Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

Review of Mitsubishi Canter Trucks

Are you looking for a medium duty truck tough enough for a grueling workload? And, which does not cost much?  Then you should consider the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter, which is flexible enough for many punitive tasks.  You can get all your dirty jobs done from this workhorse.  The Fuso Canter is designed for delivering dependable, rugged service to its operators.

There is nothing interesting, exciting or glamorous about the job of hauling heavy loads from one place to another,  but somebody has to do that job and the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter truck has been developed precisely for that purpose.  It can do all your shifting, towing, carrying, lifting or tipping jobs.

Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Range

The Fuso Canter is available in 3 basic chassis sizes from 3.5 tons to 7.5 tons.  Once you have chosen the chassis size, engine, and wheelbase, you can customize the truck to your own specifications.  You can have a single or double cab accommodation for the driver cabin depending on your requirements.  You can also choose the body type to go at the back – whether you want it as a delivery truck, dump truck, flatbed truck, refrigerated van, box van or some other configuration suiting your needs.  So you have a lot of flexibility in customizing the truck to your own requirements.

Strong Points of Fuso Canter Trucks

The performance and flexibility of the Fuso engines are real strong points of Fuso Canter trucks.  All the Canter engines have ample payload capacities; the 3.5 ton model can handle payloads up to 1.525 tons, and the 7.5 ton model is able to handle a hefty 4.890 tons.  And, the engines are tuned in a way to deliver powerful torque in the low rev range so that it can smartly pick up big loads even when you start your ascent on a steep hill.  The 3 Liter diesel engine can pump out a torque of 295 Nm at 1,800 rpm, whereas the 3.9 liter engine can produce 412 Nm torque at 1,600 rpm.

The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is a amazingly wide truck with a very spacious cabin that has enough space for three persons to sit.  It is comfortable to drive, and the the driver has a wide all-round view.  The Fuso Canter is a forward-control vehicle; this design gives the canter an excellent turning circle.  Thus the Canter has superb maneuverability. You can easily negotiate traffic amidst tightest corners in congested urban areas – with heavy load to shift.

The Fuso Canter is a functional, robust truck perfectly designed for the objective of moving heavy loads efficiently and quickly.  The available range is very diverse and you should be able to find a truck model with load carrying capacity, dimensions and body type to suit your requirements.  There may be some criticism about the ride comfort of the Canter, but if you’re looking for a mid-range truck with these special capabilities within your budget, Fuso Canter seems to be the best choice.

Hino Trucks at Dakar Rally

We have seen many Japanese cars participating in car racing competitions, but have you ever heard of racing trucks participating in International truck racing competitions?  Well, one of the most famous off-road automobile races in the world is the Dakar Rally which is an annual event.  The Dakar rally event was started in 1978 and traditionally its 10,000 km route was from Paris to Dakar going through European and African countries.   Since 2009, Dakar Rally moved to South America due to security threats in Mauritania.

Dakar rally is considered as one of the most grueling off-road automobile race event.  Contestants in the Dakar Rally race for about two weeks over a route spanning 10,000 km under harsh terrain and weather conditions.  Participants need to cover short distances up to 500–560 miles (800–900 kilometers) per day.   Over 700 teams compete in this rally with trucks, cars, motorbikes and quad-bikes participating in different classes.

In 1991, HINO debuted at the Dakar Rally as the first Japanese truck manufacturer to enter this rally.  And ever since, HINO has received the honor of completing all Dakar races in the 19 consecutive years in which it has participated.  Hino Trucks has won 10 titles during these 19 years.  It only proves that Hino trucks with their durability, quality and reliability can perform as a winner in the extremely harsh conditions as that in the Dakar rally.

HINO participates in the Dakar Rally with trucks known as – the Little Monsters which are based on the Hino Ranger trucks (also known as HINO 500 Series or Hino F-Series Trucks in Japan). These trucks prepared for the rally maximize the potential inherent in all Hino trucks, for taking on the race.  Hino Ranger trucks are known for their world-class reliability and durability.  These medium duty racing trucks from Hino compete fiercely against much bigger monster camions that are powered by engines having displacement more than twice that of the F Series engine.  This is why these trucks from Hino, nicknamed “little monsters” have instilled awe and fear in their competitors.

In 2010, Hino kept the ball rolling with its awe-inspiring performance in the Dakar Rally, accomplishing its 19th successive completion of the two-week long grueling event, and it won double victories in both series – ‘Production Trucks’ and ‘Challenge under 10 liters’.  The winner Hino F Series is powered by an 8-liter six-cylinder J08C inter-cooled turbo diesel engine that develops 260 HP and 745 N.m of torque.  It’s gross weight is around 7,000 kg.

To all our customers who are looking for a powerful and reliable mid-range truck, we strongly recommend the Hino Ranger – the same truck that beats monster trucks in the worlds’ most grueling and demanding auto rally.

Technorati Tags: Japanese cars, racing trucks, Dakar rally, Hino Trucks, Hino Ranger

Car Care Tips for Monsoon

In many countries in the world, it is now the monsoon time and it is raining heavily.  Rainy season poses various threats and challenges to your vehicle that can not be ignored.  We request you to pay attention to the following precautions and tips so that you can not only drive safely in rainy conditions, but also keep your vehicle in perfectly shining condition.

1. Maintain Wiper Blades: In rainy conditions, you should have a good visibility which means you should get a clear unobstructed view of the road.  This is possible only when you have good windshield wipers.  If the wipers streak, chatter and fail to wipe cleanly, you need to replace your windshield wiper blades.  If you have an older vehicle, you may be required to replace the entire wiper arm, as the wear and tear of the arms fails to apply pressure enough to clean the windscreen.
2. Polish your car: Teflon coating is a must-have protection especially in humid and rainy conditions. It protects the car’s metal parts and panels from scratches, rust and environmental damage to the paint. And, you must touch up all the body scratches, as even minor marks and scratches on the car’s body can start the rusting process.
3. Replace bald tires: Worn tire, especially bald tires can be very dangerous on wet roads, where the grooves are not deep enough to channel water out from beneath the tread. It leads to reduced traction and hydroplaning where the vehicle can no longer respond to the steering wheel. You must make sure that the tread level of your tires never goes below 2/32 inch or 3mm.
4. De-fog Windows: Make sure your air-conditioning and defrosting units are functioning properly to de-fog the windows when you are driving in rains. If your windscreen gets fogged up, you should use the defrost mode with Air Conditioner ON and fresh air mode to clear the condensation on windscreen.
5. Checking lights: It may get dark in rainy conditions, so you need to ensure that your headlights are working properly so as to illuminate the dark surroundings around you. It will also help drivers coming from opposite direction to notice your vehicle.  Read the rest of this entry »