Off the Beaten Path

The Fuso Canter 4×4 uses the ‘wide’ versions of its single and crew cabs, providing seating for either three or seven persons.

Its Gross Vehicle Mass of 6,500kgs and Gross Combination Mass of 10,000kgs require the driver to be the holder of at least a Light Rigid licence, although a 4,495kgs GVM plated specification is also available for applications when not much payload is involved, permitting the truck to be operated by those with passenger car credentials.

Our road test takes in accessing the hinterland to the north of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road and sections within the Great Otway National Park.

In the wake of a significant great eastern low pressure weather event a few days before we venture off the bitumen, many sections of the tracks and trails we negotiate are inundated with standing muddy water concealing who knows what hazards, and the track surfaces are predominantly greasy clay.

For this exercise we are without a backup vehicle hovering out of camera shot, nor do we have a front-mounted winch with which we could extricate ourselves from a position which afforded no further forward motion.

Discretion supposedly being the better part of valour, we acknowledge we’re playing with a six-and-a-half tonne truck and not a regular four-wheel drive vehicle, yet we still elect to attack some pretty challenging sections and the Canter 4×4 comes through the rough terrain, impressively.

The three-litre DOHC engine has four valves per cylinder and is boosted by a variable gate turbocharger through an air-to-air intercooler.

The engine’s maximum power output of 110kW (147hp) kicks in at 2,840rpm, which is the exact point that the maximum torque of 370Nm starts to drop off.

The peak torque is available from just 1,350rpm and the maximum horsepower is held through to 3,500rpm, providing a good balance between low down grunt to tackle the demand of off-road activities with sufficient power to have long legs when travelling on the highway.

Engine air is drawn through a high vertical inlet stack located between the rear of the cab and the steel body’s loading board.

The locally manufactured steel body has dropsides and a couple of handy lockers at the rear suitable for the recovery gear typically carried by regular off-road enthusiasts.

The fuel tank holds 100 litres of diesel and the fuel passes through a primary water separator/filter unit before a final conventional filter with the purpose of protecting the sensitive and expensive components of the fuel system which can be affected by contaminated fuel when refuelling away from higher volume service stations, including from drums.

The five-speed all synchromesh transmission is controlled by a stubby lever mounted on the dash, a design which provides good leg room for the centre front passenger.

Fourth gear is direct and fifth is 0.723:1 overdrive which helps deliver a quiet ride at highway speeds and contributes to fuel efficiency.

The rear diff is a limited slip variety while the front drive axle features constant velocity (CV) joints at the steering knuckles which contribute to the Canter retaining a reasonable turning circle due to the sharp wheel cut angle made possible by the CVs.

The manual free-wheeling front hubs do not require much effort to engage for the dirt or disengage when getting back onto the highway.

Using a design which was exclusive to Australian Canter models until around ten years ago, the Canter 4×4’s chassis rails are high at front and drop down at the rear to provide an increase in ground clearance while retaining the standard Canter engine position.

The extended height of the cab requires additional solid steps to aid access. Steel leaf suspension is employed front and rear, and the ride is made less compromised by the use of double action telescopic shock absorbers on all corners and additional helper springs at the rear which only come into play when a load is being carried.

Canter 4×4 models intended for rural fire fighting applications can be specified with Fuso’s Q44 option which deletes some electrical features such as power windows, air bags and central locking.

There are very good reasons for this as wind-up windows will continue to operate after driving through a fire or even if there is a flat battery, and airbags could possibly risk being activated by a fire which would be more than unwelcome in what could already be a very hot cab when negotiating an active fire ground.

The standard Canter 4×4 specifications do include electric windows, driver and outside passenger airbags and central locking. The dual range transfer transmission is operated by switches mounted on the dash for low/high range and the selection of four wheel drive.

The spread of gears provides the best of both worlds with plenty of ratio options at low speeds combined with taller gearing suitable for comfortable travel at freeway speeds. The exhaust, including the diesel particulate filter, is tucked up close to the chassis and exits on the driver’s side.

The Hill Hold button is important as it holds the brakes allowing the driver to concentrate on synchronising the clutch and accelerator pedals while keeping both hands on the wheel instead of one on the handbrake lever.

Drum brakes are used on all four wheels and feature ABS and Electronic Brake force Distribution. The engine’s exhaust brake is effective on the road and really comes into play when descending off road as it does a good job of helping control the Canter’s speed without much use of the brake pedal.

The test unit is fresh from the Brisbane Truck Show and we don’t have the benefit of some ballast in the rear tray which may have aided rear traction a little more.

Driving on sealed surfaces is remarkably smooth, even without weight in the rear.

If there is to be a weak link in the drivelines of most 4×4 trucks it is usually the tail shafts, and the Canter wisely acknowledges this by installing a couple of safety loops each side of the centre bearing to retain any errant shafts should there be a failure.

As the 4×4 Canter uses the wide version of the Fuso cab rather than the more slender ‘city’ cab there is a reasonable amount of room inside.

The ride is enhanced by the use of four-point hydro-elastic cab mountings. The driver has an adjustable suspended seat which can be adjusted to suit an individual’s weight and a folding armrest on the left hand side.

The steering wheel has tilt and height adjustments similar to the other Canter models.

Front passengers get to share a dual bench set. This crew cab version we are driving has a four-person bench in the back.

The audio system has an impressive list of features available via its 8-inch LCD touchscreen (which doubles as the display for the reversing camera) including wireless connection for Android and Apple, DAB+ digital radio and commercial vehicle specific satellite navigation.

On or off the sealed road the Fuso Canter 4×4 is an impressive contender for applications such as mining, utility providers, agriculture and as a fire service vehicle.

The cab-chassis will also make a great basis for a camper conversion.