Mitsubishi's FK260 leads way
Nov 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America's big news for the 2008 model year centers around its medium-duty trucks, the company announced at the NTEA annual New Truck Model Conference in Dearborn, Michigan. And none was bigger than the FK260.
Bob Aquaro, VP of product development for Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America (MFTA), said the FK260 is the most popular model, replacing the FM260.
It comes with a 25,995-lb gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), a 38" frame height that has been lowered 3", a new 253" wheelbase that can accommodate body lengths of up to 30', a 6M60 Fuso engine, 243hp and 513 lb-ft torque, and full air brakes.
“This truck was developed for many markets at the same time — the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan already have it, and the Europeans will have it,” Aquaro said. “That is the primary reason why you see air brakes on it — because in Europe, stopping-distance requirements are more severe than in the US. They're not very attainable with air hydraulic brakes, but they are attainable with air brakes. So in order to streamline our manufacturing and make the truck more global, we ended up with this truck. We're proud of it. It was a collective effort.
“The other thing was that we were able to reduce the weight by 900 pounds. From a user standpoint, that's an extra 900 pounds' worth of carrying capacity.”
Its air-suspension version is equipped with a dump valve that will lower the truck an additional 2.5" with the air bags dumped.
The FM330 (32,900 GVWR) has a 40" frame height, lowered from 43", an Allison MD3000 RDS or Fuso 6-speed manual transmission, 6M60 Fuso engine (243 hp and 513 lb-ft torque), and comes in body lengths of 18' to 28' and with full air brakes.
The FK/FM medium-duty models include a new cab that reduces aerodynamic drag up to 25% in flatbed applications and 4% in van bodies.
