Hino FM1A

The overall cabin of the Hino FM1A appears quite large and matches the personality of the exterior design. Completely finished in black-colored plastics, the overall cabin here feels very simple and a bit outdated in its layout. However, there are a couple of talking points or features that manage to uplift the visual appeal of the cabin.

Take, for instance, the presence of the touchscreen infotainment system in the middle of the otherwise cluttered-looking center console. The center console here is large, and apart from the infotainment system, it also houses switches for various controls and controls for manual AC as well. There are even rounded AC vents placed strategically in the center console as well as corners of the dashboard.

The heavily tilted two-spoke steering wheel as well as the large instrument console behind it looks very dated and too functional in their appearance. There are a few open storage spaces, like rounded cupholders on the corners of the dashboard below the AC vents and an open glove box on the passenger side.

The Hino FM1A is a bold-looking truck, and by the appearance of it – the large dimensions and an aggressive-looking front fascia – make it look larger than what it actually is.

The Hino FM1A has a tallish personality when viewed head-on, thanks to the huge multi-slat grille on the lower half of the front apron and bumper. Comprising of thick horizontal slats, the grille is divided into two halves. While the upper two slats are placed on the front apron, the lower two slats are placed on the huge and high-mounted front bumper.

The lower edges of the front apron come embellished with amber-colored trapezoidal turn indicators. The headlamps are placed on the front bumper – they are large trapezoidal halogen units with rounded edges. There are tiny rounded fog lamps placed on the lower corners of the front bumper. The upper half of the front profile has a large windshield with rounded edges.

The side profile of the Hino FM1A has its driver’s cabin doors and mild side molding over the semi-squared wheel arches. The lower part of the doors also comes with turn indicators fitted on them, while the doors come fitted with premium pull-back door handles. The A-pillars of the Hino FM1A have been hinged with large rearview mirrors. Also, the lower shoulder line of the side windows have a tapered down theme to make the windows look large and ergonomic in usage.

The Hino FM1A is armed with a suspension combination of semi-elliptical reinforced leaf springs with single-action shock absorbers at the front and semi-elliptical reinforced leaf springs at the rear. While the service brakes of the Hino FM1A are dual circuit type full air ‘S’ cam-type brakes, the parking brake is an air-operated spring brake acting on the front and first rear axle.

The Hino FM1A sources its power from a huge 8.8-litre four-stroke, inline six-cylinder, water-cooled, turbocharged, and inter-cooled, diesel engine, which is one of the largest and most powerful engines in the medium-duty commercial vehicle segment. Mated to a 9-speed manual gearbox, the engine is capable of putting up maximum power and torque outputs of 350 PS and 1422 Nm respectively. The top speed of this heavy vehicle is rated at a commendable figure of 117 kmph.

Save for the presence of ABS and a collapsible steering column, there are no other noteworthy safety features present in the Hino FM1A, which is a big miss for a truck of this size and caliber.

For its reliable mechanicals and powerful engine, the Hino FM1A is one great workhorse, with its trusted underpinnings overshadowing the lack of safety or comfort features in its overall package.