Hino 700 Tipper and Dog 2026 Review

At the recent launch of the latest iteration of the Hino 700 Series, it was the all-new 9.0-litre engine which grabbed the limelight.

However, while the spotlight was shining on the lighter end of the range, the heavier end of the range also got some TLC with the lifting of specs and a new transmission to bring it bang up-to-date.

The Hino 700 FS is the model which does most of the donkey work at this end of the Hino 700 range.

This particular tipper and dog I'm testing here, is set up in the typical way a local government workhorse would be specified. Basically, it has to be able to handle the general work of shifting different materials like sand, gravel, and soil around a region... day in, day out.

The combination is a 6x4 tipper hauling a three axle dog, and the truck is the FS 2845, which has been specified to be able to handle a GCM of up to 50 tonnes.

This is plenty of capacity for the kind of work these trucks face on a day-to-day basis and the 2157Nm of torque is plenty for the job, and for the conditions it will be expected to face.

This model now uses the Hino 12 speed AMT (check this review for our first drive); an automated adaptation of the 12-speed 'box offered as a manual across the 700 Series range.

The AMT unit is capable of handling the torque put out by the 450hp version of this engine (fitted to our test truck), but the higher 480 horsepower version is coupled with the ZF Traxon AMT, which Hino has been offering with the 700 for some time.

Like many of the modern 13.0-litre engines, this powerplant reaches maximum torque before it reaches 1000rpm and holds torque at that level all the way to 1450rpm. This kind of flat-topped torque curve is just what you want, to complete a multitude of tasks including hauling a full load of gravel up and out of a quarry, and down the road to a worksite to deliver the load.

The driveline flexibility came to the fore as we took the combination south out of Sydney, climbing from the southern suburbs onto the Princes Highway as it heads towards Wollongong.

The constant stop-go traffic, as the truck went from red traffic light to the next, in the busy Sydney morning traffic also showed off another new feature available at a flick of a dashboard switch.

Brake syncing, as Hino calls it, occurs when the driver first touches the brake pedal, and introduces just enough engine braking to slow the truck.

This is sometimes all the driver needs to slow up approaching a set of traffic lights, before taking off again when they turn green. It's also useful when the lights don't turn green, as you can press gently on the brake to slow the truck in anticipation of having to brake and, when the service brake is needed, gently give it another push.

The end result is blended braking, so to speak, with both the engine brake and the service brakes activating, bringing the truck to a halt.

Taking a tour of the cabin interior, the basic shape and feel of the previous 700 remains.

That includes all the usual fitting and fitments, like a UHF radio (not standard), USB and 12 volt ports, and climate control. There's also the now ubiquitous infotainment screen, in this case a 10.1in unit.

It's also nice to see Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and reversing cameras (in this case we had a rear camera on the trailer as well). There are also built-in maps so the driver can enter the truck data to find the right route for the combination’s height, weight and length.

The main screen is also the point of contact for the Hino Connect telematics system which notifies operators of any fault codes, fuel usage data, and other fleet management tools.

Hino dealerships are geo-fenced in the unit, so that when you drive a truck into a dealership, the workshop is notified that the truck has arrived. Coupled with the fault code, the technicians can immediately start their diagnosis.

Transmission control comes from a dial mounted on the dash, and the options are clearly marked and easy to dial in.

Controls for the AMT are on the left-hand steering column stalk, and here you can flip from auto to manual, or pull up to change up and push down to go back down.

In practice, out on the road, there's little need to intervene with the AMT. However, with a fully loaded combination, the AMT doesn’t know if the combination is about to hit an up slope, so it can be helpful to grab one or two gears, get the revs up and hook into the climb.

Then there’s all the latest safety kit, now mandated of course.

The dash display directly in front of the driver shows the speed, rpm, fuel, air and temperature, but also includes graphics to go with active safety features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning.

If the truck is connected up to a non-ABS trailer, a warning on the dash informs the driver the trailer does not have ABS, and turns off the autonomous braking features. This is because if it was activated while pulling a dumb trailer, the trailer brakes would lock up, and the combination could lose control.

Over the years, steering wheel button layouts have become more logical. When they first arrived on the scene, they could be confusing, but in recent years most truck manufacturers seem to have settled on the idea that the buttons on one side of the steering wheel control things like audio and telephone, and those on the other side deal with cruise control and the adaptive cruise function.

For some reason, Hino has always fitted a button to adjust the speed of the hill-hold set-up. There's clearly a technical reason why this is fitted on the dashboard, but sometimes it means the Hill Start aid doesn't take off as effectively as you'd like.

There’s a simple solution: adjust the control to suit the driver's preference and the load, but this can be fiddly.

Hino, as a brand, doesn't represent cutting-edge technology or ultra-modern design elements.

Instead, what you get is a well-designed, well-built truck that you can trust, time and time again, to carry out the task at hand.

In the kind of roles these trucks are designed to handle, there's no need for glamour and glitz, just good old reliability. A truck like this tipper and dog is certainly a well-made multi-functional tool.