Hino spruiks more powerful 500 Series off-roader

Hino has announced that the new Hino 500 Series GT 1528 has more power and torque, higher axle capacities, larger GVM and an increased payload.

“We know the power, torque and payload upgrades to the 500 Series GT 1528 will provide our customers with even better performance and useability in conditions that they need it most,” said Daniel Petrovski, Hino Australia’s Product Strategy Manager.

“Appearances can be deceiving, from the outside, it might not appear that much has changed, but it’s under the cab and in the driveline that there are significant enhancements.

“These enhancements will have an increased appeal to a broad range of customers including agricultural, infrastructure support and a multitude of mining industry applications,” Mr Petrovski said.

“Such is the excellent reputation of the current model that, after we announced the new model in August last year, we were approached by a number of emergency service organisations, and we are currently preparing a number of trial vehicles for those customers,” he continued.

Power in the Hino J08 turbocharged six-cylinder engine has increased from 215hp to 280hp (158kW to 206kW) while torque improves substantially from 637Nm to 824Nm.

“Of particular interest to our customers is the standard fitment of the Allison 2500 Series fully automatic transmission,” said Mr Petrovski.

“Given the challenging conditions in which the GT 4x4 operates, the Allison automatic allows the driver to concentrate on safely traversing the terrain without the need to change gears.”

The turning circle has been reduced by over a metre, which is handy for drivers navigating off road tracks.

The Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of the new 500 Series GT 1528 has increased from 13 tonnes to 14.5 tonnes courtesy of an upgraded 5.5-tonne front axle and a 10-tonne rear axle.

“Importantly, the higher GVM rating is achieved with very minimal impact on the tare weight, resulting in a boost of the nominal payload to over 9 tonnes,” added Petrovski.

“As with all Hino Australia trucks, safety is a priority and the 500 Series GT 1528 features a standard reverse camera, ABS, cruise control, driver’s airbag, heated and electrically operated external mirrors, and an ISRI 6860/870 driver’s seat with an integrated safety belt."

It also features the high-definition 6.5-inch touch screen multimedia unit, which was first introduced in the 500 Series Standard Cab models last year, and is now available on all Hino trucks.

“This highly intelligent unit is capable of connecting up to 4 multi-position cameras and supports AM/FM radio, DAB+ digital radio, Bluetooth music streaming and mobile phone connectivity with voice dialling."

The unit also features an Android operating system with Wi-Fi connectivity and the benefit of over-the-air software updates.

“With the new 500 Series GT 1528 alongside our 300 Series 4x4 which we introduced in 2017, Hino offers a solution for almost any off-road application,’’ concluded Mr Petrovski.

Hino Advantage provides customers with three years or 150,000km standard warranty (whichever comes first) with the option of extending the warranty to five years.

Capped Price Servicing is also available in addition to three years free roadside assist and access to a dedicated in-house Customer Care Centre.

The new Hino 500 Series GT 1528 is available now in Hino dealerships.