Hino has had a long association with V8 Supercars, and one of the company’s hospitality features is the Hino Sports Deck.
The Sports Deck is a combination viewing platform, merchandise outlet and advertising billboard all rolled into one. The Sports Deck travels from track to track with the V8 Supercars circuit.
The Sports Deck folds up into a container-like module which is designed to sit on a conventional skel trailer with a gross combination mass of a little over 22 tonnes. That’s pulled by a Hino 700 Series SH 1845 4×2 prime mover.
This prime mover is powered by the Hino E13C-BL engine which has a displacement of 12.9 litres and puts out 450hp and 2157Nm of torque. That drives through a 16-speed TraXon automated manual transmission with an intarder.
We’ll go deeper into that later but suffice to say that it is as great combination for this, and many other applications.
We were fortunate enough to attend this year’s Bathurst 1000 motor race with our friends from Hino and then drive the Sports Deck rig from Bathurst up to the Gold Coast for the next round of the V8 Supercars.
We’re pretty familiar with the Hino 700 Series having driven it in many configurations since the launch of this latest version in 2021. However, I have never driven a 700 Series in prime mover form, so I was quite looking forward to the drive.
The launch of the latest 700 Series saw many changes from the previous model. Those changes included comfort, safety, power and economy updates, and the new 700 Series is a thoroughly modern and versatile truck.
A Euro 6 nine-litre engine became available from the launch, in addition to the 13-litre engine which has also been updated to meet Euro 6 exhaust emissions compliance which kicks in next year.
At launch time, Hino Australia’s manager of product strategy, Daniel Petrovski said key new models launched in 2021 included 4×2 and 6×2 rigid trucks suitable for distribution applications as well as the 6×4 and 8×4 models, which cater for customers at the heavier end of the distribution and vocational application spectrum.
Another significant change is in the braking department, where the 4×2 scores four-wheel, 434mm-diameter disc brakes, in contrast to the tapered-roller, wedge-type drum brakes fitted to the multi-axle models.
Other safety features of the 700 Series include autonomous braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, stability control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes, among others.
A new Driver Monitor, set into the offside A-pillar, constantly scans the driver’s face to ensure he or she is alert. If it detects the driver’s face dropping, for example – which could be the case due to drowsiness or distraction – it triggers an audible and visual alert.
Another one of the big steps forward with the new-model 700 Series is the interior. Climbing up into the big Hino, the driver is greeted by a top-shelf Isri driver’s seat with integrated seat belt.
Like all Isri seats, it’s multi-adjustable and that, combined with the steering wheel being adjustable for reach and rake, make it really easy to get into a comfortable driving position no matter what your size.
The driver is then faced with a wrap-around dash that has everything close to hand. Instrumentation includes a new 7.0-inch central driver information display nestled between the analogue speedo and tacho. This display features several pages of tabbed trip and vehicle data, navigated via the integrated steering wheel controls.
I found it super-simple to use and I could scroll through trip data including fuel usage, which is handy on a long trip.
There is a sleeper but it’s more just for a rest while you’re waiting to load or unload rather than a proper sleeper for a night or two away. I confess that I didn’t use it on the trip, taking the offer of a hotel room instead.
Vision is a high point for the Hino. The windscreen is deep and wide and the A pillars are narrow minimising blind spots. The rear-vision mirrors are great with solid mountings and no vibration. There’s a flat mirror on the top and convex spotters on the bottom and they supply the driver with a great view aft.
The wipers are also worth a mention as they got some use on the trip. The wipers are a triple set that give a great sweep of the bit screen and really get it clean. The washers are integrated into the wipers and do a great job of bug cleaning as well.
On the road, I found the Hino 700 Series to be comfortable and roomy. Some trucks seem to close in on you a bit, but the Hino has a feeling of spaciousness, and you can move around and get different positions which is good for the long stints behind the wheel.
Driving the 700 Series in prime mover form with the Sports Deck on the back was a dream. The big 13-litre engine with 450hp and nearly 2200Nm of torque hauled the load without a problem often overtaking other trucks on the hills with ease.
On the lesser gradients, the Hino never left the overdrive top gear and it took a fair hill to get it to kick down to the 1:1 15th gear. On the really steep climbs in the Blue Mountains, I found I could get it to kick down by hitting the accelerator down to the floor past the détente that gives it an extra boost.
Of course, you can also drive the Hino 700 Series in manual mode by pressing the button on the smaller of the stalks on the left of the steering column and shifting up and down, but I found that the TraXon gearbox works so well that it’s really not necessary.
The Hino 700 4×2 has the same Jacobs brake and automated-manual transmission as the multi-axle models, along with the ZF Intarder, a hydraulically-actuated retarder, as standard.
On the downhills and even in traffic, the intarder is fantastic. It works off the larger of the left-hand stalks and has five positions: the first click down gives the Jake brake, and the next four bring on the intarder in stages.
I found that if you’re driving ahead of the truck and anticipating what’s coming up, you can virtually dive with one pedal. The service brakes become redundant.
I used it constantly and got fantastic results whether I was moderating speed on the highway or descending steep gradients.
Many trucks have these, but this is up there with the best I’ve used. It must save a heap on brake pads and rotors over the life of the truck – and it’s a great safety feature as well.
After the trip from Bathurst to the Gold Coast, I came away impressed with the Hino 700 Series.
The engine and gearbox are a great match. The interior is modern and comfortable and the ergonomics are great.
Covering just over 1000 kilometres, I averaged 3.1km/litre (about 32.6 litres/100km) which is really good economy for a 13-litre truck.
If you’re after a good, reliable intrastate or even light interstate prime mover, the Hino 700 Series is well worth a look.