On The Road
The engine in the Canter proved somewhat enigmatic. With a generous 412Nm available from a relatively small capacity, it has a reasonably flat-topped torque curve. But despite perfectly satisfactory weather on the westwards M4 run from Newbury to Newport, the Canter struggled a little to maintain the speed limit on the hilly parts.
We were disappointed to find it unable to achieve a three-figure average speed, considering the last Canter 75 we drove managed 107.5km/h (66.8mph). Once speed has decayed to the mid-sixties it digs in well, but by then it is too late. On the A-road section, however, the Canter managed a brisk 62.0km/h (38.5mph) even though we took it easy on the corners due to its slightly nervous handling.
The impending Euro-4 line-up will include a 180hp rating, which should be picked by anyone operating out of town.
Acceleration, both from standstill and through the gears, is way ahead of the more powerful Isuzu NQR we tested recently, larger due to the NQR’s rather ponderous automated gear changes. The two were closely matched on the timed hill climbs.
The six-speed manual box has a double-dogleg shift layout, controlled by a handily located dash-mounted lever. First is rarely troubled in normal use, and there is a fair jump from direct-drive fifth to the 0.70:1 overdrive sixth. Even so, top is happy enough to make progress on A-roads as long as there are no serious hills around.
Having driven the automated NQR so recently, having to change gear felt like an imposition, even with this user-friendly change. The EcoHybrid mentioned earlier includes Fuso’s own automated transmission combined with engine stop/start, and it is reasonable to expect this technology to trickle down to conventional diesels in the not-too-distant future.
While the Isuzu NQR had its more comfortable parabolic springs on the back, the Canter has them on the front. In any case the Canter’s ride is firm enough to raise the contents of the storage bins to rattle, although the structure of the cab is nice and rigid. The cab is rather noisy at idle, but a purposeful growl under power dies away to give a surprisingly quiet experience in the cruise.
The handling feels as though the track ought to be a little wider. It didn’t inspire total confidence on the twisty country-lane sections of our test route and was not helped by the steering which is too light for some tastes, especially at low speeds.
The 12.3m turning circle needs more than five turns of the wheel, but the steering doesn’t feel noticeably slow on the road.
During test track emergency stops, the action of the four hydraulic discs felt a little soft, but this doesn’t manifest itself as a problem on the road.
The parking brake is actuated by a long lever acting on a surprisingly backlash-free transmission drum. It just failed to hold facing down the 1-in-4 slope but had no problem the other way. The Canter easily restarted up the same slope, but the 1-in-3 restart was too much for the clutch. There’s no traction control, but a limited slip diff is available on the options menu.
Cab Comfort
During the last revamp of the Canter range, the greatest attention was paid to the cab interior, and it shows. Whereas it previously had an air of cheap plastic, it now seems to be of a much higher quality and is better laid out.
Black highlights on the dash relieve the grey trim; the well shaped seats are covered in dark blue cloth. The driver’s perch is from the lower end of the Isri range and gives good support. We often criticise seats for unduly short cushions but the Canter’s perch could be too long for some anatomies.
Both passenger seat backs fold down individually to provide hard, flat surfaces; the central one incorporates a generously sized tray and document clip.
There is just enough room for a selection of coats and soft overnight bags behind the seats as part of a substantial luggage allowance. On the left of the dash are one open and two lidded compartments (one of them lockable); beneath them is a drop-down bin large enough to swallow an A4-plus clipboard.
A pull-out double cupholder in the centre of the dash, a bottle holder and duel-compartment tray between the seats are complemented by a mobile phone holder near the driver’s right hand and a pair of tiny door pockets.
The usual instruments (a speedo, rev counter and fuel and water gauges) have dark blue backgrounds with white markings, and the oil level check button sits to their right. This is one of only two switch positions used out of the eight available, the other being for the standard front fog lights.
There are lower mounted switches for tail-lift power and mirror heaters on the left, with headlamp leveller and hand throttle on the right. Although they are heated, the mirrors have direct manual adjustment on their sturdy brackets, but key-operated central locking electric windows are standard fit.
Most other functions are accessed by the column stalks, including the widescreen washers (which compete for sound volume with the horn, certainly inside the cab). The steering column is adjustable in both planes, but there’s no airbag as standard.
On the dash, the gearstick shares space with the hazard warning switch and the 24V cigar lighter. The heater controls are sandwiched by a pair of VDO boxes, a radio/single-CD player above and a Kienzle tachograph below. Our test truck sported the optional air-con, but we left it turned off in the interests of fuel economy.
