Hino Australia is preparing to return to the medium-duty market with its Euro 6 500 Series, ending a production gap that has left a noticeable hole in the manufacturer’s line-up for almost two years.
Hino Australia President and CEO Richard Emery said the reintroduction of the 500 Series will be an important part of the company’s plan to rebuild volume as supply conditions improve across its range.
“We are now closing in on the reintroduction of 500 Series after being out of production for basically two years,” Emery said at the company’s recent business briefing. “We will go on sale with Euro 6 500 Series in July this year, with deliveries starting in early ’27.”
For fleet buyers, the return matters because the 500 Series covers a substantial part of the medium-duty market, including distribution, construction, local government, utility and vocational applications. Its absence has limited Hino’s ability to compete for replacement programs during a period when operators have also faced long delivery times, changing emissions requirements and higher vehicle costs.
Emery said Hino expects the broader truck market to remain relatively flat during 2026, with more sustained growth likely to return from early 2027.
That outlook means the 500 Series is not simply a new product launch. It is central to Hino’s recovery from supply constraints that have affected its business over recent years.
“Although it looks like we’ve got quite a steep growth line, the reality is it sees us return to where we were a few years ago,” Emery said. “Between now and 2027 all we’re doing is kind of recovering back to where we were in ’21, ’22.”
The 500 Series will sit between Hino’s light-duty 300 Series and heavy-duty 700 Series ranges. Hino is also preparing a phased introduction of Euro 6 300 Series models, beginning with 150hp diesel variants from June, while higher-horsepower and crew-cab options are planned for mid-2027.
At the heavy end, Emery said Hino had seen stronger momentum for its 700 Series, with order intake having “close to tripled in the last six months”. He attributed that to improved supply, an expanded model line-up and the brand’s value proposition.
However, the return of the 500 Series will be particularly important because it restores a core product range rather than adding incremental volume at the edges of the market.
For operators, the timing will be relevant to replacement planning. Trucks will be available to order from July 2026, but deliveries are not expected to begin until early 2027. Fleet Managers will need to factor that lead time into procurement schedules, especially where vehicles are tied to body builders, specialised equipment or project-driven demand.
Emery said Hino’s immediate task was to recover from the supply interruptions before taking advantage of expected market growth later in the decade.
“We obviously need to firstly recover from our business issues that we’ve had over the last couple of years in terms of supply,” he said. “Then take opportunity that growth provides.”
The 500 Series return also comes as the industry adjusts to tighter emissions standards and ongoing discussion about how fleets transition to lower-emissions vehicles. For many medium-duty applications, Euro 6 diesel remains a practical replacement pathway while operators assess hybrid, battery-electric and other technologies against payload, range, charging access and whole-of-life cost.
Hino has not yet released full local specifications or pricing for the returning 500 Series range. Those details will be important for buyers comparing the trucks with competing Euro 6 medium-duty options as deliveries approach in 2027.
