INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Mitsubishi Fuso has brought its popular Canter cabover to the North American market, where it will serve the Classes 3-5 markets.

The truck, shown for the first time at the Work Truck Show, features Fuso’s Duonic six-speed automatic transmission, Daimler’s BlueTec SCR emissions aftertreatment system, a 4P10 turbo diesel engine and payload that’s as much as 2,200 lbs greater than competitive models, Fuso officials announced this morning at the launch.

Perhaps most impressively, the Canter extends service intervals from 6,000 miles to a whopping 18,000.

Five models of Mitsubishi Fuso Canters will be offered, addressing applications ranging from dry freight, refrigerated delivery, landscape, snowplow and municipal roadwork.

A seven-passenger crew cab is among the offerings as is a FG4X4 model, which Fuso says is the only four-wheel-drive medium-duty cabover in the industry.

“This is the most extensive redesign we’ve undertaken in seven years,” said Todd Bloom, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America. “We had to develop new drivetrains to meet EPA2010 regulations, of course. But we asked our designers and engineers to go beyond that, and to put everything they’ve learned about powertrain technology and efficiency into the new Canter FE/FG series of commercial trucks. The resulting trucks don’t just represent an incremental improvement over our previous models. The 2012 models represent a new approach to the technology of transporting goods by truck, and they are specifically designed to deliver lower cost of ownership.”

The new Canter is available only with the company’s own 4P10 dual-overhead-cam, dual-balance-shaft, turbo, intercooled four-cylinder engine as well as its own Duonic automated transmission.

“Our goal has been to maximize efficiency and lower the cost of ownership for our trucks as much as practical,” said Leighton Good, manager, product and applications with Mitsubishi Fuso. “With the combination of the 4P10 engine, Duonic transmission and BlueTec emissions control, these new Fusos are the smoothest-running, easiest-to-drive cabovers we’ve ever offered, and they boast the highest operating efficiency, as well. A 300% increase in the length of the service interval also contributes significantly to lower cost of ownership.”

Bloom said the new Canters will be priced more competitively than ever before. The company also claims to have improved turning radius. A Canter FE model with 110.2-inch wheelbase has a 34.1-ft. turning radius, which is tighter than that of a Mini Cooper.

The new Canters come with a three-year, unlimited mileage bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year, 175,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The truck will be making its Canadian debut at ExpoCam in April. To view video of today’s truck launch, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVuwVxvwHwo.