Munich calling …
The quarry that we picked (or, rather, which was picked for us) is on the outskirts of Munich, Germany. We ended up there because we were attending the Bauma construction exhibition in the same city. (As an aside, we will definitely bring you lots of great stories from the next Bauma which, sadly, only takes place in 2022.)
Our test truck? The Fuso Canter 6C18, which is fitted with a three-litre, four-cylinder Euro 6 engine. It churns out 129 kW, which is a tiny bit more than the Canter 4x4s available in South Africa (here we get the FG6-136 TD and FG6-136 TD SWA, which are equipped with a 3,9-litre four-cylinder engine that churns out 100 kW of power). But actually, those 29 kW are not the be all and end all in an off-road application. Torque is more important – and, while the 6C18 delivers an impressive 430 Nm, the local 4x4’s 370 Nm are more than adequate. But, when one is trucking off-road, you also need a truck that is durable, hard working, capable and reasonably comfortable. So, does the Canter 4x4 tick these boxes?
Great reputation
In a road test (or, in our case, an off-road test), it’s impossible to test things like durability and robustness. However, it must be said that these trucks have a very good reputation amongst transport operators. In my time as a truck journalist, I have never heard major complaints. So, I think we can safely tick that box.
Competent cab
As is the case with many Japanese trucks competing in this sector of the market, the cab is competent rather than remarkable. That’s because this truck isn’t intended to be the grand dame of trucks; it’s a workhorse through and through. So, the cab is utilitarian. While it’s certainly comfortable enough, I wouldn’t like to drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town in one. But then again, in fairness, it’s really not designed for that. Having said that, the ergonomics are good, the instrumentation is extremely easy to read and I like the dashboard-mounted transmission selector (it doesn’t get in the way, as happens with some other Japanese trucks). All-round visibility is also superb.
Willing workhorse
But can it do the job? I believe that yes, it most certainly can. The team from Daimler laid out a somewhat demanding test track for the Canter 4x4 – and it never flinched. I found it quite effortless to navigate the track – despite the severe obstacles.
Standard equipment includes a self-locking differential lock on the rear axle and a reduction gear for maximum propulsive force. For off-road applications, the Fuso Canter can be ordered with engageable all-wheel drive. Ground clearance is 320 mm better that of the 4x2 models – so it can go pretty much anywhere.
The steering gets the thumbs up – while relatively light it is also quite direct. The brakes are excellent too. The Canter 4x4 I tested is equipped with drum brakes all-round to suit the tough operations it can face. The 4x2 version, on the other hand, is equipped with disc brakes on all axles.
Warranty
The good news is that, if you’re thinking about buying a Canter in South Africa, the warranty has been extended to four-year/240 000 km. That’s an impressive warranty indeed. “We at Fuso took note of what our customers were saying to us when they indicated that their preference is a warranty with an extended time period. After sharpening our pencil, we identified selected Canter models and a number of key participating franchised dealers to support the new warranty on Canter. We will constantly review any trends we experience with the new parametres,” explains Ziyad Gaba, manager at Fuso Trucks and Buses.
The bad news is that this doesn’t apply to the 4x4 models. They still have the two-year/unlimited kilometres warranty that used to apply to the entire range. We did query this with Daimler Trucks and Buses Southern Africa and a spokesperson explained that “the extended warranty could not be applied to the Canter FG owing to its applications which made the option unviable”.
Still, we don’t think the warranty should put you off acquiring this rugged, resilient workhorse.
