Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Range : TRUCK IT AND SEE

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Need A Truck For A Punishing Workload? The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Should Be Tough Enough. Steve Walker Reportsâ€¦

Anyone rolling up to their local Mitsubishi dealership, striding past the gleaming Shoguns and Colts in the showroom, plonking a briefcase full of cash on the counter and demanding the keys to a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter light truck will be making themselves look a bit of a twerp. The same behaviour would seem just as arrogant at a Mercedes-Benz dealership but at least the customer would have some chance of their request being granted. For complicated reasons that we'll neatly sidestep here, the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is sold through Mercedes-Benz van centres but, provided buyers bear that in mind when they rock-up with the readies, it shouldn't detract from the vehicle's suitability for purpose.

The Fuso Canter is a chassis cab successor to the Canter that's available in a dizzying array of different forms. Having chosen their preferred wheelbase, bodystyle, gross vehicle weight and engine, the customer must then decide on an aftermarket body to go on the back. Whether it's a tipper, flatbed truck, delivery lorry, refrigerated van or some other load-carrying configuration, the Fuso Canter is designed to deliver rugged, dependable service to its operators. Discussing the styling on a vehicle with this no-nonsense working remit is a little like analysing the ballroom dancing technique of an Olympic shot putt champion: it's sort of beside the point. That hasn't stopped the Fuso Canter's designers from giving it a natty set of wraparound headlights with clear lens indicators and a grille that's a good deal smarter than the one on Canters of old. The vehicle still looks pretty much like any other light truck but at least some effort has been made.

"The flexibility and performance of the engines are real Canter strongpoints"

Single or crew cab models are available, with the single cab offering the theoretical potential to seat three people thanks to its two-berth passenger bench. I say theoretical because, although the Fuso Canter's cab is noticeably more spacious than that of its Canter predecessor, that bench still isn't particularly capacious. If it is going to accommodate two persons, they'd better be of small to medium build and good friends. If you want real passenger carrying options, it's got to be the crew cab, which adds a full-width bench seat behind driver and passenger. There's reasonable space for three adults back there, giving the crew cab the capacity to seat five or six in an emergency. Break out the tape measure and you'll discover that the Canter Fuso single cab is 100mm longer, and 20mm taller than the equivalent old Canter model. It's also 35mm wider but only in the upper width, as lower down that dimension remains unchanged. There are 3.5t, 6.5t and 7.5t gross vehicle weight models in the Range with each being offered in various wheelbase lengths. Availability of the crew cab bodystyle is restricted to one or two wheelbase sizes within each weight category but that still leaves a vast array of choice ranging from the 2,500mm wheelbase 3.5t model right up to the substantial 4,470mm wheelbase 7.5-tonner. The naming policy for the Range does little to simplify the selection process. The 3.5t model is known as the 3C13 and the 6.5t derivative as the 6C14. That leaves the 7.5t as the 7C14 and customers trying to make sense of the brochure none the wiser. Adding a D onto the end of any of these names denotes that you're dealing with a crew cab. The payload capacities are extremely generous with the 3.5t model able to handle up to 1,525kg and the 7.5t having a massive 4,890kg within its remit. In the engine bay, it's a case of as your were. The old Canter's powerplants were carried over to the Canter Fuso unaltered. The 3.5t derivatives are powered by a 3.0-litre diesel unit and the larger models get a 3.9-litre lump. Both engines use a direct injection configuration along with a turbocharger and intercooler to produce their outputs, the smaller one marshalling its 125bhp through a 5-speed gearbox and the larger one getting a 6-speed `box to handle its 143bhp. The engines are tuned to deliver strong pulling power from low down in the rev Range in order to get the Canter smartly off the line even when there's a big load involved or if that line is at the bottom of a steep hill. To this end, the 3.0-litre diesel produces 295Nm of torque from 1,800rpm and the 3.9-litre engine pumps out 412Nm at just 1,600rpm. That should be enough to haul the Canter up some serious inclines and on the way down again, the larger models benefit from an exhaust brake as standard to help the driver control the speed. The electro-pneumatic system is engaged via a control stalk and is available as an option on the 3.5t Canters. The flexibility and performance of the engines are real Canter strongpoints and anyone who sampled the delights of the old model will appreciate the efforts that have been made to insulate the cab against noise. The Canter's forward control design, with the steering rack ahead of the front axel, gives it an excellent turning circle and the driver a first class all-round view. This is ideal for manoeuvring the truck in tight situations but there's a penalty to be paid in terms of ride quality. With the front seats positioned directly over the front axel, you really feel every bump in the road surface when driving. The heavy-duty suspension does little to help on this score with the truck bouncing along on its tough springs but adding a hefty load on the back really helps to calm things down. This rough ride isn't a preserve of the Canter. Rather, it's a characteristic shared to some extent by all the light trucks currently available but buyers are happy to put up with it in lieu of the unparalleled manoeuvrability and carrying capacity that these vehicles offer. Gears are selected with a dash-mounted lever that is pleasant to use and allows for good cross-cabin access. Elsewhere, the interior is designed to be hardwearing and tough plastics are the order of the day. There's a distinct lack of storage space for larger items and drivers are likely to find themselves cluttering up the top of the dash or the passenger seat with the various odds and ends of their working day. Electric windows and a CD player come as standard as does central locking but, inexcusably in this day and age, a driver's airbag is a cost option. The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is a real tough customer that's well-suited to the task of shifting heavy loads around congested urban areas. The Range is extremely diverse and most operators will be able to find a model with dimensions and load carrying abilities to suit them. You could criticise the Canter on grounds of ride comfort but if you need a vehicle with these specialist abilities, and many people do, that's the price you'll be happy to pay.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Range ENGINES: 2,977cc 125bhp turbo diesel / 3,908cc 143bhp turbo diesel GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: 3.5, 6.5 or 7.5 tonne