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REVIEW
Fuso 515 Superlow City Cab: Review
As the name suggest, this light truck can get places most can’t, but there are plenty more highs to the SuperlowWhen it comes to trucks, size really does matter. And in the case of the Fuso 515 Superlow it’s a truck that's inversely comparable to the meaning of the cliché.
You see, in terms of overall height, the 515 Superlow is one of the lowest light trucks, if not the lowest, on the market.
Which has got me wondering why no other manufacturer has offered such a truck. A truck that can fit into underground carparks? Who’d have thought?
The Superlow tips the tape at just 2010mm high, meaning that it will fit under most office blocks and apartment buildings. In fact, I got the test truck into the carpark here at the trucksales.com.au office which is usually a struggle for a small van let alone a truck.
I also parked it in my garage at home – it was a little on the long side, but it still slotted in nicely, meaning that tradies could leave all their gear on the truck safely locked up in the garage. I have a fairly large garage, mind you, but there was still room for the Other Half’s car and I didn’t even have to move my motorbike.
But it has been said that it’s not all about size but what you do with it – and the 515 Superlow is a pretty versatile truck. It comes with a GVM of 4500kg meaning that it can be driven on a car licence or it can be upgraded to 8000kg GCM for those who need a bit of extra load-hauling capacity.
The three-litre turbo-diesel offers plenty of grunt for the job at hand. Maximum power is 110kW at 2840-3500rpm and max torque is quoted as 370Nm from a low 1350rpm up to 2840rpm.
Standard transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual making it really easy to drive for those with limited experience or for rental markets. The shift is dash mounted with a Park position and there’s an Eco mode for saving fuel.
Our test truck was loaded with about a tonne which it handled with ease and which smoothed out the ride which wasn’t bad to start with. The front suspension is independent with more traditional leaf springs on the rear.
The independent front suspension gives the Superlow an excellent turning circle of 11.8 metres curb to curb which is actually less than that of a Ford Ranger ute (12.7 metres) meaning that not only can it get into underground carparks, it’s remarkably manoeuvrable when it gets there.
Inside
As you’d expect, it’s not far to climb up into the Superlow, and once there, it’s not a bad place to be. The seat is basic but has fairly good adjustment along with lumbar support and a left arm rest, while the steering is adjustable for reach and height.
There’s a dead pedal for the driver’s left foot which I found added to the comfort, and the overall seating position is upright though comfortable.
Vision is great with big wing mirrors and narrow A pillars.
The passenger gets a two-seater bench which isn’t split but has a fold-down in the middle to form a small work station, and there is a lap belt for the middle passenger for when you have it folded up.
Storage is pretty good with two overhead storage areas and a central under-dash pocket for documents or a clipboard. Plus there are door pockets on each side. There are two pop-out drink holders in the middle of the dash but not much else – there's no drink holders in the doors for instance.
In the centre of the dash is a 6.1-inch touch screen that incorporates a GPS, CD stereo with DAB enabled radio, Bluetooth, USB port for iPad and other devices and a reversing camera. Up to three other cameras can be fitted and these are available through Fuso’s spare parts department.
Cruise control is standard as is air-cond and the usual electric windows and mirrors.
On the Road
As mentioned, the 515 Superlow is pretty comfortable on the highway, it cruises effortlessly on the freeway at a smidge over 2200rpm for 100km/y and is very frugal. We returned 11.7 litres/100kms one-up with our load aboard.
On the freeway it’s reasonably quiet with the wind noise getting up a bit from around 90km/h.
At lower speeds, the truck is easy to drive with the rack-and-pinion steering that's well weighted for manoeuvring around town.
Worthy of note are the brakes which we found excellent. They’re discs all round with ABS, EDB and an exhaust brake. The parking brake is car-like lever-action job which works on the back of the transmission and offers great holding on an incline.
Summing up
The long and the short of it is that the Superlow is a great truck for what it’s designed to do – get stuff into small places.
It is low enough to clear 2.1 metres easily, it’s fairly narrow too and has a great turning circle.
Added to that it’s not a wimp when it comes to hauling a small load either on the freeway or up and down hills. It offers adequate comfort levels for urban deliveries and even for the occasional longer trip. The economy combined with the 100-litre fuel tank means that you won’t have to fill up at every servo you pass.
Fuso says that its service intervals of 30,000km, 12 months or 600 hours are up there with the best in the business as is the five-year 200,000km or 4000-hour warranty now on offer.
Specifications:
Fuso Canter 515 Superlow City Cab
Engine: Fuso 4P10-T4 Diesel
Type: Four-cylinder, in-line, DOHC, four-valve, turbocharged, air-to-air intercooler
Displacement: 2998cc
Power: 110kW @ 2480 to 3500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1350 to 2480rpm
Emissions: ADR 80/03 & EEV rated (Enhanced Environmentally-Friendly Vehicle) Euro 5
Front Suspension: Double wishbone independent, coil springs, hydraulic dampers
Rear Suspension: Parabolic leaf springs, hydraulic dampers
GVM 4500kg
Tare: 1925kg
Overall height: 2010mm
Overall length: 5785mm
Wheelbase: 3400mm
Warranty: Five years, 200,000km, 4000 hours
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Written byGeoff Middleton
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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