THE popular Toyota Dyna light truck will now be sold as the Hino 200 Series.
The previous Dyna 150 becomes the Hino 300-310, with the “3” denoting a three-ton load capability while the “10” is a short form for the 100-horsepower engine.
Toyota says the reason for this change in identity is that responsibility for the former Dyna range has moved from Toyota into the Hino stable.
The Dyna arrived in South Africa in 1965, and was the first truck to be offered for sale by the young Toyota South Africa, which was established in 1961.
Vice president of Hino SA Ernie Trautmann said since then more than 50 000 Dynas have been sold in South Africa in an uninterrupted run of 56 years, making it one of the longest running vehicle nameplates on the local market.
“During this time, the Dyna has not only proved extremely popular in the medium truck segment, but it has also built up an enviable reputation for productivity, reliability and durability. Currently one of the Dynas’ strongest selling points is the fact that it slots into the below 3 500kg GVM category, which means the driver needs a B-type or Code 8 licence to drive it and not a full truck licence,” Trautmann said.
Two new, practical features for the Hino 200 are a reverse buzzer and the fitment of a Bluetooth radio which permits safer, hands-free use of a cellphone by the driver.
The powertrain remains unchanged with a normally aspirated five-litre diesel engine that develops 66kW of power and 192Nm of torque.
A five-speed manual gearbox transfers power to the rear wheels.