Hino 700 Series FY 8x4 Hook Lift Review

A Vocational 8x4 Hook Lift truck probably isn’t what you’d expect to be driving on an interstate run from Bundaberg to Ballina in New South Wales, but that was what was on offer, and we took it.

Besides, what better way to get familiar with a truck we hadn’t driven before than to do a 600-odd kilometre trip through varying conditions and terrain.

The run was in company with a more suitable 6x4 2848 curtainsider and we could basically take what time we wanted as long as we got there in one piece.

The new Hino 700 Series is a truck that we’re quite familiar with here at trucksales having driven most configurations since its launch in June of 2021.

The range of the 700 Series covers plenty of options from rigid trucks through to prime movers.

With a wider range of axle configurations, an increased number of engine power ratings and an exclusively two-pedal transmission line-up, the 700 Series models suit more customer applications and operating requirements.

A Euro 6 A09C nine-litre engine became available from the launch, in addition to the well-proven Hino E13C 13-litre engine which has also been updated to meet Euro 6 exhaust emissions compliance.

At launch time, Hino Australia’s manager of product strategy, Daniel Petrovski said key new models launched in 2021 included 4x2 and 6x2 rigid trucks suitable for distribution applications as well as the 6x4 and 8x4 models, which cater for customers at the heavier end of the distribution and vocational application spectrum.

“The 700 Series was built as a vehicle for today and for the future,” he said. “Australian customers clearly prefer the convenience of two-pedal transmissions, which is why the expanded Hino 700 Series model range is available with either a true automatic or an automated manual transmission (AMT), which are matched to their respective engine power ratings,” said Mr Petrovski.

Our truck for the run was a 3036 FY 8x4 twin-steer with a Westrans hook-lift body suitable for the construction or demolition industry.

The truck was powered by the nine-litre A09 six-cylinder engine putting out 360hp and 1569Nm between 1000 and 1600rpm. This was mated to the six-speed Allison 4440 fully-automatic gearbox.

Suspension in this model is six-rod leaf as opposed to the air suspension in some of the higher-spec versions of the 700 Series. It also had a four-point air-suspended cab which made it as pretty comfortable ride.

At Hino’s 700 Series static release in Sydney back in 2021, we checked out the new twin-steer setup and it certainly looked robust enough. Centrally-located rockers transfer weight to and from the rear eye of each leading parabolic spring to the front eye of each rear spring.

It’s a smart but simple system that works well in this application.

The FY 8x4 has EBS braking combined with the Hino Taper Roller brakes and a Jacobs-type engine brake but misses out on the brilliant ZF intarder that the 13-litre versions get.

As it was a very early model, our test truck also missed out on the full suite of Hino SmarSafe features. Hino SmartSafe includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection (PD), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), stability control (VSC), reverse camera and a host of other standard safety features. Later versions of this model do get all that as standard.

In fact, when Hino added the Driver Monitor system to the 700 Series range, they dubbed it the ‘safest Hino ever’.

The Driver Monitor system constantly monitors the driver’s attention towards the road using key metrics such as driving posture, face orientation, and eyelid status via a camera integrated into the A-pillar.

The system provides a visual and audible alert if it detects drowsiness or a lack of attention from the driver.

Thanks to the boys at the local dealership at Bundaberg, we were able to get away nice and early for the run down the Bruce Highway. As most drivers will know, that part of the highway is a mess with potholes, roadworks, and speed restrictions everywhere.

Add to that the ever-present Highway Patrol and it makes for a pretty nerve-wracking drive. But it got me settled into the truck and the slow speed restrictions allowed me to familiarise myself with the controls, and get used to the layout and figure out how to use the radio. It’s a pretty easy cabin to navigate and I had no problems getting sorted out.

This model has the push-button shifting as opposed to the dial on the fancier models. I like the push-button. It makes it really simple to manually shift with simple up-down buttons close to your hand on the right-hand side of the transmission box.

Similarly, the diff-lock buttons are close to the transmission and are easy to find when you need them.

The seat is beauty. It an Isri NTS2 which is the latest generation and provides terrific comfort and support for the driver.

We were loaded to about 20 tonnes which evened out the ride and the nine-litre Hino pulled up the hills easily. I thought the six-speed box might hunt a bit for gears on the hills but it was very well-mannered and really smooth in the changes.

Cruising along just under 100km/h we were sitting on around 1650rpm which is up near the top-end of the maximum torque band and showed that the gearing is about right.

Also about right is the economy. Over our trip of around 600 kilometres, I returned an average fuel burn of 3.2 kilometres per litre or 31.25 litres/100kms which is pretty good in a loaded truck.

The Hino FY 8x4 has a standard fuel tank of 390 litres which would give a theoretical range of around 1200 kilometres.

On our trip down the coast, we got a heap of different terrain, and while most of it was easy highway running we also got some rough roads as well as towns and detours which spiced it up a bit. We also got a massive storm around Brisbane which gave the truck’s triple wipers a real workout.

They certainly did their bit and put a big tick in the positive column for aiding this driver in very marginal conditions.

Overall, the Hino 700 Series FY 3036 did a remarkably good job for a what is essentially an around-town truck on an interstate run. At the end of the day, I got out feeling as though I could easily do a few hundred kilometres more – and if that’s not a testament to the comfort and ease of driving of a truck I don’t know what is.

Specifications:
Engine: A09C six-cylinder nine-litre
Power: 360hp
Torque: 1569Nm
Transmission: Allison six-speed 4440 true automatic
Wheelbase: 5925mm
GVM: 30,000kg
GCM: 42,500kg
Emissions: Euro 6 using Hino DPR and SCR
Fuel: 390 litres
AdBlue: 28 litres
Wheels: Alcoa alloy
Suspension: Leaf