Mitsubishi Fuso Loadmaster 2014 Review

So, your workhorse ute can carry 1000kg. That's cute. The Mitsubishi Fuso Loadmaster I'm testing can haul double that. It can also be driven by anyone with a car licence and they don't even know how to operate a manual thanks to the fully automated transmission fitted to the test truck, the first Loadmaster in the country.

DESIGN

Most trucks are sold in cab chassis form; the customer normally has to fit a tray or a body that suits and this can often take time as well as money. Market leader Isuzu worked out a few years back that most tradies wanted the same thing, a truck with a big tray that has fold down sides and ladder rails. It came up with the Trade Pack, which is extremely popular among customers who love the idea of a truck that is ready to get to work straight away.

Hino followed suit recently and now Fuso is heading in the same direction with the 515 Loadmaster. The 515 is second smallest truck in the Fuso line-up, sitting above the 413 narrow cab entry-level model that has a payload of around 1500kg and is the first step up for a tradie who wants something more capable than a workhorse ute.

This Loadmaster is also a good option for those in the trade who want the ability to carry large and heavy items without fuss. The thing that surprises me about this truck is the sheer size of the tray. It's massive at 4290mm front to rear and 2282mm side to side.

The Canter comes from Japan, but the Loadmaster tray is sourced from Thailand. Unlike the all-aluminum Isuzu tray, the Canter's tray is a mixture of metals.The frame is made from steel (heavier but stronger), the tray top is aluminum and the drop-side panels and ladder rails are made from stainless steel.

PRICE

Fitting the tray adds around 500kg to the kerb weight of the 515, which means it still has a 2000kg payload. Custom trays can be costly, with some costing as much as $6000. The Loadmaster adds about two thirds of that to the existing 515 wide cab price.

Prices will vary between dealers, but I have borrowed this test truck from Fuso Geelong, which advertises it for $43,990 with a manual and $45,990 with the auto. That's is pretty darn sharp when you consider how much workhorse utes with a couple of options cost.

DRIVING

These drop-side panels rattle like crazy for the first part of the drive, before I tighten the levers that press the dropsides in place. The quality of the tray could be a little better, but this is the first one produced, so it may well improve. Even so, it does feel sturdier than the all-alloy tray packs.

The design is good and there are rails running along the sides and across the back that offer several tie-down points to make life easier. The 515 has a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel that makes 110kW and 370Nm and it can really giddy up when you put your foot down. It is also rather efficient, using around 12L/100km during our test.

Ours is fitted with the Duonic dual clutch automated manual, which changes gear quickly and easily. It does about 2200rpm at 100km/h and is well behaved in traffic, although it could change down earlier when coasting to a stop (sometimes it feels like it is about to stall before it finally engages the clutch).

The 515 comes standard with a suspended driver's seat, a modern sound system with a touch screen, AC, dual airbags, two cup-holders and a average fuel use calculator, but misses out on cruise control.