The Hino 700 Series is not new. It was launched in its current guise in 2019. However, the 700 Series has a rich and popular history.
Hino’s entry into the heavy-duty market came in 1981 with the Super Dolphin Series in Japan.
In 1992 it was redesigned and became the Super Dolphin Profia and then later simplified to the Profia, but for most export markets, it was simply known as the Hino 700.
The current 700 Series was first seen in Japan in 2017 and then here two years later. It was further updated halfway through 2021 where it received the interior and modern 9.0-litre and 13-litre engines that we see today.
It was with this upgrade that the 700 Series was launched with Euro 6 compliance which was only mandated in this country for new trucks this year.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, the purpose of this extended drive program over two days and consisting of no fewer than eight trucks, was to demonstrate the extended model range of the 700 Series and the addition of a new Hino-manufactured 12-speed automated manual transmission (AMT).
The new transmission will sit alongside the existing six-speed Allison automatic box and the 16-speed ZF AMT.
Power remains the same with the 9.0-litre A09C with a choice of outputs of 320hp with 1275Nm of torque and 360hp with 1569Nm and the 13-litre E13C with either 450 or 480hp and 2157Nm of torque across the board.
The availability of the new Hino M112 12-speed AMT with either engine provides Hino with eleven additional 700 Series models.
The new FH1836 4×2, FS2636 6×4 and FY3036 8×4 models feature the Hino M112 12-speed AMT, mated to the reliable A09C-VN engine, which produces peak power of 360hp (265kW) and 1569Nm of torque delivered from 1100 to 1600rpm.
“The new 360hp with 12-speed AMT drivelines are well suited to the stop-start demands of metropolitan general freight and vocational applications – they are also ideal for heavy rigid customers driving in regional areas, or those requiring more towing capability than the existing 320hp automatic models can deliver,” said Daniel Petrovski, Hino’s Department Manager of Product Strategy.
“All of the new driveline combinations with the 12-speed AMT feature a 3.9:1 final drive ratio, meaning the new models sit at about 1600rpm while cruising at 100km/h in top gear.
“The ability to select 11th gear at 100km/h and ascend inclines at full power makes the new models particularly well suited to customers seeking a fuel-efficient highway operational vehicle that also delivers the performance required for Australia’s regional highways.”
The FS2845 – available with either an airbag or leaf spring drive axle – utilises the E13C 13 litre engine and the new M112 Hino 12-speed AMT to deliver 450hp (331kW) and 2157Nm of torque.
“It’s an ideal truck for councils and civil works operators that require the flexibility to operate as a rigid tipper and to also tow a pig or dog trailer,” said Petrovski.
“The Hino 700 Series range is expansive with 31 models that appeal to almost any operation.”
The already existing range offers FH 1832 4×2, FR 2632 6×2 and FS 2632 6×4 models with the A09C engine delivering 320hp and 1275Nm via a six-speed Allison 3200 true automatic transmission, while the FY 3036 8×4 models deliver 360hp and 1569Nm via the larger and stronger six-speed Allison 4400 true automatic transmission.
The FS 2848 6×4, SS 2848 6×4 and FY 3248 8×4 models with the 13 litre E13C 480hp 2157Nm engine is also available with the popular ZF 16-speed AMT, the TraXon TX 2441TO, which features the market-leading ZF intarder.
“Both the A09C and E13C engines comply with Euro 6 emission standards through a combination of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and the Hino Diesel Particulate Active Reduction Filter (DPR),” said Petrovski.
On the road
Our two-day drive took in some typical roads that the Hino 700 Series would travel during the course of an intra-state or even an interstate drive.
We started off at Hino’s HQ in Sydney and did some city driving before heading south down the notorious Mount Ousley to the south coast of New South Wales.
From there, we picked up the Kings Highway, up the equally notorious Clyde Mountain to end up in Canberra.
Along the way, we swapped in and out of trucks to really get the feel for the different models and really test out the new transmission.
It was a bold move by Hino to give us a really challenging drive program and reinforced the company’s faith they have in the 700 Series.
On the trip, the 12-speed transmission performed faultlessly. It changes smoothly up or down and is never flustered or found hunting for gears.
On the descent down Mt Ousley, I found that manually selecting seventh gear in the box held the loaded 700 Series that I was driving to around 40km/h (which is the truck speed limit on that hill) without having to use the service brakes at all.
The 700 Series trucks have a stalk on the left-hand side of the steering column that controls the Jake brake and there is a little button on the end that shifts the box between manual and auto operation.
Back on the flat, a flick to auto mode and the truck purrs along nicely on the highway quickly reaching 12th gear and cruising effortlessly with the traffic.
Approaching a hill, a quick flick of the mode button and a press on the shifter to kick it down to 11th or even 10th and the truck marches up without losing speed.
On the steeper grades, like Clyde Mountain, I found that the combination of the 13-litre engine and the 12-speed AMT was the pick of the bunch.
I was fortunate to have a 480hp tipper under me on the run up the hill and it was a beauty with ninth and 10th being the gears of choice and the occasional kick down to eighth for the really tight hairpin bends.
Don’t get me wrong, the Allison six-speed is a fine transmission and the ZF TraXon 16-speed has proven itself over the years, not only in the Hino 700 Series but in many other brands of trucks as well, but for the kind of work we did on our two-day drive, I think the new Hino 12-speed is a beauty.
I’ll stick my neck out and say that the six-speed would be great for around-town work where its quick shifting properties and smooth changes would be suited to stop-start traffic and delivery work, whereas the 16-speed and new Hino 12-speed would be better suited to highway and long-distance driving.
Overall, with the new 12-speed transmission and additional models in the lineup, there really is a 700 Series Hino for everyone.
It’s a versatile truck that combines comfort, safety and Hino’s reputation for reliability into a versatile truck that can suit a myriad of applications.