Hino Motors Limited of Japan has announced its return to the legendary Dakar Rally in 2025, marking its 34th consecutive entry in one of the world’s most gruelling motorsport events. The truck manufacturer is determined to extend its unparalleled record for reliability, having finished every Dakar Rally since its debut in 1991.
In January 2025, the Hino team will once again push the limits of endurance and engineering, with a truck based on the US-market Hino 600 Series model, which competed in the 2024 rally. This year’s rally saw Hino as the sole Japanese truck manufacturer in the competition, with the team securing a respectable sixth-place finish overall. This was an impressive achievement, given that only 20 of the original 46 trucks managed to complete the punishing course.
For the 2025 edition, Hino has made several key enhancements to its truck to increase reliability and ease maintenance. Notably, the team has re-routed engine piping to reduce the risk of damage and reinforced the automatic transmission’s clutch plates to handle the severe demands of the Dakar’s harsh terrain. Additionally, Hino’s team has restructured its maintenance process during overnight stops, streamlining tasks to prevent time-consuming overlaps and ensure the truck is always in optimal condition for the following day’s stage.
The 2025 Dakar Rally, the 47th iteration of this legendary race, will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to January 17. It promises to be one of the toughest in the rally’s storied history, with organisers designing a course that culminates in a three-day marathon through the Empty Quarter, a vast expanse of sand dunes that is expected to push competitors to their absolute limits. In addition, two marathon stages will forbid external servicing, leaving teams entirely reliant on their own crews for repairs and maintenance.
Teruhito Sugawara, Hino Team Director and driver, expressed confidence in the team’s preparations. “We are fully committed to continuing to work together in a challenging environment to ensure we build a faster and even more reliable truck for Dakar 2025,” he stated.
Itumeleng Segage, General Manager of Hino South Africa, echoed this optimism, highlighting the importance of the Dakar Rally to Hino’s brand image. “We are delighted that Hino has announced that it will once again take on the tough challenge of the Dakar Rally as we feel it is wonderful for the morale of all involved with the brand to follow the fortunes of our truck in the world’s most demanding motorsport event,” Segage said. “The record set of finishing 33 consecutive races is a great public display of Hino reliability, which resounds with our customers.”
As the 2025 Dakar Rally draws nearer, all eyes will be on Hino to see whether the team can extend its remarkable record and continue to demonstrate the brand’s legendary reliability in the most extreme conditions.
