Hino 500 Series Dakar Rally Truck in Sri Lanka

Tuesday, 27 February 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Toyota Lanka Ltd., the sole authorized distributor for Toyota and Hino vehicles in Sri Lanka is giving all its customers and racing fans in Sri Lanka a unique opportunity to see a Hino Rally Truck that successfully completed the Dakar Rally.

The Dakar Rally is recognized as the world’s toughest Rally Championship, held annually in South America since 1978. The race is a test of endurance of both the vehicle and its driver. The terrain that the drivers must navigate and overcome is much tougher than what conventional rally drivers are accustomed to and the vehicles used are true off-road vehicles rather than modified on-road vehicles.

The Hino 500 series truck is an annual contender in the Dakar Rally and has finished in all 27 Dakar Rallies since its first entry in 1991. Hino Motors became the very first Japanese truck manufacturer to enter the race. Hino Motors swept the overall Trucks category championship for the first time in the category’s history in 1997 and has won 18 Under-10-Litre class championships and is currently on a 9 year winning streak from 2010 through 2018.

“Toyota Lanka is immensely proud of this rare opportunity that we have received to bring down the actual Hino 500 series truck that competed at the world renowned Dakar Rally. Our aim in bringing this vehicle to Sri Lanka and opening it for public viewing is to communicate the absolute brand power Hino commands on a global scale,” said Toyota Lanka’s Managing Director Shungo Yoshioka

The formal unveiling of this monster of a vehicle took place at the Toyota Lanka Head Office and thereafter has been on display for public viewing from 23 February onwards.

It will also embark on a journey across the island covering several major cities. Joining Toyota Lanka on this unique venture is Advantis, the Official Logistics Partner providing their equipment and expertise for the movement of this monster rally truck.

Toyota Lanka will utilize this opportunity as a unique brand building exercise to further cement its position as the exclusive distributor of Hino Trucks in Sri Lanka. It will also highlight and communicate to the Sri Lankan market, the many strengths inherent to the Hino brand.

Toyota Lanka’s COO/Director Manohara Atukorala also commented on this unique viewing saying, “Toyota Lanka’s island-wide campaign will not just be a stand-alone brand building exercise. It will also be a platform to showcase the many functional benefits of our own Hino truck lineup to our target audience. The Hino 500 series rally truck does not vary all that much from the production version in terms of its chassis, engine and transmission, therefore Hino’s Dakar Rally achievements vouch for its phenomenal engineering and reliability. Our road conditions are negligible in comparison to the conditions faced at the rally, hence we are confident that this campaign will no doubt solidify Hino’s reputation as a highly durable and reliable truck brand.”

Hino is recognized as the leading truck brand manufactured in Japan, while Hino Motors Limited is a fully owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. This affiliation ensures that Hino Trucks are subjected to the same meticulous engineering process as Toyota, thus ensuring a product that is of the highest quality, durability and reliability.