Capital Equipment News October 2016

The new FUSO FJ 16-230 is now available in southern Africa.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

T ruck operators often base their new vehicle selection on a number of common factors ranging from fuel economy, total cost of ownership through to performance. Notably, versatility has become a key driver of buying decisions as a go-anywhere vehicle is regarded as a boon in any fleet owner’s stable. With that in mind, FUSO Trucks, part of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, has launched its new FJ 16-230, a medium to heavy-duty truck that can be deployed across a range of applications including distribution, rentals, courier, butcheries, water tanks and furniture removals. “One of the major ben- efits of this truck is its versatility. It can be deployed on a wide range of applications be- cause of the different bodies that can be built on the vehicle,” says Harry Makitla, product manager at FUSO Trucks Southern Africa. Ziyad Gaba, national sales manager at FUSO Trucks Southern Africa, notes a growing trend towards small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) across the region, and believes that the FJ 16-230 fits the bill for operators in this market tier.

Versatility is right up on the checklist of most truck owners, and the new FUSO FJ 16-230 rightly ticks this box with its ability to be deployed across a range of medium to heavy-duty trucking applications, writes Munesu Shoko .

With no costly extra bells and whistles, the new FJ 16-230, a 16,6 t 4x2 rigid with an approximate payload of 8 t depending on body type, fills the gap between FUSO’s Fighter range and the FP/FV extra heavy-duty series. It comes in two wheel base configurations of 5,1 m (short base) and 6 m (long base). Key saver Retailing at about R630 000 (short wheel base) and R640 000 (long wheel base), the FJ 16-230 comes with an array of features geared at reducing total cost of ownership and improving profitability. It benefits from the Daimler Trucks engine technology with its six-cylinder 6,3 l 6S20 engine delivering 230 hp of power and 810 Nm of torque. The engine utilises an in-line fuel injection pump with high injection pressure for

better burning of fuel and performance, resulting in greater fuel economy as the quantity of the fuel injected matches the engine requirement. “The 6S20 engine comes with six individu- al pumps – even if one pump stops, the vehi- cle keeps running,” says Makitla. The engine also benefits from an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) feature for precise fuel injection. This is further complemented by an engine brake which bypasses compression, preventing overrunning and also cutting fuel supply in hill descent. It also benefits from a viscous fan controlled as per engine needs, thereby significantly reducing fuel consumption. Meanwhile, powertrain matching is really a systems approach for the new FJ 16-230. The truck’s engine, transmission, axles and tyres are said to be designed to work in tan-

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