Hino’s “Little Monster”: A Dakar-Bred Giant

"Overly-engineered" to withstand the world's harshest rally

This year's Japan Mobility Show may be all about what's new and cool, but here’s one standout at the recent show that grabbed my attention.

It’s impossible to appreciate the sheer scale of Hino’s Dakar Rally truck until you’re standing right next to it, let alone having to climb a custom staircase just to reach the cab. Based on the robust Hino 500 (or 600, internationally) Series platform, this purpose-built race truck elevates a hardworking medium-duty commercial truck into a true desert-crossing powerhouse.

Under the steel front cab lies an 8.8-liter inline-six direct-injection turbocharged diesel engine that delivers 750 PS and an incredible 2,295 Nm of torque, figures more in line with heavy industrial equipment than a medium-duty truck. All that grunt is housed within an over-engineered tube-frame and integrated roll-cage structure, which in turn is mounted to a ladder-frame chassis built to withstand the brutality of Dakar’s rocks, dunes, and endless vibration. The result is a machine that feels less like a modified commercial truck and more like an indestructible off-road weapon engineered for survival in the world’s harshest rally.

Utilizing solid differentials front and rear, the truck relies on a simple yet battle-tested suspension setup designed for maximum durability. Heavy-duty leaf springs form the backbone of the system, supported by hydraulic bump stops, limiting straps, and thick stabilizer bars that help keep the chassis composed over violent, uneven terrain.

Complementing these are massive Reiger Racing coilover units on each side, each fitted with external reservoirs to manage heat buildup and maintain consistent damping during hours of continuous abuse. It’s a setup engineered not for comfort, but for absolute survival in the harshest terrain.

Sized at 14.00R20, the 22-ply, Michelin XZL all-terrain tires give the truck the bite it needs to dig through soft sand and loose terrain. Designed with a self-cleaning, open-shoulder, non-directional tread that delivers consistent traction across Dakar’s punishing off-road and high-speed stages. These tires are mounted on forged aluminum wheels manufactured by American wheel manufacturer Hutchinson. A strategic upgrade from the previously used steel rims, chosen by Hino Team Sugawara to cut weight and enhance performance and durability in the rally’s extreme conditions.

All of this is anchored to a massively reinforced chassis engineered specifically to endure Dakar’s violent terrain, from jagged rocks to deep sand and relentless washboard surfaces. The result is a suspension system built not just for strength, but for the precise control and durability required to keep several tons of machinery charging forward when the landscape is trying its best to tear it apart.

Like all purpose-built race machines, the interior is all business, stripped of anything that doesn’t contribute directly to performance or survival. Beyond the fully integrated roll cage, the cab is fitted with a pair of fixed racing bucket seats, each secured with Takata multi-point harnesses to keep the crew firmly planted during violent terrain impacts. The controls are a purposeful blend of rugged and precise: a stock gearshift lever for absolute mechanical reliability, a leather-wrapped Nardi Torino steering wheel for confident grip, and a compact switch panel that consolidates the truck’s most critical systems within arm’s reach.

Because this machine was built for the Paris–Dakar, one of the most demanding navigational challenges in motorsport, the cabin also carries a suite of specialized trip meters, rally computers, and navigation instruments. These devices are engineered to remain accurate despite constant shock, heat, and vibration, guiding the team through thousands of kilometers of desert, dunes, and unmarked wilderness where a single wrong turn can cost the race.

Despite its age, the truck gained fame once more in the 2019 Dakar Rally, driven by legendary competitor Yoshimasa Sugawara, who marked an incredible 36 consecutive Dakar appearances that year. Today, the team is led by his son, Teruhito Sugawara, carrying forward the family legacy. Hino’s race crew also includes mechanics drawn directly from Hino dealerships, strengthening the bridge between motorsports innovation and real-world commercial service.

Hino treats the Dakar Rally as a proving ground for its core principles of quality, durability, and reliability (QDR). Despite competing against far more powerful heavy-duty trucks, Hino continues to field its nimble, lightweight medium-duty models, earning the nickname “Little Monsters” for the fierce competition they deliver. What these trucks lack in sheer displacement, they make up for in agility, endurance, and engineering refinement.

The result is a race vehicle that doesn’t just conquer deserts, it helps shape the next generation of Hino commercial trucks around the world.

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