The new kit, which is usually associated with pick-ups such as the Hilux, Ranger and Navara, was created for the Hino 500 medium-heavy truck in response to a major increase in truck hijacking incidents.

According to Nicol Louw, Business Development Director at SVI, the kit is aimed at companies that transport high-value goods and courier companies that often have to send their trucks out at odd hours or into high-risk areas.

“According to the latest crime statistics provided by the South African Police Service for the second quarter of 2022, the number of reported truck hijackings across the country has increased by nearly 25 percent year on year and by more than 150 percent compared to the same period in 2020,” Louw points out.

“Our new Stopgun V2.0 kit for the Hino 500 represents a cost-effective B6 armouring solution that allows security forces, mining companies and other firms escorting valuables in transit to counter this increased threat level.”

The semi-discreet kit for the Hino 500 offers cabin occupants B6 protection against assault rifles, including AK47 and R1. Just like the version used in pick-ups, the Hino 500 package has integrated door armour and not the more commonly used double-door system.

In addition, nose armour is cleverly concealed behind the vehicle’s standard grille.

The Hino 500 kit additionally has secondary bolt-action door locks as well as an upgraded cab-tilting mechanism to ensure unhindered access to the powertrain for servicing requirements.

A split windscreen is utilised, while flat ballistic glass is likewise fitted to each window frame to allow for fuss-free replacement should damage be sustained during an attack. The roof, too, is armoured, while the underfloor section gains protection courtesy of custom-fabricated armoured steel plates.

Jaco de Kock, CEO of SVI, says the company is now taking orders for its new Hino 500 Series armouring solution, with the first production slots at its factory outside Pretoria scheduled for January 2023. The project build time is two months and the cost (September 2022) is R544,779.