Hino 500 Series FC 1124 Tipper: Review

The new 2019 Hino 500 Series FC 1124 Tipper might be a fairly humble affair in terms of application but for technology and features it's about as sophisticated as they come.

With cutting-edge safety technology that now includes autonomous emergency braking, Hino's next-generation 500 Series Standard Cab range, which spans FC, FD and FE models and GVMs from 11 to 14 tonnes, is blazing a trail in the medium-duty segment.

The 500 Series Standard Cab range completes the evolution of Hino's medium-duty line-up – an evolution that began with the release of its next-gen 500 Series Wide Cab models in 2016.

I was impressed with my initial first taste of the new 500 Series Standard Cab range at the national media launch in Canberra in April, as was Trucksales contributor Allan Whiting with his follow-up road test of a range-topping Hino FE 1426 in May.

More recently, I grabbed the key to another new Hino 500 Series Standard Cab model at the lighter end of the line-up: the FC 1124 Tipper…

Related reading:
Hino sets sights on medium-duty crown
Hino rolls out new, smarter multimedia unit
Hino plays safe at Brisbane Truck Show

Our 4x2 Hino FC 1124 Tipper came to us in a 3.8m wheelbase. Also available in a 3.4m wheelbase, it comes ready to work – or Built to Go, as Hino puts it – with a genuine, factory-fitted steel tipper body. It's a robust affair, with two-way swinging tailgate, drop-side walls, and a wind-out tarp.

It's also supremely easy to use. Simply put the truck in neutral, depress the clutch pedal, and push the PTO switch inside the cabin – then it's just a matter of pulling the dump lever, located next to the driver's seat, up or down.

The only thing this tipper lacked, to my mind, was some form of rung or step to aid access to the tray, which is a fair way off the deck.

I spent a week running around Melbourne in this truck, for the most part empty but at one stage picking up a 3.2-tonne load of crushed rock. A spot of landscaping was on the agenda and the FC 1124 Tipper was the perfect tool for the job.

Of course, while the actual tipping function of this model is largely unchanged from its predecessor, the experience from behind the wheel of this next-gen truck is significantly different on many fronts. Let's start where any driver would – outside the cab…

Hopping in or out of this FC is super easy, thank to a very low, broad and grippy first (and only) step. Both doors open to 90 degrees and the grab rails are right where you want them, while the driver's seat's quick-release feature dumps air to see the perch settle at the bottom of its 80mm range of height adjustment, providing room to help slide in behind the wheel.

It's ISRI's next-generation 6860/875 NTS 2 seat, and it comes with automatic weight adjustment, integrated seat belt and headrest, and heaps of adjustment, including pneumatic lumbar support. It's standard for drivers of new 500 Series Standard Cab models but it can also be optioned as a passenger unit, although ticking this box rules out having a centre seat.

This test truck adopts a twin passenger format and while that centre perch is pretty basic, with only a lap belt, it does fold forward to reveal a tray and concealed storage that will fit a 15-inch laptop.

The brown and beige tones make for a welcome change from the usual grey, I think, and overall the cab looks smart and modern. It won't be to everyone's liking, of course, but it's a bit different and it should prove just as durable and easy to clean maintain.

There's a bit of room behind the seating to stow a jacket or a smaller bag, and generally good storage for odds and ends near the handbrake and on the dash, plus along the shelf at the base of the centre stack. There are twin overhead storage units too, plus a smallish bottle holder in each door pocket and a slide-out twin cup holder in the centre of the dash.

The three overhead LED lights are really bright and the large, round air-con vents are super easy to use – the HVAC (heating, venting and air-conditioning) system in general is highly effective, demisting the front and side glass quickly on cold winter mornings.

The steering wheel is now adjustable for both tilt and reach and, along with the ISRI seat, it's no bother to find an optimal driving position.

The steering wheel itself is a big step up, with a leather wrap that feels far superior to the usual hard plastic and integrated controls for the cruise control and to navigate the central TFT display, found between the analogue speedo and tacho.

Vision is superb, with narrow A-pillars and large side/spot mirrors – in fact the biggest thing to watch out for in city traffic is looking around the mirror units themselves. For tight manoeuvring, a reversing camera is standard across the range and, thanks to Hino's new multimedia unit, owners can add up to a further three additional cameras.

Our test vehicle was fitted with two such cameras just behind each side of the cab, giving a very handy view down each side of the truck. Each camera's display automatically comes up on the multimedia unit when the indicators are in use, but you can activate the display at any time, choosing to have all three outputs or just one on the touchscreen at any one time.

The camera setup is just one example of how Hino has raised the bar for drivers with these new medium-duty models. The new multimedia system in particular is a cracker; it's a locally designed and developed setup and it covers all the usual bases – like truck-focussed satellite navigation (optional), digital radio, Bluetooth streaming – and many you probably haven't even yet considered, like apps that can address all manner of role-specific tasks.

Of course, it can also be optioned with the latest version of Hino's Traq telematics system, and the multimedia display can be customised to incorporate a business's corporate logo and colours. Simply swipe your driver ID card at the start of your shift and all the trip, truck and GPS data is uploaded to your profile.

There's also a key-secured forward and rear-facing dash-cam set-up, for businesses that require that level of monitoring.

We also like how the multimedia volume knob is now a lot larger and easier to use, but oddly there's no integrated controls for the Bluetooth hands-free phone system on the steering wheel. In this day and age that seems like a bit of an oversight – and there's no factory voice-command setup either, unless you use your smartphone's inbuilt system.

Pairing a phone is easy, however, and we love the system's over-the-air updates, which will ensure it's no bother to keep up with the latest available software.

Fancy electronics and features count for naught, of course, if the truck isn't up to the job – but we have no concerns regarding this tipper's functionality.

On the good news front, the FC 1124 Tipper now has an 11,000kg GVM – up 600kg from its predecesor – and that's all extra productivity to improve the bottom line.

It might seems like a fair weight to be pushed along by 'only' a four-cylinder engine, but Hino's new A05C-TE does a thoroughly competent job and it rumbles away from a standing start with surprising pace.

While in general the cab is reasonably quiet on a steady throttle, our test vehicle had bit of an annoying buzz around 1600rpm that seemed to emanate from the rear window frame. However, with the load of gravel on board it vanished, making the cab a really pretty pleasant place to be.

Mind you, there's still a decent roar from the engine under load – this little 5.1-litre donk still sounds like a proper truck.

This tipper is geared pretty short and you shift the six-speeder rapidly to reach top (sixth) at around 60km/h. Fifth is a direct drive with sixth an overdrive, while the axle ratio is 4.625:1. The manual is a bit stiff through the lower gears from cold, but after everything's warmed up it shifts through its gates smoothly enough.

At 100km/h in sixth the tacho registers 2200rpm, which puts it a bit north of the tacho's indicated green 'eco zone', which stretches from 900 to 1800rpm. I really like eco rating system though; drive the truck as smoothly and efficiently as you can and little green leaves appear on a tree on the central TFT instrument display.

Over a week I achieved a Level 4 rating, but more importantly I found myself actively trying to boost my score, saving fuel and wear and tear in the process.

Fuel economy? Hino says it's receiving early operator reports in the vicinity of a 10 per cent improvement. I averaged 5.9km/lt over the course of a week, although the truck was empty for the majority of that time. The truck comes with a 200-litre fuel tank, plus a 19-litre AdBlue tank; emissions compliance is handled through a mixture of EGR, SCR, and a DPF.

With the gravel in the tray the ride is nicely composed, and even when empty it's not as harsh as you might expect. Having said that, the odd bumpy section of motorway was, on occasions, enough to trigger the traction control and thereby deactivate the radar cruise control. Still, how good is it that we're now talking about such systems in a medium-duty Japanese truck?

Radar (or adaptive) cruise control might not be a priority for some, and perhaps not for trucks that deal almost exclusively with congested city traffic, but on free-flowing highways the ability to follow a vehicle at a set distance up to a maximum speed adds up to less strain for the driver.

Add in the AEB, stability control, hill start assist and lane departure warning, and it's great to see trucks of this nature getting gear that not long ago was the preserve of dearer passenger cars. Now, let's add blind spot monitoring to the list.

The brakes are good and strong and the new Jake brake really is a tangible help, helping to control descents and taking a bit of the load off the service brakes. And did I mention the turning circle? It's excellent; Hino claims a kerb-to-kerb figure of just 12.4 metres.

There is really very little to criticise in Hino's new 500 Series FC 1124 Tipper, and so much to like. Comfortable, feature-packed and safe, this model has raised the bar in the factory tipper stakes, and we're sure it will find much favour with drivers and operators alike.

Hino FC 1124 Tipper pricing and specifications:
Engine: Hino A05C-TE 5.1-litre common-rail four-cylinder twin-turbo-diesel
Horsepower: 177kW (240hp) at 2300rpm
Torque: 794Nm at 1400rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel capacity: 200lt
Emissions: pPNLT (Euro 6) – SCR, EGR and DPF
AdBlue capacity: 19lt
GVM: 11,000kg
GCM: 16,000kg
Cab: Day cab, ECE-R29 certified
Suspension: Taper leaf springs with shocks (front); multi-leaf springs (rear)
Axle ratio: 4.625:1
Brakes: Drum, air over hydraulic with ABS; Jake brake
Safety: Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, stability control, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, driver airbag
Seat: ISRI 6860 NTS2 air suspension (driver)
Warranty: Three years/150,000km