Hino 300 Series 616 Hybrid: Review

Hino hybrid trucks are nothing new. The company has been selling hybrids since 2007, and according to Hino Australia there are around 600 currently (excuse the pun) on our roads.

During the time it's been selling hybrids, Hino hasn’t just been sitting back counting the sales; it's been quietly modernising and upgrading the systems on the hybrids with the help of parent company Toyota, and this model is no exception.

With this latest model, Hino has updated the hybrid system, with changes to hardware and operational software that are aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

The battery itself has been reduced in size but retains its 6.5 amp hour (AH) rating.

The power control unit (PCU), which encompasses the battery, inverter, ECU and DC-DC converter, has been redesigned for lighter weight and smaller packaging, resulting in a PCU weight of 85kg, down from 113kg.

The Hino Hybrid retains its parallel electric diesel design and continues to use the Toyota Group-sourced nickel metal hydride battery, which Hino says has been used in over 15 million hybrid vehicles worldwide.

The engine and transmission have been improved with the aim of further improving fuel consumption.

The Hino N04C-WR four-cylinder common-rail injected turbo-diesel engine produces 150hp (110kW) and 470Nm of torque, which is delivered in combination with the electric motor from a very low 1000rpm.

Hino has also gone from a five-speed to a six-speed automated manual for this model. Other 300 Series models get fully automatic transmissions.

The six-speed transmission is designed to give a wider spread of gears and a tall overdrive sixth so that the vehicle stays in the ‘green zone’ on the tacho for longer and thus gives better fuel economy.

With this model, Hino spokesperson Daniel Petrovski told us that in back-to-back testing professional drivers achieved fuel savings of up to 21 per cent over a standard diesel model with the same weight over the same route.

Like all new Hino 300 Series vehicles, the hybrid models feature Hino’s SmartSafe, a comprehensive safety package with advanced driver-assist technology.

Hino SmartSafe includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection and lane departure warning.

This is in addition to the vehicle’s existing safety package that includes vehicle stability control, dual SRS airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, and UN ECE R-29 cab strength.

The new Hybrid models are equipped with a reversing camera which offers high-definition vision along with infrared night vision and audio through the 6.5-inch multimedia unit.

Inside, the Hybrid is pretty much like any other truck. There’s a two-person bench seat for passengers although the middle passenger only gets a lap belt, which seems to fly in the face of the safety message for the 300 Series. And there’s a fixed seat for the driver where the rest of the 300 Series models get a suspension seat.

But the interior is modern. Steering-wheel-mounted controls for the audio, cruise control and the info screen on the dash are welcome, as is the big touchscreen mentioned earlier.

The steering column is adjustable for reach and tilt and the ergonomics are very good. There is an array of buttons to turn off features like the lane departure warning and traction control, though why you’d want to is a moot point.

What is handy though is the button that turns off the idle shut-down. This feature is designed for fuel saving and shuts down the engine when you’re idling at stop lights and the like. I find it annoying in a car and even more so in a truck.

The button turns off the feature but the default is to have it on so you have to press the button every time you get into the truck which, for me at least, is a pain.

Storage isn’t bad with overhead shelves for paperwork and open storage along the dash.

There’s also a couple of cup holders and a paperwork shelf in the fold-down backrest of the middle seat.

If you’re worried about driving a hybrid, you don’t have to be. The hybrid drive is inoffensive and isn’t invasive. In fact, you can just drive it like a normal automatic small truck and you’d virtually be none the wiser.

Certainly sometimes at low speeds or when cruising in traffic, the diesel engine will drop to idle speed and the electric motor will take over – that’s all part of the deal and partially what adds to the fuel savings.

Otherwise, you can just toodle around all day and watch the fuel gauge not move very much.

The low-down torque is certainly evident, especially at low speed or when taking off. We had the Hybrid at 4100kg, just 400kg short of its GVM, and it was happily taking off in third gear and keeping up with the traffic.

It’s interesting to note that it will get up into sixth gear quickly if you’re light on the throttle – sometimes at speeds of under 50km/h, which is getting full use out of the maximum torque generated at those really low revs. And from there it’ll pull all the way to 100km/h where you’ll be doing about 2450 revs, which is just out of the green zone on the tacho.

It’s quite comfortable too. The Independent front suspension combined with the taper-leaf rear is well matched and handles our roads effectively. It’s great at soaking up the bumps and potholes around the urban area where we did most of our driving.

On the highway, it’ll cruise happily at around 90km/h with the cruise control helping hold the speed.

The service brakes work very well too. The four-wheel discs pull the Hino up quickly and easily, even with the load on.

There is an exhaust brake on the left-hand stalk, but it isn’t that effective and negates the cruise control if it’s on. I preferred to use the regenerative braking that charges the batteries on overrun and provides a bit of engine braking.

I felt really confident in the Hino Hybrid. The safety boosts are a real step forward for all small trucks. I’m sure Hino's main competitor, Isuzu, will follow suit just as Hino did when Fuso started to ramp up the safety features in its small trucks.

The handling is good too. It didn’t wallow through corners, it tracked straight and true, which I suppose it should being a car-licence vehicle.

People without experience in trucks could easily slip behind the wheel of the Hino and feel quite comfortable with this vehicle's handling and dynamics.

On our test we did a variety of driving from stop-start urban driving right through to blasts down the highway using the cruise. The figure we achieved after zeroing the fuel economy when we jumped in was 12.7L/100km or 7.87km/L.

This fits in with Hino’s figures on their back-to-back testing which returned figures of 6.08km/L (16.44L/100km) for the diesel truck and 7.32 (13.66L/100km) for the hybrid truck, making a difference 20 per cent in favour of the hybrid.

The Hino Hybrid Standard Cab has a fuel tank of 100 litres, giving our test truck a theoretical range of 787 kilometres. That's pretty good for a loaded truck.

Hino is not looking to sell a lot of the 300 Series Hybrids. In fact, at the 300 Series launch we were told the company is only selling around 50 per year. But if you want a ‘green’ truck or two in your fleet, there are not a lot of alternatives.

Of course, you could go for the fully electric Fuso eCanter which is due to hit our market in February. But that’s really a different kettle of fish, with zero emissions and a somewhat limited range.

So that leaves the Hino 300 Series Hybrids in a little market niche of their own, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Anyone wanting a safe and economical light truck that does the right thing with its hybrid drive and Euro 6 compliance need look no further than the Hino 300 Series Hybrid.

Hybrid Drive:
Motor: AC synchronous motor
Rated voltage: 201V
Max output: 35kW at 1600rpm
Battery type: Nickel-metal hydride
Battery capacity: 6.5 Ah

Transmission
Make: Hino RE62 six-speed with single overdrive
Description: Automated manual transmission incorporating hybrid electric drive

Suspension:
Front: independent front suspension (coil springs) 2400kg
Rear: Taper leaf spring, hydraulic dampers, 4400kg

Weights:
GVM: 4495kg (upgradable to 8500kg
GCM: GVM plus 3500kg
Wheelbase: 3.4m
Max body length: 4.8m

Safety:
Pre-collision system (incl Autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection), ABS, lane departure warning, traction control, stability control, reverse camera, driver and passenger airbags, ECE-R29 cab strength, seatbelt pretensioners (driver and LHS passenger).