Hino Motors, Ltd. (HQ: Hino, Tokyo. President: Satoshi Ogiso) entered their HINO 600 series truck as HINO TEAM SUGAWARA (Director: Teruhito Sugawara, General Manager: Satoshi Ogiso) in Dakar Rally 2026 which ran from January 3 thru 17, 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The team finished at 15th place overall in the trucks category. This event handed Hino its 35th consecutive finish since it made its first entry in 1991 as the first Japanese commercial vehicle maker to start in the rally.

In addition, by completing the event, team director and driver Teruhito Sugawara has extended his streak of finishes to 21, topping the record of 20 consecutive finishes held by his father, Yoshimasa Sugawara, who retired from Hino Team Sugawara in 2019.

HINO TEAM SUGAWARA on stage at the podium

HINO600 series truck, battered and bruised

Truck reaches the finish line after driving 15km on a burst tire

　

Things went smoothly for the team in the first half of the race, maintaining their 8th spot in the trucks category without any major issues. But it was in the second half that a range of problems struck. The team's tenacity was put to the test with each passing day, with a turnover crash in a dune stage, a malfunctioning intercom system that the crew relied on to communicate with each other in the cab, a broken transfer case--a problem that beset the team also in the 2025 race--and to make matters worse, a burst tire on the final day. Please see our Daily Reports for more details.

Here are what Hino Team Sugawara members in Saudi Arabia have to say about the rally.

■ Director and driver: Teruhito Sugawara

We're disappointed with our result, but what's done is done. The truck is getting better for sure, but there are still a lot of areas that we can improve on. From where we stand now, we should be able to finish in the 8th or 9th spot in our class if all goes well, but having said that, those aren't results that we should be comfortable with just because our truck is a mid-sized truck with a smaller displacement. For example, we are seeing more and more rough roads that are less forgiving of high average speeds, so it's not necessarily the case that only powerful large trucks have the advantage in today's Dakar. I'm sure we can put up much better fights.

■ Navigator: Hirokazu Somemiya

Navigating the truck in this event was about as challenging as it was last year. But there were a number of sections in the road book where I thought there might be an error, so I would like to see improvements in the book's accuracy. I did much better physically because the truck had a more comfortable ride, and the reduced vibration made it easier to read the small print in the road book, which I think will also help improve the accuracy of our navigation system.

■ Navigator and mechanic: Yuji Mochizuki, Hino Motors

This was the second time--the first time being in last year's race--that we had to remove a broken transfer case on the race course and replace the rear propeller shaft with the front one. I do feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence, but it's when the crew has little use of their onboard mechanic that you know things are going well. Today, I was pretty nervous when the oil temperature in the transfer case hit 180℃ during an SS (Special Stage, competition section).

Crew of three (from left) Somemiya, Sugawara, and Mochizuki after completing the grueling race

■ Team Manager: Takayuki Monma, Hino Motors

It was a truly thrilling thing to see the HINO600 reach the finish line of the final SS on a burst tire. Dakar finishes always bring up a lot of emotion and tears to my eyes. Things went well the first half, but things never go as planned in the Dakar. I'm glad that the dealership mechanics got to experience what this Dakar had to throw at them.

■ Mechanic Advisor: Seiichi Suzuki

I'm feeling better now, but the dust has been relentless on my sore throat throughout the race. As for the transfer, what I'm starting to think is that the low rigidity of its aluminum case might be the problem. We chose aluminum for its light weight, but maybe it just needs to be steel even if it does make the case heavier.

■ Mechanic Leader: Koji Yoshikawa

At the beginning, a lot of people were feeling unwell, but we overcame that and continued on. We had problems in the second half, but we managed to reach the finish line thanks to the driving crew's tenacity. The dealership mechanics worked smoothly and demonstrated their inherent high level of skill. Personally, being in charge of the vehicle shakedown was a great experience for me.

■ Mechanic: Masakazu Tazawa, West Tohoku Hino Motors

Even though the nights were exhausting, I would feel it was all worth it the moment I gave Mochizuki-san a fist bump as the truck pulled away. Being a mechanic at Dakar gives you a huge sense of accomplishment. When I get back, I would like to express my gratitude to my coworkers and help other mechanics on their path to becoming a Dakar Rally mechanic.

■ Mechanic: Hiroki Imagawa, South Kanto Hino Motor

As the finish line drew closer, we had to work through the night more and more, and that gave me a real feel for what the Dakar was all about. Despite the extreme temperature differences, I didn't catch cold, maybe because my body had acclimatized. I think we get this great sense of accomplishment precisely because the race is so demanding. It was a great experience.

■ Mechanic: Takumi Kikuchi, Hiroshima Hino Motor

The two weeks at Dakar just flew by. I was so focused that I barely remember anything from the day to day. There weren't that many breakdowns in the first half, but I got very anxious when we got a call in the second half saying there was some problem with the truck.

Mechanics selected from Hino dealerships across the country (from left: Kikuchi, Tazawa, and Imagawa)

■ Mechanic: Shun Konnai

Since Makita-san was put in charge of driving the support car, which I was in charge of until last year, I worked full-time in the parts department, a department I had been helping out from before. The rally was very rewarding and I also found many things that I needed to improve on.

■ Support member: Rumi Ando

I'm glad that the truck made its way back safely to Yanbu. The bivouac felt like a different place than when I was here a few years ago. The first half of the race went by without any problems, but the seemingly never-ending all-nighters in the second half were tough on all of us.

■ Support car driver and public relations officer: Hino Motors Ryoko Makita

I wanted to share more about everyone's achievements, such as the amazing mechanics who remained energetic even after working throughout the night, and the verve of the crew members who returned to the bivouac every day full of energy after a day of racing. In my role as support car driver, I was given the opportunity to take the lead on a day when we had to travel a long distance. This was a valuable experience for me.