Hinode Rusa (1980-1996)
(1980-1988 Rusa.)
Overview
The Rusa has been one of Hinode’s mainstays in the Southeast Asian market since it was first introduced in 1980. Designed with Southeast Asian consumers in mind, the Rusa has several unique features and characteristics that make it stand out from the rest of Hinode’s lineup, as well as other vehicles sold in Southeast Asia at the time. The Rusa, though compact, is very roomy thanks to its boxy shape. This allows the Rusa to carry up to ten passengers using two rows of bench seats (seating six) and two removable benches at the back of the car, holding two passengers each. Despite this, most families would cram more people into the Rusa’s spacious cabin, especially during the mudik seasons where families in cities go back to their hometowns before a holiday begins.
(1989-1996 Super Rusa.)
As the economies of Southeast Asia grew and people became wealthier, the had to Rusa change to meet the new demands of its consumers. In 1989, the Rusa got a bigger engine, increasing power and efficiency, and the interior was improved, adding air conditioning as a standard feature and replacing the front bench seats with individual bucket seats… In addition, the car gained rectangular headlights and a roof rack. The facelifted Rusa was known as the “Super Rusa” and was sold from until 1996.
(Hinode Rusa-based angkot in Sidoarjo, Indonesia.)
The Rusa was very popular in Southeast Asia, and is a ubiquitous part of everyday life especially in Indonesia. Many examples have also been converted into share taxis, and forms a large part of urban public transport in Indonesia to the present day. The car was also sold in Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Mainland China, and South Africa. For the South African and Mainland Chinese markets, a 4WD version was offered, which is made in China in a joint venture between Hinode Motors and Meixian Auto Works (梅县日出集团股份有限公司). The car is known as the Tenglu (腾鹿) in Mainland China.
(1992-2000 Tenglu KJ032200EU.)
Today, the Rusa is seen as a lovely memory of the days gone by. Its simplicity and robustness has not been matched by any newer car on the market, and its outstanding qualities kept prices for used examples high. There aren’t many Rusas left out there that have low mileage, which goes to show that the Rusa truly was the workhorse of Southeast Asia, a car that helped drive the growth of the region.
Specifications (1980-1988):
- Displacement: 1200cc
- Power: 56hp
- Transmission: 4-speed manual/3-speed automatic
- Weight: 980kg
- Fuel economy: 12l/100km
Specifications (1989-1996):
- Displacement: 2200cc
- Power: 105hp
- Transmission: 4-speed manual/4-speed automatic
- Weight: 1250kg
- Fuel economy: 10l/100km
Specifications (Tenglu KJ032200EU, 1992-2000):
- Displacement: 2200cc
- Power: 105-110hp
- Transmission: 4-speed manual/4-speed automatic
- Weight: 1300kg
- Fuel economy: 11l/100km
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