Fuso debuts the new-look Canter at the 2011 Brisbane Truck Show
By Gary Worrall | May 24, 2011
Based on past experiences two things are generally guaranteed at truck shows: the chance to catch up with old friends and the release of a new truck.
True to form, the 2011 Brisbane show not only saw plenty of familiar faces, but also a couple of new ones, including the all-new Fuso Canter.
Despite the upheavals of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caught worldwide attention with widespread devastation, the trucks arrived in time for the show with warning stickers declaring them pre-production versions with minor trim variations to the final Australian specification.
Fuso’s technical manager for Australia, Kevin Johnston says chief among the upgrades is the new Duonic automated manual transmission, which is a dual clutch transmission designed to improve fuel economy and driveability without sacrificing any load-carrying capacity in terms of GVM and GCM.
Similarly, the new engine is certified to meet not only Euro 5 enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle exhaust emission standards, but also the Japan fuel economy target due to come into force in 2015.
It is all achieved with just a 3-litre engine providing the same power and torque as the previous 4.9-litre motor.
The cab has also undergone a restyle inside and out with some interesting angles and panel shapes. There is a welcome revision of the interior that gives larger drivers a little extra room.
Johnston says the combination of a thinner dash and extra rearward movement of the new seat creates more room for the driver, which certainly seems the case from static testing of the revised layout at the Canter presentation.
While the revised styling is striking, the big news is the return of the narrow cab to the Canter range, including a 3500kg GVM model for bridging the gap between car drivers and the full size models.
The narrow cab will be offered in seven models, including a six-seat crew cab and a tipper, both of which are expected to be popular with local government buyers.
See the June edition of ATN magazine for the full story.