Hino FM8JR7A

While the Hino FM8JR7A looks quite extrovert and appealing when viewed from the outside, the interior cabin fails to replicate the same impression. While the cabin feels practical and ergonomically well put together, the cluttered layout and dated appeal are something that you can’t escape from.

The driver’s cockpit feels a dated placed to be in, thanks to the archaic two-spoke steering wheel as well as a mundane-looking instrument console. However, there are a couple of grace-saving measures like the presence of a touchscreen infotainment system in the middle of the center console and few cup holders, the latter of which manages to make the cabin a practical place to be in. The center console looks cluttered with a host of buttons and controls for manual AC which could have arranged in a more systematic manner. The dashboard also houses rounded AC vents in the center console as well as corners of the dashboard.

Based on the Hino 500 range, the Hino FM8JR7A shares its entire design with the other 500 Series trucks like FM1A and SG1AF7B. The overall design, in question, is a bold-looking one and has a good road presence similar to that of a full-size truck.

The Hino FM8JR7A looks quite tall when viewed from the front, with the bold-looking grille taking the center stage and being the star highlight of its design. The grille looks quite huge with its thick and broad four slats and is divided into two parts – while the upper two slats cover a chunk of the front apron, the lower tow slats are mounted on the front bumper which is quite huge and looks tall.

The headlamps are placed on the upper corners of the front bumper and are shaped in a trapezoidal form with rounded edges. Apart from it, the front bumper also houses tiny rounded fog lamps on its lower corners. The turn indicators, shaped in the form of a trapezium, are placed on the lower edges of the front apron.

While the side profile of the Hino FM8JR7A is in sync with the front design, it doesn’t look too bold in appearance. There are simple character lines flowing on the door panels, which get pull-back type door handles and turn indicators on its lower edges. The rearview mirrors are mounted on the A-pillars of the truck, while the semi-squared wheel arches get side moldings over them.

Under the skin, the Hino FM8JR7A is bestowed with a suspension setup of semi-elliptical reinforced leaf springs with single-action shock absorbers at the front and semi-elliptical reinforced leaf springs at the rear. Talking about the brakes, the Hino FM8JR7A has got dual-circuit type full air ‘S’ cam-type brakes as service brakes and an air-operated spring brake acting on the front and first rear axle as its parking brake.

Powering the Hino FM8JR7A is a large and powerful 7.7-liter four-stroke, inline six-cylinder, water-cooled, turbocharged, and inter-cooled, diesel engine, which is engineered on the lines of the engines of other trucks from the Hino 500 range. The engine here is paired to a 9-speed manual gearbox and produces 280 PS of maximum torque and 824 Nm of maximum torque. The Hino FM8JR7A has a claimed top speed of a decent 98 kmph.

The Hino FM8JR7A has its safety equipment list restricted to only a couple of basics like ABS as well as a collapsible steering wheel.

The main highlights of the Hino FM8JR7A have to be its bold-looking exterior design as well as trusted mechanical underpinnings and engine, the latter of which are testimonies of its reliable Japanese engineering. However, we would have loved to see a few more comfort and safety features in the overall package.