Hino has had a long association with V8 Supercars, and one of the company’s promotional features it uses for the Supercars events is the Sports Deck. The Sports Deck is a combination of a viewing platform, merchandise outlet and advertising billboard all rolled into one, and it travels from track to track for the V8 Supercar season.
The Sports Deck folds up into a container-like module, which is designed to sit on a conventional skel trailer, with a gross combination mass of a little over 22 tonnes. The impressive setup is pulled by a Hino 700 Series SH 1845 4×2 prime mover.
We were fortunate enough to drive the Sports Deck rig from the Bathurst 1000 up to the Gold Coast, for the next round of the V8 Supercars.
We’re pretty familiar with the Hino 700 Series, having driven it in many configurations since the launch of this latest version in 2021. However, the drive of the 700 Series in prime mover form was a first.
Who’s it for?
The Hino 700 Series is a versatile heavy-duty truck that comes in various configurations from 4×2 through to 6×4 and on to 8×4. It can be used as a rigid truck or, as is the case here, a prime mover.
At the 700 Series launch in 2021, Hino Australia’s Manager of Product Strategy, Daniel Petrovski, said key new models included 4×2 and 6×2 rigid trucks suitable for distribution applications, as well as the 6×4 and 8×4 models, which cater for customers at the heavier end of the distribution and vocational application spectrum.
The 8×4 models are popular as concrete agitators and the prime movers are great for urban and intrastate distribution, while the 4x2s are a versatile and reliable addition to any fleet.
Powertrain
A new Euro 6 A09C nine-litre engine became available from launch in addition to the well-proven Hino E13C 13-litre engine, which has also been updated to meet Euro 6 exhaust emissions compliance.
Power ratings for the nine-litre engine are either 320hp or 360hp with either 1275Nm or 1569Nm of torque. The 13-litre engine boasts power outputs of 450hp or 480hp, both with 2157Nm of torque.
The nine-litre engine comes with an Allison full-auto transmission while the 13-litre gets a ZF TraXon 16-speed automated manual with intarder. All models come with a Jake brake.
Suspension can be either leaf or air, or a combination of the two, and various wheelbase versions are available for different applications.
The Hino 700 Series is covered by a three-year/500,000km factory warranty that can be extended to five years as an option.
Tech & Safety
At launch, the 700 Series was touted as ‘The Safest Hino Ever’. As such, all 700 Series variants get the Hino SmartSafe suite of safety features.
Hino SmartSafe packages a pre-collision system with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, along with lane departure warning, vehicle stability control and a reversing camera, among other standard safety features.
It also includes a Driver Monitor, which constantly assesses metrics such as driver posture, face orientation, and eyelid movement via a rear-facing camera set into the A-pillar. If the system determines the driver has become distracted or fatigued, a visual and audible alert is issued.
“Safety is a key consideration for Hino in designing our vehicles and we are proud to offer Hino SmartSafe-equipped solutions across all on-road market segments,” Mr Petrovski said.
The entire range meets Euro 6 emissions standards while the FY 8×4 also comes with Hino-Connect telematics, giving operators powerful insights into the truck’s use and behaviour with features like real-time performance data tracking, remote fault diagnostics and dedicated Hino-Connect support.
On the Road
There is nothing like an interstate run to really get the feel for a truck and our run from Bathurst to the Goldie was perfect.
Comfort levels in the cab are high with a top-shelf Isri seat and tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering column, making it easy to get a suitable driving position no matter your size.
Vision is also terrific through the deep and wide windscreen and via the big rear-view mirrors.
The test ruck had the big 13-litre engine with 450hp and the 16-speed TraXon transmission, and with only around 20 tonnes on the back, it was a bit of a hotrod on the highway.
On the lesser gradients, the Hino never left the overdrive top gear, and it took a fair hill to get it to kick down to the 1:1 15th gear. On the really steep climbs in the Blue Mountains, I found I could get it to kick down by hitting the accelerator down to the floor past the detent that gives it an extra boost.
Of course, you can also drive the Hino 700 Series in manual mode by pressing the button on the smaller of the stalks on the left of the steering column and shifting up and down, but I found that the TraXon gearbox works so well that it’s really not necessary.
The Hino 700 4×2 has the same Jacobs brake and automated-manual transmission as the multi-axle models, along with the ZF Intarder – a hydraulically-actuated retarder fitted as standard.
On the downhills and even in traffic, the intarder is fantastic. It works off the larger of the left-hand stalks and has five positions: the first click down gives the Jake brake, and the next four bring on the intarder in stages.
I found that if you’re driving ahead of the truck and anticipating what’s coming up, you can virtually drive with one pedal. The service brakes become redundant.
The interior is spacious. It’s roomier than I thought it’d be, and there was ample room in the driver’s seat to move around and get different driving positions so you didn’t get cramped or sore after long stints in the saddle.
The layout of the dash is simple, and everything is easy to find, while the controls fall easily to hand. It really is an easy and pleasant truck to drive.
Covering just over a thousand kilometres, I averaged 3.1km/litre (about 32.6 litres/100kms) which is really good economy for a 13-litre truck at over 20 tonnes.
Fleet Verdict
Hino trucks have a reputation for reliability and durability in this country and, as with most vehicles out of Japan, they are well built and have low warranty claims.
As such, they make for a dependable truck that is certain to have a long life with minimal downtime.
The addition of the nine-litre engine makes the 700 Series range even more versatile, and with the wide spread of axle configurations and wheelbases, the 700 Series is well worth a look if you’re after a dependable heavy-duty truck.
Hino 700 Series Quick Specs:
- Engine: Hino E13C-B
- Type: Six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine
- Power: 450hp/331kW
- Torque: 2157Nm
- Transmission: ZF TraXon 16 Spd AMT
- GVM: 16,000kg
- GCM: 42,000kg
- Wheelbase: 3.4m
- Fuel: 450 litres
- AdBlue: 56 litres
