It costs as much as a Lamborghini Aventador, but certainly doesn’t go as fast. It’s as long as two Ford Fiestas, and could probably crush them both.
But most importantly, it can protect you from high-power rifle fire and hand grenade blasts, which is what it is designed to do. Built for war zones and for keeping its occupants safe, we had the chance to drive the INKAS Huron around some peaceful country roads, imagining what it might be like to roll into a hot landing zone ready to deploy a fully armed unit.
The Big Boy
The Huron armored personnel carrier is based on a Kenworth chassis, but where the Kenworth is designed to haul cargo to sell at big box stores, the Huron is all about protection in life threatening situations and delivering troops where they are needed.
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Under the hood is an 8.3L diesel cranking out 310 hp and 950 lb-ft of torque. Hooked up to the engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission driving all four massive wheels. A 75-gallon fuel tank provides the range, while the rear of the vehicle can house up to 16 people.
But the powerplant is not even close to being the most important part of this vehicle.
The armor plating has a B6 ballistics rating, which means it can protect you from rounds from high-power rifles like an Ak47, or from the blast of two DM-51 German ordnance hand grenades. To make sure that all of your passengers can also fight back, gun portholes can be found down the side of the Huron, including one in the driver’s door.
Exactly how heavy is the armor? INKAS says that the Huron can weigh up to 33,000 lbs, depending on exactly which add-ons are ordered.
Those buying the Huron can outfit it just about any way they want it, provided they have the money. Our unit came with a massive hydraulic plow on the front, which we’re pretty sure isn’t for snow. Other optional extras include a roof-mounted gun turret.
Extreme cold and heat is also handled by the Huron’s body panels, which offer complete isolation from the outside, keeping its passengers in a temperature-regulated safe space.
The Huron is manufactured in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but none of these machines stay in this friendly nation. The first four of the these beasts were ordered by the National Police of Colombia, while INKAS also has business locations in in Libya, Kenya, Russia and other countries with reputations for being tough places to live.
And, just so you know, rappers and celebrities looking for the next big thing need not apply, as the Huron is only sold through government tenders or law enforcement agencies.
Driving the Beast
Driving the Huron is daunting. Just climbing in, it’s hard not to notice how overbuilt everything is. The doors are thick and everything is made from beefy steel. Most of the interior is coated in a protective spray-in material like that found in the bed of pickup truck, giving the interior a rugged feeling.
Besides regular internal door locks, there are also two heavy-set steel stoppers to make sure that nothing is getting through that door once you’re inside.
Cages covering all the windows make this mammoth hard to see out of, which isn’t helped by small windows with two panes of glass. It is tough to see out of, but making the driver a harder target to get at is ultimately the goal, and the Huron’s small glass openings are designed for just that.
Besides, checking your blind spots before changing lanes isn’t a priority while someone is trying to blow you up.
Driving something this big with terrible visibility is a downright challenge, and it takes all of your faculties to keep from plowing through the Corolla driving next to you.
A push-button transmission sets the Huron in motion, and once you get over having mouse-sized sightlines for an elephant of a vehicle, the Huron handles fairly well. It’s not quite as long as many straight trucks at just about 27 feet and with short overhangs, so you don’t need to cut corners too wide. You wouldn’t expect something so large to feel this maneuverable.
While a driver’s air ride seat helps to keep you comfortable, there is no plush ride to found here. Much of the stiffness can probably be chalked up to all the added weight of armor, keeping the suspension working overtime.
The Verdict: INKAS Huron Review
It’s safe to say we had an absolute blast piloting the Huron. This is truly the stuff of childhood dreams.
But seriously, there is nothing fun about the situations that this vehicle is designed to withstand, and serious situations call for serious hardware. If the bullets did start flying, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but in the INKAS Huron.
