Hino Motors, Ltd. have confirmed their participation in the Dakar Rally 2026 in Saudi Arabia from January 3rd to 17th, 2026 as “HINO TEAM SUGAWARA” .
Teruhito Sugawara to Lead the Hino Team in Saudi Arabia
Three mechanics selected from Hino Motors dealerships across Japan have joined the team in the form of Masakazu Tazawa from Nishi Tohoku Hino Motors, Hiroki Imagawa from Minami Kanto Hino Motors, and Takumi Kikuchi from Hiroshima Hino Motors. These mechanics have honed their skills at their workplace to provide extensive support for their customers’ operations, and now, with limited supplies and equipment, they will be leveraging their skills to support the team to keep their truck running until it crosses the finish line of Dakar Rally which covers approximately 8,000 km of rough roads over 14 days.
In the 2026 event, the team will be entering a truck based on the one they entered in the 2025 competition (HINO600 series), and the manufacturer aims to come off with a high ranking finish with the truck’s improved off-road driving performance, which should help to raise its average speed throughout the race.
Based on data analysis from the 2025 event and feedback, Hino hopes to have developed a more competitive truck thanks to upgrades to its suspension and addressing the damage suffered in the previous race.
