Fuso Canter FE130

Mitsubishi Fuso introduced its new Canter FE130 work truck at the recent NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. Its new entry into the class 3 segment boosts GVW and body/payload capacity by 700 lb over the previous FE125 model.

That gain is actually the second part of a program to expand the utility and versatility of its class 3 offering, the company says. The company added a long-wheelbase option to the 2014 model FE125 as a running change in the fall of 2013. The new 169.3-in. wheelbase option allows installation of 20-ft bodies, which greatly expanded the truck’s cargo-volume capabilities.

Model designations for Fuso commercial trucks are derived from their GVWs. For the new FE130 that’s 13,200 lb, compared to 12,500 lb for the truck it replaces, while Individual axle ratings for the new FE130 — 5360 lb front and 9880 lb rear — sum to 2040 lb more than the FE130’s GVWR. The company explains that this GVW-to-axle-rating margin provides loading flexibility.

The company notes that a 700-lb increase in body/payload capacity, particularly when coupled with the long-wheelbase option, significantly improves the efficiency of the truck, allowing the operator to carry more in each trip, and thereby reducing overall transportation costs. Like 33 additional cases of soda, 560 loaves of bread, or 1806 bananas, Fuso notes.

The Canter FE130 also offers other improvements, including a performance increase to go along with the increased GVW rating. While the horsepower and torque ratings of the engine haven’t changed, engineers have been able to make refinements to the programming that manages the relationship between engine operating parameters, transmission shift points, and emissions control system behavior. As a result, the new FE130 will outperform an equivalent FE125, Fuso says, not only in acceleration from a stop but also in responsiveness at steady speeds and during deceleration.

To simplify daily checks, the company says it will be making a running change early in the model year to relocate the engine-oil dipstick to the driver side and position it to allow the oil to be checked without tilting the cab.

In what it calls “another nod to human nature and improved serviceability,” the company is also changing the DEF tank cap color to bright blue to reduce the risk of something other than diesel emissions fluid being added to the DEF tank.