INDIANAPOLIS – Hino‘s much-missed cabover will return and the company says this one was designed from the ground up specifically for North America.

The class 4 model 155 and class 5 model 195 trucks will also be available in diesel/electric hybrid versions, a first for Hino on this continent. They’ll be designated 155h and 195h respectively. 

In a lavish unveiling here at the Work Truck Show, the first time a major Hino introduction has been made outside Japan, nearly all the company’s dealers were on hand.

And a happy bunch they were. Those we spoke to, especially those from Vancouver and Quebec where Hino does especially well, were overjoyed to see the cabover return. (See a video for yourself HERE). 

Hino’s class 4 and 5 hybrids are its first
electric products in North America.

The 155 and 155h models will carry a 14,500-lb GVW rating. In the class 5 market, Hino will offer the 195 diesel model and the first ever North American class 5 diesel-electric hybrid model, the 195h. The 195 and 195h models are good for 19,500 lb GVW.

All models are powered by Hino’s 5-litre J05E Series diesel engine, rated at 210 hp and 440 lb ft of torque, hitched to Aisin’s A465 6-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid version’s power module and all related equipment are designed and manufactured in-house, with 60 percent of the componentry coming from parent company Toyota’s hybrid parts cupboard. It provides 258 lb ft of start-up torque. The system automatically shuts the diesel down when the truck stops, even briefly at traffic lights, for example.

Hino is no stranger to hybrids, having developed the world’s first hybrid bus in 1991, the company says. It’s been evolving its hybrid technology ever since and claims to have manufactured the highest number of hybrid trucks around the world. The new truck is in fact the company’s sixth generation of hybrid technology.

Hino suggests a remarkable payback period of under five years for these hybrid models in typical P&D applications. Asked if a class 6/7 hybrid was in the offing, we were told a seemingly firm “no”. By all accounts, the company feels the price would be too high and isn’t confident of a reasonable payback period for a larger hybrid.

Both 155 and 195 models feature a new wide cab with a North American standard 33-in. frame-rail width, a 56,900-psi frame, and a standard center-mounted rear fuel tank. The cab’s aerodynamic performance is claimed to be 29 percent better than the competition. Inside, the new cab has room for drivers up to 6 ft. 6 in. tall, seating for three, and a versatile mobile workspace with a variety of organizational storage options. A crew cab version will also be available.

The diesel models will be available starting in August of 2011, with orders being taken in May. The hybrid models will be phased in gradually and will be available in selected U.S. markets in December, some time in 2012 for Canada.