Hino Announces Enhancements to 2002 Model Trucks
ORANGEBURG, NY., July 24, 2001 Hino Diesel Trucks (USA) has announced its 2002 lineup of Class 4-7 cabover trucks. "The new model year features several enhancements that make a great product line even better," said Ted J. Fick, Hino¹s senior vice president. "Our Class 4, FA model, can now accommodate an 18-foot body, and we're offering Allison automatic transmissions on our Class 4 and 5 models. We're also offering a high-capacity, 105 Amp, low maintenance-brushless alternators across our product line. This allows extra capacity and gives more safety margin for customer added electrical devices. According to Fick, Hino is constantly working to engineer the best products possible for its customers. "And that effort continues to pay off," he emphasized. "We feel paying attention to customer applications and committing to provide quality products are two reasons why our trucks were recently ranked by J.D. Power and Associates as the industry's top medium-duty cabover, as determined in their 2000 Medium Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study."* 2002 Model Year Lineup Class 4 FA4J Series: This Class 4 truck series features a GVW rating of 15,000 pounds and GCW rating of 21,000 pounds. Hino FAs are powered by a 4-valve overhead cam, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 168 horsepower at 2500 rpm. It drives through either a 5-speed direct drive synchromesh transmission, or through a 4-speed Allison AT542 automatic transmission. Hino customers report that this model can achieve fuel economy as high as 17 mpg. According to Fick, "Hino is the only Japanese truck that uses a U.S.-built automatic transmission across the product lineup. By going this route, we've essentially doubled the life expectancy of the transmission while even further lowering life-cycle costs for our customers." Capacity has also been increased on the FA. Customers can now order an FA with wheelbases from 115 inches to 165 inches -- accommodating 12-18 foot bodies. Class 5 FB4J Series: The FB Series features a GVW rating of 17,600 pounds and GCW rating of 26,400 pounds. Like its slightly smaller brother, the FA, it is powered by a 4-valve overhead cam, 4-cylinder diesel engine which produces 168 horsepower at 2500 rpm. It's also driven through either a 5-speed direct drive synchromesh transmission, or through a 4-speed Allison AT542 automatic transmission. Hino says customers report fuel economy as high as 16 mpg. The FB can accommodate 14-18 foot bodies. "The FB is a great work truck, especially when ordered with the 3.636 gear ratio," said Fick. "Our standard gearing allows the truck to have a near-80 mph road speed, and it can cruise easily at 65 mph, posting excellent fuel economy. What¹s more, it has high torque which makes our 4-cylinder engine perform more like an expensive 6-cylinder model." Class 6 FD2J Series: This Class 6 truck features a GVW rating of 23,000 pounds and GCW rating of 35,000 pounds. The wheelbase ranges from 148 inches to 217 inches to accommodate 16 to 24 foot bodies. The FD is powered by a 4-valve overhead cam, 6-cylinder diesel engine which produces 200 horsepower at 2500 rpm. It's driven through either a 6-speed overdrive synchromesh transmission, or through a new Allison 2400P World transmission which features a "park" position. The new five-speed automatic transmission also features a "power position" and "economy position" for better driving performance. What's more, it has a lockup torque converter with a standard exhaust brake and PTO openings on both sides of the transmission. "We can now offer PTO capability on our engine and transmission on our 6-cylinder trucks," said Fick. "This engine driven feature is a low cost option of around $500, and it's a significant advantage on our trucks -- other truck makes charge up to $5,000 for a flywheel PTO option." Other improvements on the FD for 2002 include a high-mount fan that improves cooling capabilities while keeping noise to a minimum. Class 6 FE2J and Class 7 FF2J Series: The FE features a GVW rating of 25,995 pounds and GCW rating of 40,000 pounds, while the FF features a GVW rating of 30,000 pounds and GCW rating of 45,000 pounds. The FE can accommodate 16-28 foot bodies, while the FF is designed for 18-26 foot bodies. Engines in each model are the same and feature a 4-valve overhead cam, 6-cylinder diesel engine which produces 200 horsepower at 2500 rpm. Like the FD, the FE and FF are available with a six-speed overdrive synchromesh transmission -- or optional Allison 2400P World transmission on the FE and Allison 2000 Automatic on the FF. Class 7 SG2J Series: Hino's SG trucks have a GVW rating of 32,900 pounds and GCW rating of up to 50,000 pounds. The SGs can be spec'd with a longer wheelbase for 2002 (244 inches) which allows 19-28 foot bodies to be used. The SGs are driven by 4-valve overhead cam, 6-cylinder diesel engine which produce up to 252 horsepower at 2500 rpm. New for 2002 is an inexpensive engine-driven PTO option -- available with either manual 6-speed or Allison 5-speed automatic transmission. Hino is the only Japanese manufacturer of Class 7 cabovers that offers an automatic transmission. Other new features include the high mount fan center for better cooling, and "power assist" with the manual transmission that reduces shift effort by 60 percent. Hino Diesel Trucks (USA), a Toyota-owned company, is a leading supplier of Class 4-7 cabover trucks throughout the United States. Hino was the first Japanese truck and bus manufacturer to enter the U.S. market and has been an active participant in the North American market for 17 years. To learn more about Hino, visit the company's website at www.hino.comhttp://www.hino.com/prod.shtml .