Fuso completes roll-out of Canter Safety Pack

Fuso has completed the introduction of its new Safety Pack to its light-duty Canter range, the upgrade now available across all models except for the 4x4 Canter FG.

Fuso blazed a trail in May 2019 when its first Safety Pack-equipped Canter models reached Australian showrooms, making it the first truck brand to offer models with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in the Australian light-duty truck market.

In addition to AEB, the Safety Pack also comprises electronic stability control and lane departure warning, plus carry-over features like antilock brakes, traction control, dual front airbags and an ECE-R29-compliant cab.

The updated range also boasts a larger, higher-resolution multimedia touchscreen. A 7-inch screen now replaces the previous 6.1-inch unit, but retains all the features that were introduced on the new Fuso Rosa earlier this year.

These include Bluetooth connectivity, digital/internet radio, three years of free map updates, USB and 3.5mm auxiliary ports, and a reversing camera (with the ability to connect up to a total of five cameras, if desired).

Trucksales.com.au recently took a closer look at a new Fuso Canter 515 Wide Cab with 'Built Ready' drop-side alloy tray, and featuring the Safety Pack and new screen.

The truck has a radar system mounted low within its front bumper for the AEB system, with a windscreen-mounted camera for the lane departure warning.

Fuso said the AEB provides a potentially crucial safety net without any needless distraction for drivers.

"It's not an intrusive system; unless you're about to have a collision you won't even notice it's there," said a Fuso spokesperson.

The new multimedia screen, meanwhile, has a crisp and clear display that is particularly beneficial when utilising the reversing camera.

The updated Canter range has been ushered in with a modest price rise – typically under $1000 per truck – with the Safety Pack and the improved multimedia screen now both standard fitment.

"We think there's a huge potential here [with the updated Canter range] for councils in particular, given today's workplace health and safety imperatives – it just makes sense," said the spokesperson.

Autonomous emergency braking is also found on Fuso's new heavy-duty platform, the Shogun. While it's not presently offered on the brand's medium-duty Fighter, it's invariably only a matter of time before it is.

Collision avoidance technology is now commonplace throughout the heavy-duty truck segment, with many brands offering integrated AEB systems and others, like Bendix, offering platforms like its Wingman Fusion suite of safety features.

The technology is steadily filtering down to the lighter truck classes too. Hino introduced AEB to its medium-duty 500 Series Standard Cab range in April 2019, before Fuso rolled out its Safety Pack to the light-duty Canter line-up the following month.

Recent Australian research has shown AEB could be of benefit in nearly 15 per cent of all heavy vehicle accidents, prompting the Federal Government to release a Regulatory Impact Statement on mandating the technology, potentially as early as November 2020.