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REVIEW
Fuso 918 Crew: Review
For the owner who wants to take the whole crew to work in comfort, this hard-working eight-tonner could be the answerAt the recent media launch of the upgraded Fuso Canter range, we were introduced to the biggest truck in the range, the 918 Wide Crew Cab LWB.
This big little truck punches well above its weight with a GVM of 8200kg and a GCM of 11,700kg, although it can be derated to 8000kg and 11,000kg, respectively.
We call it a 'big little' truck because for all that load hauling ability it only has a four-cylinder three-litre turbo-diesel engine. But from those three litres, Fuso has managed to coax 129kW and 430Nm of torque, which is pretty impressive.
More impressive is how those figures translate to a truck that can really haul a load. At the launch, the Fuso team had loaded our test rigs with up to around 80 per cent of their capacity.
According to the loadmaster, our 918 Crew was at about seven tonnes, and it handled the task admirably… but more on that later.
On the inside
There is no doubt the Wide Crew Cab Canter lives up to its name. The cab uses all the available space to offer seven seats. Sure, you'd want to be pretty good mates and not too chubby to get all seven in, but all are catered for with seatbelts and semi-separate seats.
The driver gets a suspension seat with a foldable armrest on the left-hand side as standard and it's a pretty good perch at that. All the seats have been re-bolstered and re-trimmed for this model and we're told that they're more comfortable and harder wearing than the previous model.
Up front, there is a fold-down backrest in the centre seat with storage for documents, and it can also be used as a workstation. There is more storage overhead as well as on the dash and in the doors, and there are two drink holders on the middle of the dash.
The infotainment system deserves a mention here. It consists of a 6.1-inch touchscreen, which incorporates a GPS navigation system (with three years of free map updates), DAB radio, CD, a USB port for iPods and other devices and a standard reversing camera, which can accept up to three cameras in total.
In the back, there is plenty of legroom and headroom and the rear seats are surprisingly comfortable. A unique feature is the separate air-conditioning unit in the rear. No, it's not just the front air-con plumbed to the rear, it is a stand-alone unit under the right-hand side of the rear seat with its own controls and individual outlets for the rear occupants. A nice touch, especially if you're working in extreme climates.
Under the left-hand side of the rear seat is a handy storage bin accessed by raising the seat base. It's a great place for tools and other equipment and points to the optimum use of all the cabin space in the truck's design.
On the road
The 918 is a very easy truck to drive. Our test unit was fitted with Fuso's Duonic six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission, which we reckon is one of the best in the business. It is smooth, quick changing and very easy to override if you want to shift manually.
Of course, the 918 Crew is also available as a five-speed manual, but when asked about the uptake of the Duonic, the Fuso spokespeople said that it was certainly the most popular, particularly in the fleet market.
Our test route took us over a varied drive program that included urban, outer urban and a bit of country running – and the 918 certainly took everything in its stride. And it wasn't all flat. We were taken on quite hilly sections that really tested the load-hauling ability of the trucks and the 918 came through well. Sure, we did have to revert to manually shifting the Duonic on a couple of occasions to stop it hunting for a gear on a long uphill stretch, but even when left in drive, it pulled up well.
The engine has a pretty flat torque curve with a maximum between 1500 and 3000rpm, where it starts to taper off but is still making 300Nm at peak revs. Peak power is between 2860 and 3500rpm.
It's interesting to note that the front suspension is a traditional multi-leaf setup with stabiliser bar and double-acting dampers as opposed to the smaller 515 City Crew Cab, which has a double-wishbone independent suspension with coil springs. Clearly, Fuso is expecting the bigger 918 to come in for some bigger loads and more punishment.
But the difference in ride between the two trucks isn’t pronounced and the 918 rides beautifully with a load.
Braking is taken care of with discs all round gripped by two-piston calipers front and rear. There's also ABS, electronic brake distribution (EBD) and an exhaust brake. Suffice to say that we didn't have any trouble pulling the 918 up. The system works extremely well.
The bottom line
So what did we reckon of the Fuso 918 Wide Crew Cab? It's a thoroughly enjoyable truck to drive. It's comfortable whether you're a driver or passenger. It's easy to drive with no discernable vices.
It handles, steers and stops really well and it can haul a remarkable load for its engine size.
Fuso is now quoting a terrific warranty period of five years/200,000km or 4000 operating hours, and a service interval of 12 months/30,000km or 600 operating hours, which is great for downtime and ownership costs.
Related reading:
Fuso launches five-year warranty
Fuso 918 Wide Crew Cab Specifications
Engine: Four-cylinder, 3.0-litre turbocharged intercooled diesel
Power: 129kW at 2860 to 3500rpm
Torque: 430Nm at 1600 to 2860rpm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automated manual
Emission control: Diesel particulate filter (DPF) plus SCR after-treatment system
Emissions: Euro V
GVM: 8200kg (8000kg opt)
GCM: 11,700kg (11,000kg opt)
Wheelbase: 3850mm
Fuel: 100 litres
AdBlue: 12 litres
Warranty: Five years/200,000km/4000 operating hours
Web: www.fuso.com.au
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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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