The 2025 Dakar Rally didn’t go the way HINO Team Sugawara wanted. Teruhito Sugawara’s HINO 600 was plagued by a myriad of mechanical issues during the second half, especially concerning the transfer case.

The team will still use the same truck from this year’s race in 2026, but have made modifications to hopefully exorcise the transfer case demons. The top speed has also been increased and the suspension improved, while the transfer case—a gearbox that transfers power from the transmission to the front and rear wheels, especially in a 4×4 vehicle like the HINO—has been reinforced. The transfer case had suffered mightily in the 2025 race as it broke due to hard landings.

“In 2025, we felt we could compete on equal terms with the leading competitors, but we also encountered serious problems that led directly to retirement,” Sugawara commented. “Overcoming thoses crises as a team has further strengthened our team’s ability.

“For 2026, we will not only make improvements to address the issues, but also aim for even greater heights by building an aggressive machine. Please look forward to HINO Motors’ 35th Dakar Rally.”

Sugawara finished 13th in class in January’s Dakar. The truck struggled with flats throughout the first half of the race before the center differential lock failed to engage in Stage 8 and the oil temperature shot up. Other issues included the front axle and torque rod breaking due to landings like the transfer case. These problems forced Sugawara to focus on simply reaching the finish.

2026 will be Sugawara’s 21st Dakar as a competition driver dating back to 2005. HINO has appeared at Dakar every year since 1991, chiefly with his father Yoshimasa. Company employees Masakazu Tazawa from the West Tōhoku branch, Hiroki Imagawa from South Kantō, and Takumi Kikuchi from Hiroshima will also join the team as mechanics.

Featured image credit: HINO Motors