Hino targets truck markets in Africa
Hino Motors Ltd, Japan’s largest manufacturer of heavy trucks and the second largest bus manufacturer is eyeing Africa as a key market for its vehicles. Currently, Hino trucks are being supported and sold through Toyota SA Trucks in South Africa, this relationship dating back to 1972. Although often mistakenly believed to be a Toyota product, Hino is actually a separate marque in Japan, though a subsidiary of the Toyota Motor Company.
In Japan, it is a close neck and neck race for first place in the bus and heavy truck market between Mitsubishi and Hino. However, in South Africa, Hino and Toyota are leaders in the domestic Japanese truck market business.
Hino Trucks’ Presence in South Africa
Over the last few years, Hino South Africa has emerged as a major contender in the South African medium, heavy and also extra-heavy truck segments. Yoshio Shirai, Hino president, said in Johannesburg that his company was planning to grow its sales volumes and its market share in South Africa. A few weeks ago, Hino had previewed its new 300 range at this year’s Johannesburg Motor Show and has plans to officially launch the vehicles here in early 2012. South Africa is the first country in which Hino introduced its new 300 Series medium-truck range, and also the first to assemble these products outside Japan.
Dr Casper Kruger, Hino South Africa VP, said that the new line-up would feature narrow and wide cabs, and also, for the first time, a crew cab derivative. As far as the features are concerned, the new vehicles are more aerodynamic as compared to the current ones. They have increased interior space and better visibility, whereas the interior has been restyled to include new instrument panels and storage areas.
The engines have been improved and are more fuel-efficient derivatives of the earlier Euro 3 Hino power units. The new engine produces 392 Nm of torque, and is fitted to the 814 and 714 derivatives. The 915 and 815 models are equipped with a 110 kW (150 hp) version of the same engine.
This new range will also have a conventional six-speed automatic transmission besides five-speed and six-speed manual gearboxes. It will also be the first medium truck in the South African market to include standard airbags having seat belt pre-tensioners for the driver as well as the passenger.
Hino, which will be celebrating forty years of operations in South Africa in 2012, will be appointing a number of 2S dealers for offering service and parts facilities but without a sales operation next year. According to Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa, Hino production was now running at full capacity in Japan. He attributed this success to the excellent collaboration in recovery efforts between Hino and its different suppliers in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in March this year.
Dr Johan van Zyl also stated that having boosted the company’s profitability and also doubled its global sales for the last financial year, Hino Motors is now planning to increase its annual global sales to 230 000 units by the year 2015.
