Hino Rebrands Its Commercial Vehicle Lineup, Adds New Features, Configurations

Hino Trucks, a brand of Toyota Motor Corp TM, has renamed several of the vehicles in its commercial trucks lineup and added new features to its offerings. The changes were announced on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta.

Hino's recently launched XL Series has not changed names, but there are new cab options for buyers. For model-year 2021, both the Class 7 XL7 and Class 8 XL8 models will be available in extended cab and crew cab versions, in addition to the day cab models currently available.

In addition, the Class 4-5 cabover models 155 and 195 are being replaced by the M Series. That series includes the Class 4 M4, Class 5 M5 and the Class 5 M5H (hybrid). In Class 6 and 7, conventional models 258, 268 and 338 will be replaced by the L Series – the Class 6 L6 and Class 7 L7.

All the new models are for model-year 2021. They can now be ordered and will be available in spring 2020, said Dominik Beckman, director of marketing and dealer operations.

Beckman told FreightWaves that a new plant coming online shortly should help Hino boost sales of the XL Series. There are a few build slots available this year, but Hino is accepting orders for next year at this point.

Both the XL7 and XL8 will get a snow plow attachment option for 2021 that includes an 18,000-pound gross vehicle weight front axle and heated windshield. Active cruise control is also being added for the next model year.

The M4 and M5 trucks feature an all-new grille design complete with optional LED headlights and HD 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission with gear hold feature. There is also an original equipment fully integrated lane departure warning system that Hino said is a segment first. Inside, drivers will see an upgraded interior, a new shifter layout, steering wheel controls, a new gauge cluster including a 4.2-inch LCD multi-information display, and driver's seatbelt sensor.

The conventional line represented by the L6 and L7 also feature interior updates with an automotive-grade finish, steering wheel controls, and a 7-inch LCD multi-information display. Additional storage and leg room has also been added.

The L Series also receives a safety upgrade with electronic stability control, collision mitigation, lane departure warning and active cruise control now available.

Thirty extra inches has also been added to the wheelbase, giving customers wheelbase options extending out to 301 inches. The L Series will also receive the extended cab and crew cab options available on the XL Series.  

"Having extended and crew cab choices will help us better serve our customers' operational needs and open-up new markets for our trucks," Glenn Ellis, senior vice president of customer experience, said. "It's impressive how accommodating and spacious both cabs are. Our engineering and design team really did an outstanding job with our new full line-up."

Image Sourced from Pixabay. Credit: JKing