business takes the Highline equipment package as its basis, and is synonymous with superior comfort for business travellers. The rear compartment provides an unrivalled and exclusive mobile environment, with a total of six seats that are perfect for travelling in luxury. The luxury level of inclusions here extends to authentic wooden surfaces and Nappa leather seats, and is accentuated by striking wooden inlays. Two captain-style chairs with integrated three-point belts, in the third row, match the luxurious atmosphere with a high level of safety in the rear compartment. DELIVERY
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A
s the acceptance of the all-new Ranger appears to exceed even Ford’s expectations, there’s every reason for the carmaker to be excited in advance of the release of new models that expand the Ranger product line-up.
With its introduction into Australia delayed from the early part of 2012 until probably the start of the second quarter, because of the Thailand floods, buyers can expect to see Space Cab and Single Cab variants powered by a choice of diesel engines of 2.2 litres and 3.2 litres, plus a 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder. Also on offer will be a 4x2 Hi-Rider, and the luxuriously equipped, sports-oriented, Wildtrak. Ford’s light commercial van range has also not been neglected, and Transit buyers will have the added option of the one-tonne, Ford Transit 280S with a new engine under the bonnet. Ford is introducing a new 2.2 four-cylinder TDCi engine across the model range. Not only will customers gain through significantly reduced fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions, but also increases in maximum power and torque. This new 2.2 TDCi turbo-diesel engine will be fitted to the 2012 Transit range in two states of tune: 92 kW/330 Nm (frontwheel drive) and 114 kW/385 Nm (rear-wheel drive, where it will replace the current 2.4-litre power unit). The improvements also apply to the tailpipe emissions levels, as well as economy and, in the case of the Transit 280S, the combined-cycle fuel consumption improves by 11 percent, to 7.2 l/100 km, with CO2 a class-leading 189 g/km.
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Thanks to a heritage that dates back 47 years, the Transit remains one of the best known names in the medium van segment. Australia doesn’t get access to the complete range sold in the UK, but, in its homeland, Pommie buyers get to make their choice from three wheelbases, four frame lengths, rear, front or all-wheel-drive, high traction dual and single rear wheels, and single or double cab styles. Transit is still wining awards, and in the past six years has won no less than 15 awards from UK specialist magazine, What Van. The ECOnetic version is available in Australia, and, in its homeland, it comes with auto start/stop (which automatically shuts down the engine at idle), a 110 km/h speed limiter, and
RANGER ROLL OUT
Ranger is increasing its model options with new versions available by mid-year.
CO2 emissions levels as low as 173 g/km. This latest version of the ECOnetic shows an economy improvement of up to 8.5 percent and it sits in the light commercial line-up ahead of the Fiesta van ECOnetic that returns an enviable 95 g/km of CO2 emissions. According to Brad Bownell, Ford Australia’s vice president of marketing, sales and service, there is an ongoing review taking place with regard to the import of the Transit Connect. No decision has yet been taken to compete in the smaller van segment, but if Ford does decided to adopt the Transit Connect, it opens the door for further technology upgrades such as the option to offer the Transit Connect Electric van.
Transit continues to improve with lower emissions and better fuel economy.
RANGER
ROLL OUT
Ford continues its expansion for the Ranger ute and adds a new dimension to Transit
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obody doubts that the Australian market is extremely competitive. With all the European, North American, Japanese and, more recently, Korean vehicle makers bringing their products onto the Australian domestic market, it’s already crowded with content and opportunity.
Into that melting pot of product comes new vehicles developed in China, some as the result of joint ventures with existing manufacturers from other countries, and some developed within China by the Chinese manufacturer’s own in-house research and development design teams. The names of the manufacturers, at first sight, might appear somewhat unusual, but, before long, Australians will find familiarity with companies such as Chery, SAIC, Geely, and JAC, plus the company on which we are focusing in this feature, that of Joylong. Jiangsu Joylong Automobile Co. Ltd, usually known more simply as Joylong, was founded as recently as 2007 and is located in Jiangdu, Jiansu Province, in China. Bordering the Yangtze River, it’s a large-scale specialised vehicle maker with light commercial van manufacturing as the core business, and engineering machinery and real estate as the strategic businesses.
For the Australian market, Joylong is focusing its attention on its MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) and, for all intents and purposes, we can expect to see the first examples of these commercial vans and people movers arriving in Australia for sale from March onwards. Delivery magazine was invited to a special preview of the Joylong MPV, in its luxury people mover form, and found immediately that there are strong reasons why local operators will look closely at what it has to offer. Given that many tour operators in Australia are already focused on providing transport to visitors from the Asian market, it’s highly likely that many tourist transfers could already recognise and feel comfortable with riding in a Joylong product. The company currently has an annual production capacity of 30,000 units, and its manufacturing base in Jiangdu covers the whole gamut of vehicle making, including pressing, stamping, welding, painting and assembly. Some of its personnel resource includes Japanese engineering teams, and the Proton-owned Lotus company in the UK has also apparently been involved in some aspects of suspension design and chassis fine-tuning.
CHINESE “T”
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CHINESE “T” FOR TRUCKS At first sight, it’s almost impossible to identify the difference between the Joylong MPV and a typical Japanese lightcommercial equivalent. The overall appearance is certainly similar, and reminded us of a comment made by Chinese sales and marketing executives recently, who denied the suggestion that products were copied, preferring they were “replicated”. Putting aside the question of whether the vehicles are either copied or replicated, the Joylong, at first sight, appears to be able to provide what the buyer requires. Bonded windows give a sleek appearance, and the side loading sliding door provides good access to the interior. It’s a two-step entry, and, with windows that carry a deep tint, there’s the choice of adding sliding, opening side windows, or staying with a fully-glazed side and relying on the interior air conditioning. The interior layout is flexible and varies from six seats on a 2 + 2 + 2 layout, through to an option of seven seats by adding a single seat opposite the sliding side door and repositioning the 2 + 2 centre seats rearwards. An eight-seat version comes in a 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 configuration, and after that the seat spacing decreases, the seats themselves become narrower, and the options increase to a maximum of 15 seats, where there are four-position rear bench seats with rows of twin and single seats ahead.
The standard seats for the multi-occupant versions are, as one might expect, fairly basic, but the lesser seat capacity alternatives mean that the standard fare in these MPVs is very much upmarket, with leather trimmed captain’s chairs in each position. It was this final configuration that featured in the MPV shown to Delivery, and they are certainly comfortable, impressive in appearance and designed for wider frames than the average Chinese. There are also two other levels of seat trim available in what Joylong calls Aero Seating or Business Seats. The integral air conditioning unit of the vehicle itself was augmented by a roof-mounted aircon unit that satisfied the demands for cool air from passengers seated towards the rear of the vehicle, as it distributed through nine roof-mounted outlets. Vehicle in-car entertainment systems include a dropdown 15-inch TV and video monitor. The audio/visual system also includes a rear-vision camera and can accept DVDs and CDs, together with an FM/AM radio, and plays back through six speakers. Power for the models on sale in China, comes from two petrol and one diesel engine alternatives. Joylong claims the development of the 4RB2 engine was in conjunction with Toyota and Delphi, whereas the 4G69 petrol engine resulted
FOR TRUCKS Stand by for a Chinese presence in the ute, van and bus market as that nation gears up for export
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FEATURE And if it’s variety that you’re after, moving into 2012 will add further models as China comes into our marketplace with a new range from the somewhat strangely titled manufacturer, Joy Long. The full details of the Chinese-built vans will be made available from late March, but in a recent preview, Delivery magazine was able to see for itself just how the Chinese manufacturers “replicate” existing designs by established Japanese auto makers. From a distance, the Chinese replicas appear almost identical to products such as those from Toyota, but it’s when you get up close and personal that you find the actual build quality and finer touches differ considerably. Delivery will be covering the introduction of the new Chinese products in future issues, so in this review we’ll look at providing a complete round up of the many different types of van-based solutions currently available from Japan, Europe and Korea.
ith 2011 now well and truly having drawn to a close, it’s interesting to see how the annual sales of the small to medium van segment have differed little from the previous year. Around 21,000 new vans found owners throughout Australia, and with 16 different makes and models from which to choose, there’s plenty of scope for individuality.
Hopefully we’ve passed through the days when a van buyer just went to their local vehicle dealership and selected whatever was on offer. The range today is so significantly focused on providing certain advantages to different types of users, that buyers actually do themselves a disservice by not looking hard at the whole range of vehicles on offer. In the small van category, we have the Suzuki APV, the Citroen Berlingo, Holden Combo, Peugeot Partner, Renault Kangoo and Volkswagen Caddy. Within this, basically, carderived category, where the front end resembles a car bolted onto a van body, the choice is amazing. The one exception to the car-derived appearance is that of the Suzuki APV (All Purpose Vehicle). Priced around the cusp of $19,000, it boasts 3.4 cubic metres of cargo space and a payload of 785 kg. Power comes from a petrol-only, four-cylinder engine of 1.6 litres, and it’s only available with a manual five-speed transmission. Its strength is that it provides easy access to a rectangular space of cargo area through side doors as well as rear doors.
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LOCAL LOADS
The Suzuki is ideal for small deliveries around the city centre where parking space is at a premium but where speeds are low. This is not a van to cherish for longer distance driving, but around town, it’s more than adequate and offers a good interior area that’s fine, even for taller items of cargo such as plants and shrubs. With around 9 percent of the overall small to medium van segment under its belt, the Volkswagen Caddy has everything on offer. Petrol or diesel engines, plus five-speed manual gearboxes and optional six or seven-speed DSG automated manual transmissions offer a wealth of choice. Also up for grabs is an extended-length version called the Caddy Maxi, and, with this alternative, a buyer has the choice of a cargo area that expands from 3.2 cubic metres of space and a payload of 780 kg, out to 4.2 cubic metres and a payload of 850 kg. It’s the only small van to also offer all-wheel-drive, a must for those in the snow. Competing with the Caddy, but underperforming in the sales race, by comparison, is a collection of look-alike alternatives. Buyers have choice galore between the Citroen Berlingo, Holden Combo, Peugeot Partner and Renault Kangoo. The French certainly have the upper hand when it comes to styling. All Gallic versions look good, with the Kangoo probably outclassing them all for its cheekiness in appearance. The Berlingo does the standard and longer body option, as does the Peugeot, with cargo areas varying from 3.3 cubic metres to 3.7 cubic metres, and payloads that vary from 670 to 850 kg. Both offer 1.6-litre, petrol or diesel engines with five-speed manual gearboxes. Holden’s Combo has stoically maintained the sole presence for GM in the light commercial segment, and brings with it a 1.4-litre, petrol-only engine matched to a five-speed manual gearbox. Cargo space here is 2.39 cubic metres, and payload is 735 kg. If you are after small, the Combo epitomizes the mini segment. DELIVERY
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seems that German van, ute and truckmaker, Volkswagen, can do no wrong in the eyes of the global lightcommercial buyer. To get a handle on just how expansive the range has now become, and in how many markets it is now available, Delivery looked at VW’s performance, on a global basis, to bring you this report. Figures released, which cover the first ten months of 2011, show that Volkswagen retailed 433,500 light commercial vehicles worldwide, a growth of 24.2 percent over the equivalent period of 2010 and 348,900 units. With 131,500 deliveries worldwide in 2011 (previous year: 104,400), and a rise of 25.9 percent, the Caddy urban delivery vehicle range was again the brand’s top seller worldwide. The T-Series Transporter T5 saw 127,350 units sold globally, with its variants being the Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan and California – a rise of 7.3 percent over the previous year of 118,700 units. For the large van market, the VW Crafter retailed 30,300 deliveries worldwide, 2.1 percent up on the previous year of 29,700 vehicles. Sales volumes of the Amarok, up to the end of October, rose to 54,350 units, up from 14,300. The Saveiro Pick-up, which is sold in South America, was 15 percent up, at 68,500 units (2010 figure of 59,600), while the Brazilian classic T2 was just under the previous year’s level, with 21,500 deliveries (previous year: 22,200). In Western Europe, from January to October, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 234,900 light commercial vehicles, achieving a rise of 17.3 percent against 200,200 for 2010. Germany remained the biggest individual market, with 100,600 deliveries (previous year: 93,700 vehicles, up by 7.3 percent) whereas in Eastern Europe, sales rose by 41.9 percent to 28,500 light commercial vehicles (previous year: 20,065). In Russia, there were 9,700 deliveries, representing a growth of 90 percent (previous year: 5,100), in the Middle East deliveries rose by 25 percent to 24,500 units (previous year: 19,600) and in the high-volume region of South America, 68
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deliveries were up by 27.3 percent to 116,600 vehicles (previous year: 91,600). Volkswagen has also been concentrating on increasing the options available throughout the range, and now has an all-wheel-drive version of every vehicle in its portfolio, from Caddy through to Crafter. With the Caddy 4MOTION being released into Australia during 2011, it’s the Crafter that’s now in the spotlight for off-road terrain travel, thanks to a conversion available from Achleitner, the Austrian fourwheel-drive specialist. Designed for the 3,500 kg or 5,000 kg GVM Crafter 4MOTION, the Achleitner four-wheel drive system provides all-terrain traction both on and off-road. The new Crafter 4MOTION with Achleitner four-wheel-drive was announced in conjunction with the Dakar 2012 press conference in Paris, and, together with the Amarok, both these models were bound for use in Dakar as escort vehicles. Far from an intended use covering gravel roads rather than the bitumen, the Crafter 4MOTION with four-wheel-drive from Achleitner is designed for use in extreme terrain, such as with the building industry, emergency services, disaster relief organisations, the fire brigade and police. It’s a trend that VW has been following for years, and an example of the success of the programme is seen by the Transporter 4MOTION, whereby approximately 11 percent of sales each year are four-wheel-drive. For the Caddy, the 4WD sales component is around the six percent mark.
OFF-ROAD AND ON-HIGHWAY WITH VOLKSWAGEN The Achleitner four-wheel-drive system, used for the Crafter, provides a low range reduction ratio of 2.5:1, and backs this with a permanent and uniform 50/50 power distribution across both axles, with differential locks as standard in the transfer box and on the rear axle. As an extra option, a lock can also be ordered for the front axle. When all of the locks are active, one wheel can transfer up to 100 percent of the drive torque without the system attempting to compensate for different torque levels across the four wheels. Slip only occurs at the weakest point – between the tyre tread and the ground.
The addition of all-wheel-drive has meant some changes to the independent suspension on the front axle and the rigid rear axle. Reinforced springs with more displacement, stiffer shock absorbers with progressive damping, and modified stabilisers being some of the more obvious. Regardless of whether on-road or off-road tyres are fitted, the ground clearance has been raised all round by 100 mm. Power comes from the highest output engine available, in this case the 120 kW, 2.0-litre bi-turbo, with 400 Nm of torque rated at 1,800 rpm.
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Hino put on an excellent launch presentation for its class-leading 300 Series light truck range, but there’s no substitute for a full day in the saddle. After the editor got to enjoy tea and small cakes, Allan Whiting had to grab a pie on the run 76
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THE NEW HINO 300
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y first mount for this real-world evaluation was an Extra-long wheelbase 816 Crew Cab, loaded to a tad over six tonnes. It was an automatic-transmission model with optional HID headlights and washers and a rear-view camera.
As the editor reported in the last issue, Hino has moved the ergonomic goalposts with the new 300 Series. Entry and exit from either side of the truck is improved by a folding gear lever – auto or manual – revised step layout, and wideopening doors.
HINO
300
Getting comfy behind the wheel is also easy, thanks to generous ‘belly room’ seat travel, rake adjustment, tilttelescopic steering column and lumbar pad lever. The seat sits on a torsion-bar suspension mechanism, with a magnetic damper that should prove to be maintenance free. Stalk controls handle most functions, and the auto gear lever fell readily to hand, as they say. All felt good! The cab pillars are slim in profile for good angle-forward vision, and the main mirror panes are electrically adjustable and supplemented by wide-angle spotters. Windscreen wipers have a generous sweep, and the washers spray from the wiper arms. The optional camera gave a wide-angle view behind the truck. All looked good! Hino has adopted a central LCD display panel that has true multi-function capability, from digital radio through movie capability to optional nav system and reverse camera displays. It’s also a Bluetooth unit, and I found it very easy to pair my HTC Desire to the system. Playing around with the sound system showed the quality advantages of digital radio over AM/FM. All sounded good! The Hino 300 816 had no trouble meandering through Sydney traffic, with ample torque and car-quality automatictransmission shifts keeping progress smooth and rev-free. The box did its best to fire up the ‘eco’ light on the dashboard whenever possible, and light pedal application saw revs hovering around the 1500-1800 rpm mark most of the time. The box is programmed to downshift when the exhaust brake is engaged, lifting engine revs and making exhaust braking effective, so the service brakes had an easy time of it. I did check them out and discovered that panic stops are very powerful and very quick, with ABS preserving steerability all the while. Impressive stuff! I also checked out the stability control system, by flicking the truck into a stupidly tight turn with way too much speed on. At the sphincter-tightening point where I thought ‘oh,oh!’ the ESC cut engine power and applied selective wheel braking and the truck kept turning quite safely at reduced speed. Given that most rollovers occur as a result of too much speed in too tight a turn, this safety initiative is most welcome. Just when I started thinking there was nothing to whinge about in the new Hino 300, a trio of niggling issues surfaced. Firstly, the central nav-camera screen/radio display was hard to see when driving with sunnies on, and the touchscreen zones, tiny control buttons and knobs were difficult to operate as the truck bounced over our less than billiardtable-smooth road system. Several times I accidentally changed radio stations when my fingers hit the touch screen, so instead of increasing the volume on ABC Radio National DELIVERY
ISSUE 40
77
AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO ECO FRIENDLY, FUEL EFFICIENT CARS
AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS
AUSTRALIA’S LEADING TRUCK & ENGINE MAGAZINE
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