The Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter is a line of medium and heavy trucks produced by Mitsubishi Fuso. The first generation appeared in February 1984 as the successor to the FK series, and the name has continued through the Full-Com Fighter of 1992 and a third generation introduced in 2026.
Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation |
|---|---|
| First generation | February 1984–1992 |
| Design | between the Canter and The Great, sharing parts with the latter |
| First generation build | Japan and, as Maru-P, Indonesia until April 2022 |
| Second generation | from July 1992, Full-Com Fighter |
| Facelifts | 1999 New Fighter, 2005 Best One Fighter |
| Engine families | 6D16 and 6D16T, 6M60 and 6M61, BlueTEC diesels |
| Cabins | standard and short-cab NX |
| Third generation | from 26 August 2026, under Hino Motors |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter. No free photos of the model were found in the material, so the article keeps the earlier picture.
History of the Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter
The first generation
The first Fighter was introduced in February 1984 as a replacement for the FK series, although FK still designates lighter Fighter models. It was designed in line with the smaller Canter and the larger The Great, and shared parts with the latter including the headlights, doors and rear window glass; most export markets received four round headlights instead of the square lamps used in Japan.
In December 1987 the front was refreshed with an extra panel above the grille and a 230 PS intercooled turbo-diesel became available. The FM series was updated in February 1988 along with the four-wheel-drive FL models, and February 1990 brought the first year of Heisei-era emissions compliance and another grille change. A facelift in July 1991 added new corner lamps and anti-lock brakes as standard on the FK, and a 210 PS naturally aspirated engine joined the range.
This generation had an unusually long second life in Indonesia, where it was built and sold from 1985 until April 2022 under the internal name Maru-P. It used either a 190 PS 6D16 naturally aspirated engine with a five-speed gearbox or a 220 PS 6D16T turbo with an Eaton FS-8209 nine-speed, and it was discontinued because of Euro 4 emissions rules in favour of the second generation with its 2011 facelift.
Full-Com Fighter
The second generation, also called the Full-Com Fighter, arrived in July 1992 with projector headlights, which were later also fitted to the facelifted The Great; export markets received twin rectangular headlights. In April 1995 the 1994 emissions rules took effect for the Fighter and the lightweight SL model was added. December 1996 brought the FK-Z with 7.5 tons of load capacity and the FL-X with a low floor and permanent all-wheel drive.
February 1997 added a rear-axle parking brake as standard above 11 tons gross weight, side door beams and an impact-absorbing steering column on all models, and a hill start aid called EZGO on engines above 200 PS. The short-cab Fighter NX appeared in 1998, increasing cargo volume by 305 mm in length without raising the maximum load.
Facelifts and engines
The first facelift, the New Fighter, came on 14 April 1999 with styling in line with the Super Great and engines changed to the 6M60 and 6M61 to meet 1998 emissions rules; airbags were added and the INOMAT mechanical automatic gearbox became an option that June. February 2002 brought a five-speed automatic option and clear front indicator covers, followed by the INOMAT-II gearbox and a CNG engine.
The second facelift of October 2005, the Best One Fighter, moved the headlights into the front bumper for the first time on a Fuso truck and made wedge air brakes standard above 11 tons. All-wheel air suspension followed in September 2008. After Daimler acquired Fuso, Fighters under 20 tons received BlueTEC engines in June 2010 and the grille gained a hexagonal mesh, with 240 and 270 PS six-cylinder options for 8-ton trucks added in July 2011. For Indonesia the model was updated in 2013 with the 250 PS 6D16-T7 and again in 2018 with the Euro 4 6M60 of 240 to 270 PS.
On 26 August 2026, as part of the transition of Mitsubishi Fuso to Hino Motors, the third-generation Fighter was introduced.
Design and features
- Between two trucks: designed alongside the Canter and The Great and sharing parts with the larger model.
- Long Indonesian life: the first generation was built there until 2022.
- Full-Com and Best One: the second generation and its two facelifts.
- BlueTEC: cleaner engines after the Daimler takeover.
- Third generation in 2026: the Fighter moved under Hino Motors.
Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter versions
- First generation (1984–1992): the FK replacement, also built as the Maru-P.
- Second generation (1992): the Full-Com Fighter.
- New Fighter (1999): first facelift with 6M60 and 6M61 engines.
- Fighter NX (1998): short-cab model.
- Best One Fighter (2005): second facelift with bumper-mounted headlights.
- BlueTEC models (2010): emissions-compliant Fighters under Daimler.
- Third generation (2026): the Hino-era truck.
The Fighter sits between the Canter light truck and the heavy trucks of Mitsubishi Fuso, and it shares its maker with the Rosa bus. More vehicles are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, facelifts, markets
