Prize awarded at the “Fleet Transport Award 2012” event in Dublin
- Jury assessment based on fuel efficiency, power-to-weight ratio, driver comfort, handling and cabin layout
- Comprehensively reworked Fuso Canter successor model marks transition to a new generation
Dublin/Stuttgart – The Fuso Canter Euro 5 EEV lightweight truck has won the “Irish Truck of the Year 2012” award. The prize was accepted by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), one of Asia’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, at the Fleet Transport Awards 2012 event held in Dublin in October.
The prize-giving ceremony was attended by over 700 sector experts, particularly freight forwarders and national truck dealers. The Fleet Transport Awards are organised by “Fleet Transport”, a leading Irish transport magazine, along with a number of award sponsors.
The jury was made up of commercial vehicle specialists, including automotive journalists, engineers and driving instructors. The assessment process was based on the same principle as the “International Truck of the Year” prize, with a maximum of seven points awarded for 12 different criteria. The main focus was on fuel efficiency, power-to-weight ratio, driver comfort, handling and cabin layout.
The new Fuso Canter
The Fuso Canter has been an outstandingly successful model. It has been produced since 1963, and is now on the market in its eighth generation.
The comprehensively reworked successor model of the proven Fuso Canter is now making its appearance on the market. Fuso has equipped the new vehicle with dual-clutch transmission, as the first manufacturer to use this technology in a truck design.
This feature, together with longer service intervals, a higher load capacity and the chassis with even better body mounting characteristics, makes the new Fuso Canter an even better business proposition than before.
The chassis of the 3.5-t variant has been enhanced with individual wheel suspension at the front and the electronic stability program (ESP) as optional equipment (in the 6S and 7C models). The new cab, fully redesigned both inside and out, offers even greater user comfort. The new Canter went into series production for Europe at the plant in Tramagal, Portugal, in September.
Unit sales of over 3.5 million to date make the Canter the highest-selling truck within Daimler Trucks’ global portfolio.
Historical background on the Canter
The first Fuso Canter vehicle produced in Europe rolled off the production line in the plant at Tramagal, Portugal, back in 1980. The current model is the eighth generation of the Canter. The plant, located 150 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, was established in 1964 as a French-Portuguese joint venture to produce vehicles for the Portuguese army. The plant has been owned by Daimler Trucks since 2003.
About Mitsubishi Fuso
Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. In 2010, the company sold a total of about 140,700 vehicles including light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Daimler AG owns 89.29% of MFTBC shares and various Mitsubishi group companies own 10.71% of MFTBC shares.
MFTBC is an integral part of the Daimler Trucks Division of Daimler AG and is the linchpin of Daimler Trucks’ business in Asia, serving as the competence centre for all lightweight trucks worldwide, as well as being the “Global Hybrid Centre” for all Daimler truck model series.
