Hino launches new 700 Series

You could be forgiven for thinking that the latest iteration of the Hino 700 is a mere facelift, but you’d be wrong: the cab looks the same, but isn’t, and mechanically only the chassis rails, engine blocks and connecting rods are carry-over items, in the case the nine-litre models.

The upgraded Hino 13-litre and nine-litre engines meet Euro 6 emissions requirements, in response to customer demands, despite the recalcitrant Commonwealth Government’s resistance to its implementation before 2027.

The exterior of the new 700 is a familiar shape, but all the interior structure and exterior panels are new. This was necessary to allow more driver’s seat rearward travel for longer-legged drivers and to lower the driver’s hip point by 15mm to better suit shorter drivers. The new driver’s seat is ISRI’s top-shelf 6860 NTS2 model.

The reshaped cab frame allows fitment of a new four-point cab suspension system and also allows a ‘staircase’ entry-step design that makes entry and exit easier and safer.

The cab has redesigned pre-trip checking , with all fluid levels easily scanned by lifting the front flap.

Another significant advantage of the new cab structure is that it permits a 120mm-lower-height cab variant that sits on top of the nine-litre engine. This cab has a three-bar grille, compared with higher cab’s four-bars.

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Fitting into this ECE R29 crash-compliant cabin is an all-new interior, with ergonomically-designed dashboard that houses a 175mm (seven-inch) multifunction display. The controls are closer to hand than normal, because this is Hino’s first interior that doesn’t have to accommodate operating space for a manual gear lever: all post-2021 Hino 700s have automated manual or fully-automatic transmissions.

A new cab shell and dashboard also allow plenty of space for updated electronics packages, including a newly-adopted Driver Monitor camera that’s integrated into the driver’s side A-pillar moulding.

This camera scans driver’s eye and head movements and warns the driver of any inattention or dozing. The Driver Monitor is also linked to what Hino calls a ‘staggering’ warning, where the 700’s lane-monitoring camera warns the driver if the truck is meandering within its lane.

Those new features are added to the Hino SmartSafe suite that’s common to the smaller 300 Series and 500 Series Hinos: pre-collision system (PCS) with autonomous emergency braking (AEB); pedestrian detection (PD); lane departure warning system (LDWS) and vehicle stability control (VSC). And a reversing camera is standard on all Hino 700s.

Using the truck’s forward-facing radar and camera, PCS scans the road in front of the truck and warns the driver visually and audibly if it detects an imminent collision. Should the driver fail to respond with braking effort, the PCS activates the AEB.

Hino has significantly upgraded the 700’s braking system to incorporate the new safety features.

Electronic braking (EBS) supplements the fall-back pneumatic signal line to the brake modulator valves with an electronic link that’s much faster. EBS is also reactive to axle weight and has a target retardation figure in response to brake pedal pressure, so braking is consistent.

Also helping brake response is Hino’s tapered-roller mechanical actuator design that’s lighter than S-cams and use less air volume.

The only hiccup in this release timing is that 8x4 models are still undergoing VSC engineering validation and the full SmartSafe suite won’t be fitted to 8x4s until mid-2022.

The reason behind this is simple: Australia demands load-sharing on twin-steer trucks if they want to take advantage of 11 tonnes combined front axle loading. Without load-sharing the two-front-axle limit is 10 tonnes. Like all other truck makers, Hino has had to develop a load-sharing front end and that needs to be VSC-calibrated differently from the Japanese (and European and north American) non-load-sharing design.

At Hino’s 700 Series static release in Sydney in yesterday (June 2), 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.

The nine-litre AO9C and 13-litre E13C engines are familiar to Australian operators, but the Euro 6 versions have significant upgrades, including all the kit needed for Euro 6 exhaust gas emissions compliance: cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR); diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC); diesel particulate reduction filter (DPR) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR).

The AO9C-VP engine is rated at 320hp (235kW), with 1275Nm of torque at 1100-1600rpm and has a Jacobs Brake as standard. It’s mated to Allison’s 3200, six-speed automatic torque converter transmission. This powertrain is fitted to FH 1832 4x2, FR 2632 6x2 and FS 2632 6x4 models.

The AO9C-VN engine is rated at 360hp (265kW), with 1569Nm of torque at 1100-1600rpm. It’s mated to the heavier-duty Allison 4440 six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. This powertrain is fitted to the FY 3036 8x4 model.

The E13C-BL engine is rated at 450hp (331kW) and 2157Nm at 1000-1500rpm and has a Jacobs Brake as standard. It’s fitted to the SH 1845 4x2 models. The E13C-BK engine is rated at 480hp (353kW) and has the same torque as the 450hp version. It powers the SS2848 6x4 prime mover and FS 2848 6x4 rigid models, and the FY 3248 8x4 rigid.

All 700 Series rigid and prime mover models have automated-manual, ZF 16-speed AMT transmissions and driver-actuated differential locks as standard. In addition, all AMT trucks have the ZF Intarder, hydraulically-actuated retarder as standard.

That’s probably overkill in the case of 13-litre 6x4 and 8x4 rigid trucks, but as Hino Australia’s manager of product strategy, Daniel Petrovski put it: “I’ve never had a complaint from a customer about having too much auxiliary braking.”

In summary, the latest Hino 700 Series throws down the gauntlet to its competitors and also to some brands that mightn’t have seen Hino as a valid competitor. This new range completes Hino’s dynamic safety suite across its entire lineup.

We’d love to give you some driving impressions, but that won’t happen for a few months. Until then watch this space for more info on the Hino 700 Series.