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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
OCTOBER 2016
24
T
ruck operators often base
their new vehicle selection on
a number of common factors
ranging from fuel economy,
total cost of ownership through
to performance. Notably, versatility has
become a key driver of buying decisions
as a go-anywhere vehicle is regarded as a
boon in any fleet owner’s stable.
With that in mind, FUSO Trucks, part of
Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, has
launched its new FJ 16-230, a medium to
heavy-duty truck that can be deployed across
a range of applications including distribution,
rentals, courier, butcheries, water tanks and
furniture removals. “One of the major ben-
efits of this truck is its versatility. It can be
deployed on a wide range of applications be-
cause of the different bodies that can be built
on the vehicle,” says Harry Makitla, product
manager at FUSO Trucks Southern Africa.
Ziyad Gaba, national sales manager
at FUSO Trucks Southern Africa, notes a
growing trend towards small, micro and
medium enterprises (SMMEs) across the
region, and believes that the FJ 16-230 fits
the bill for operators in this market tier.
With no costly extra bells and whistles,
the new FJ 16-230, a 16,6 t 4x2 rigid with an
approximate payload of 8 t depending on body
type, fills the gap between FUSO’s Fighter
range and the FP/FV extra heavy-duty series.
It comes in two wheel base configurations of
5,1 m (short base) and 6 m (long base).
Key saver
Retailing at about R630 000 (short wheel
base) and R640 000 (long wheel base), the
FJ 16-230 comes with an array of features
geared at reducing total cost of ownership
and improving profitability. It benefits from
the Daimler Trucks engine technology with
its six-cylinder 6,3 l 6S20 engine delivering
230 hp of power and 810 Nm of torque.
The engine utilises an in-line fuel injection
pump with high injection pressure for
better burning of fuel and performance,
resulting in greater fuel economy as the
quantity of the fuel injected matches the
engine requirement.
“The 6S20 engine comes with six individu-
al pumps – even if one pump stops, the vehi-
cle keeps running,” says Makitla. The engine
also benefits from an Electronic Control Unit
(ECU) feature for precise fuel injection. This
is further complemented by an engine brake
which bypasses compression, preventing
overrunning and also cutting fuel supply in
hill descent. It also benefits from a viscous
fan controlled as per engine needs, thereby
significantly reducing fuel consumption.
Meanwhile, powertrain matching is really
a systems approach for the new FJ 16-230.
The truck’s engine, transmission, axles and
tyres are said to be designed to work in tan-
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Versatility is right up on the checklist of most truck owners, and
the new FUSO FJ 16-230 rightly ticks this box with its ability to
be deployed across a range of medium to heavy-duty trucking
applications, writes
Munesu Shoko
.
The new
FUSO FJ 16-230
is now available
in southern
Africa.