The Hino Team Sugawara is back in action at the 2026 Dakar Rally, which will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 17, 2026. This cross-continental rally is known as one of the toughest competitions in the world, covering approximately 8,000 km of extreme terrain that challenges the durability of the machines and the skills of the crews involved. 

The Dakar Rally is a true test of product durability, team skills, and unyielding spirit. In its 35th appearance, Hino is once again taking part with its international team known as Hino Team Sugawara, a collaboration between Hino Motors Ltd. and Japan Racing Management.

Competing in the truck category, Hino Team Sugawara relies on the HINO 600 Series, a medium-duty truck designed not only for competition, but also to showcase the real-world applications of Hino's logistics technology developed for global needs. 

“We started this rally with full focus and enthusiasm as a team,” said Teruhito Sugawara, Team Director and lead driver. With the support of navigator Hirokazu Somemiya and onboard mechanic Yuji Mochizuki, the team consistently maintained a steady pace on various track surfaces.

Hino's participation this time was not just about taking part in a major rally, but also an opportunity to showcase the results of Hino's technological development and the readiness of its human resources under the greatest pressure in extreme terrain. As the only truck competing from Asia, the Hino Team Sugawara proves that a medium-duty truck with an inline six-cylinder engine of 8,866 cc capacity can still compete strategically in a globally challenging event. 

The Dakar Rally has been a milestone for Hino for more than three decades. Since its debut as the first Japanese truck manufacturer in this event, it has affirmed the value of QDR, namely product toughness (quality), durability, and reliability. This QDR DNA always reflects Hino's approach to producing vehicles that are always ready to face extreme conditions in order to ensure that Hino customers around the world get reliable and trustworthy products.

Currently, the competition has entered the full-scale stage with a 305 km Special Stage around Yanbu. In this stage, the Hino Team Sugawara, competing in the truck category with the HINO 600 Series, demonstrated stable and strong performance. After starting the race in 13th position based on the previous prologue results, the team managed to improve its position to 9th in the truck class. 

The HINO 600 Series used demonstrated a high level of adaptability to highly varied road surfaces. Despite encountering heavy gravel and large rocks in the first half of the SS, the team was able to maintain a steady pace throughout the 305 km without any significant problems such as flat tires or other mechanical issues. This was thanks to a review of the suspension settings, which successfully improved driving comfort on rough surfaces, as well as the truck's maneuverability, which remained under control in various track conditions.

The Dakar Rally route itself is designed to increase the level of difficulty each day. From Yanbu, the team will move towards Al-Ula with more challenging hilly and desert terrain, with a 400 km SS in the next stage. The total rally distance spans thousands of kilometers across Saudi Arabia's vast deserts. From Yanbu to Al-Ula and beyond, the team will face a combination of expansive desert landscapes, rocky terrain, and routes that test both speed and engine endurance. The Dakar Rally is renowned as one of the world's toughest competitions, but Hino has demonstrated its durability and consistently finished the race for decades.