Continued High Rankings For Hino Trucks From J.D. Power and Associates

Accolades Steady Hino as the Premier Brand in the Medium Duty Truck Market

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Jan 31, 2013, 09:00 ET

NOVI, Mich., Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hino Trucks' latest round of accolades from J.D. Power and Associates, including a five-for-five consecutive highest ranking for the Hino medium-duty engine, reaffirming that when it comes to the voice of the customer or customer satisfaction with medium duty truck engines and transmissions, Hino consistently ranks highest in customer satisfaction. The current awards are, Hino Trucks ranks "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Conventional Medium Duty Engines", five years in a row and Hino Trucks ranks "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Conventional Medium Duty Trucks", three years in a row, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Medium Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study^SM. No other medium duty engine can make this claim.

Engine Satisfaction - Five Years Running
According to J.D. Power and Associates, a customer's perception of their truck engine's performance is the most important factor of overall truck satisfaction. The Model J08E engine is offered in two ratings including 220 hp, 520 lbs ft torque at 1500 rpm and 260 hp, 660 lbs ft torque at 1500 rpm. The J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Medium-Duty Engine and Transmission Satisfaction Study, now in its fifth year, measured customer perceptions of 2011 model-year Class 5, 6 and 7 trucks equipped with both gasoline and diesel engines.

Medium-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study – Three Years Straight
The Study finds that reported fuel economy for medium-duty trucks increased 12 percent in 2012, compared with 2011. And, for a third consecutive year, Hino Trucks ranked highest in medium-duty truck customer satisfaction. The Medium-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study measures customer perceptions of 2011 model-year Class 5, 6 and 7 commercial trucks. For the truck satisfaction award, customers are surveyed on product and service. Highlights of the study include:

Hino improved 13 points year-over-year within the Product Index Ranking to reach the highest overall composite score of 820 out of 1,000 points. Within the product index, six factors are used to determine overall satisfaction: engine; warranty; cost of operation; cab and body; ride/handling/braking; and transmission.
Warranty category - Hino made a 40 point jump in scoring to significantly lead that category. Hino Trucks offers an engine warranty of 5 years, 250,000 mileage coverage.
Cost of ownership category – Hino ranked highest at 782 points which is well above 71 points above the industry average.

Glenn Ellis, Vice President of Marketing for Hino Trucks, added, "We are once again thrilled with the results of the J.D. Power customer satisfaction study results. The results clearly showed higher overall customer satisfaction results for Hino engine technology; and we are pleased that our engine technology is leading the way in overall customer satisfaction. This truly validates our commitment to providing the highest;level of satisfaction, our customers will realize low cost of ownership."

About Hino: Hino Trucks, a Toyota Group Company, assembles, sells, and services the most environmentally friendly lineup of Class 5-7 commercial trucks in the United States. In 2012, Hino introduced its Class 5 cab-over diesel-electric trucks making diesel-electric hybrids a viable option in the U.S. commercial truck industry for the first time. Headquartered in Novi, Michigan, Hino boasts a network of over 200 dealers nationwide committed to achieving excellence in customer service and support. Hino Trucks is the premier medium duty nameplate in the United States with a product lineup that offers the lowest total cost of ownership, superior fuel economy, unmatched reliability and maneuverability, and the most comprehensive bundle of standard features in the market. For more information, visit our internet home page at www.hino.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About J.D. Power and Associates: Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

SOURCE Hino Trucks