SECTOR: Light truck   GROSS WEIGHT: 3.5–8.55 tonnes   ENGINES: 3.0-litre four-cylinder   POWER: 150hp and 175hp

Local boy

Gaining acceptance in a market is usually given a boost if you can set up a factory there, employ people and source some local parts. The Daimler trucks leviathan has a majority stake in the Mitsubishi Fuso truck and bus corporation, and with that comes a European assembly operation for the Fuso Canter light truck in Tramagal, Portugal. When we went there five years ago it was little more than a CKD and assembly operation, with complete trimmed cabs shipped from Japan and crates of parts to go with them. After a €27 million cash injection from Daimler, the 158,000m2 facility is now a full manufacturing operation, including cab construction and paint shops. The change of approach now draws in around 50% of components from Europe.

The Fuso name might not ring big bells in the West, but it’s a big player with a heavy truck portfolio in the Far East. With 140,000 chassis sold last year, the modest Canter outsells all Daimler’s other truck models, NAFTA and Europe included.  

Range

The 3.5t–7.5-tonne gross vehicle weight (GVW) Canter range is built here, with a new 8.55t GVW variant just added. For chassis up to 6.0t GVW, Euro 6 compliance has been addressed by EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), an oxidation catalyst and a particulate filter. Above that weight, the extra laundry provided by an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) package, and AdBlue is needed. No AdBlue consumption figures we available, but Fuso claim to have improved diesel economy by 9%, compared with old Euro 5 models. If the range is sold on anything, it’s payload, and you only get that from lighter construction, it’s that simple.

The new 8.55t GVW version, the 9C15/9C18, claims an incredible 6.0t capacity for body and payload. Worth considering is their Duonic twin clutch AMT (automated manual transmission) which now gets specified on around 40% of chassis. No breaks in torque between shifts, and clutches that are claimed to last the life of the vehicle.    

All-wheel drive

A 6.5t 4×4 is available with a simple five-speed manual box and a reduction gear to effectively give a low range.

We wouldn’t have attempted the off road course provided in the Sintra mountains, had it not been laid out for the purpose. A lively ride limited speed of progress, but we came away impressed with the grades and muddy ruts it coped with. Aimed at forestry, utilities and light construction, it could find a home where high mileages are not involved. Two wheelbases and a single or crew cab are available.

Greenery

Fuso’s Kawasaki HQ in Japan is also Daimler’s centre for alternative drives. One of the first products that resulted was the Canter Eco-Hybrid. A downsized diesel (150hp) and a 40kW electric motor work in parallel to give a claimed 23% fuel bonus. The €8,500 extra cost is said to be recouped over two years. Globally it represents 5% of Canter production, so there are 7,000 floating about somewhere wearing last year’s registration plates.

From that same alternative drives laboratory came a surprise guest on our factory tour. The 110kW (150hp) all-electric Canter E Cell was listed as a ‘second prototype’. A static chassis that may appear at the Hannover IAA show in October this year, it’s Achilles heel will most likely be the vagaries and volatility of tariffs from electricity suppliers.