Hino has won the 'Under 10-litre truck' class at the 2016 Dakar rally in South America
Hino is applauding its Dakar rally team after claiming title honours in the Under 10-litre truck class, its seventh successive class victory in the endurance race.
Marking Hino’s 25th year in the rally, the only Japanese manufacturer in the race put forward two trucks to compete through the Andes Mountains, and the Argentinian and Bolivian deserts.
The first Hino truck, which finished in 31st place in the overall category, was driven by Yoshimasa Sugawara, the rally’s oldest participant.
Completing his 33rd consecutive Dakar rally, the 74-year-old was joined in 2016 by navigator Mitsugu Takahashi.
Hino’s second truck in the race, driven by Yoshimasa Sugawara’s son Teruhito Sugawara and navigated by Hiroyuki Sugiura, took out the Under 10-litre trucking class and 13th place in the overall category.
“This was the 25th anniversary of Hino Motors’ first entry in the Dakar Rally, so I took that to heart as we raced,” Teruhito Sugawara says.
“The truck upgrades that we made have had a definite impact and I feel that we’ve got our rivals by their tails now.
“We know what we need to do next, so I think this was a great race also in terms of development going forward.”
The results were applauded by Hino Motors chairman Masakazu Ichikawa, who flew to South America to see the finish in person.
“I’d like to acknowledge the team for delivering a solid performance this year again,” he says.
“I’m very grateful to the entire team and for all the support that we’ve received.”
Hino says both trucks featured an “8,866cm3 direct-injection turbocharged and intercooled engine matched to a six-speed direct-drive gearbox with secondary transmission, two-speed transfer and part-time four-wheel drive.”
The 2016 Dakar rally was held on a 15-day course covering 9,200km.