Capital Equipment News November 2017

The new range includes 6x4 models, giving Hino South Africa a competitive edge in the construction tipper and mixer markets.

2829 Wide Cab, which expands the current 500 Series’ 6x2 range from one to four, also benefits from the introduction of automatic freight carrier variants. Long is mostly excited about the opportu- nity to bridge the automatic transmission gap in the Hino truck range in South Africa. He is of the view that automatic transmission is a game changer for the commercial vehicle in- dustry as it helps truck owners lower operat- ing costs and downtime, bearing in mind that the traditional manual transmission is more susceptible to wear-and-tear, especially to its clutch in the long run. He also believes the automatic transmission option can be crucial for markets such as South Africa where the level of driving skills is under pressure. “We realise that local fleet owners see the attrac- tion of these transmissions as well. The fully automatic transmission allows less skilled drivers to be productive without straining the truck,” says Long. The appeal of automatics goes far beyond driver preferences, with safety and fuel economy also topping the list. “Automatic transmission is also a large help with safety because the driver can stay focused on the road or the task at hand instead of shifting gears. Additionally, drivers do not get as fatigued with an automatic as they do with a manual or AMT since they do not have to shift gears all of the time.” Meanwhile, the introduction of the 2836 Wide Cab’s all new freight carrier, mixer and tipper variants, allows Hino to venture into the 6x4 segment of the extra heavy

A greater focus on driver comfort is showcased by the new cab which is considerably wider than that of the previous versions

There is now a choice of three engines, compared with only one engine on the previous Hino 500 models

New 6x4 models give Hino South Africa an edge in the construction tipper and mixer markets

New full automatic route opens new possibilities amid a growing trend towards automatic transmissions in commercial vehicles

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The new generation of Hino’s 500 Series trucks, ranging from 16 to 28 t, dubbed the Wide Cab range, largely replaces some mod- els in the current 500 Series, which have been sold locally for the past 14 years – only the 6 and 8 t models will continue unchanged. The new launches include the 16 t 1627 (4x2) freight carrier and construction models, the 28 t 2829 freight carrier models and the 28 t

2836 (6x4), offering freight carrier, mixer and tipper variants. Bridging the gap With the introduction of the new 1627 Wide Cab, the current 500 Series’ 4x2 range has been expanded from two to five models. Of note is the introduction of an automatic freight carrier model in this range. The new

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