Japanese truck and bus manufacturer Hino will contest the Dakar Rally for the 35th time in 2027, having finished all 34 of its previous events. For South African truck operators, the entry has local relevance: the Hino 600 Series truck used in the rally is built for the North American market but is mechanically similar to the Hino 500 Series sold in South Africa.
Hino has often been represented at the event by a single entry, and that will again be the case in 2027.
Hino 600 Series rally truck
Hino Team Sugawara will compete in an improved version of the four-wheel drive, bonneted 600 Series truck that finished 15th in the 2026 event.
Hino has been the sole representative of the Japanese truck industry in the Dakar Rally for more than three decades. The 2027 event will be the first time it also represents the Archion Group, founded earlier this year as a joint venture between Hino and Mitsubishi Fuso.
Teruhito Sugawara returns as driver
Teruhito Sugawara, son of the founder of Hino Team Sugawara, will again drive the truck. He has finished the race 20 times consecutively.
Dealer technicians provide support
Hino Motors Japan has again recruited technicians from dealerships in Japan to provide back-up support during the event and to help with pre-race preparation of the truck. The system has been in use since 1995 and has brought 67 technicians from 32 countries to the rally, giving them experience of working under arduous conditions.
Dakar Rally 2027 dates and route
The 2027 Dakar Rally will run from 1 to 15 January, starting and finishing in King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea along the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Competitors will follow a route of about 8 000 km over 14 days with limited supplies and equipment.
Supplied by MotorPress (Gert Agenbag, Marketing Manager, Hino South Africa)
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