VERIFIED
Public launch and first model year
Sterling unveiled the 360 in calendar 2006, but regulatory and factory evidence assigns launch production to MY2007. COE40, COE45 and COE50 form the initial factory model set.
STERLINGTRUCKS · LEGACY REFERENCE
STERLING FAMILY REFERENCE
Sterling 360
The Sterling 360 is a Sterling-badged Mitsubishi Fuso Canter/FE-platform truck built in Kawasaki, Japan. The sales badge, underlying manufacturer, platform and JLS VIN identity must remain separate.
ChronologyMY2007–2009; introduced during calendar 2006Family-level evidence; subcode endpoints may be narrower.
BBC / geometryMY2008–2009 · later Class 3 branch · MY2007 · early launch configuration · MY2007–2009 · Class 4 · MY2007–2009 · Class 5Use only with the matching code and configuration.
Precision A–H guideAMBER+Withheld until one complete configuration is sufficiently sourced.
Factory paint evidenceAMBERNo accepted family-specific selector.
PLATFORM & MANUFACTURING IDENTITY
Keep the badge, builder and configuration separate
| Field | Evidence-scoped identity |
|---|---|
| Sales brand | Sterling Trucks |
| Platform / programme | Mitsubishi Fuso Canter / FE platform |
| Physical manufacturer | Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation |
| Plant | Kawasaki, Japan |
| WMI / VIN family | JLS |
| Base chassis | Mitsubishi Fuso Canter / FE-series architecture |
| Predecessor / sibling | Mitsubishi Fuso FE83-type platform · Mitsubishi Fuso FE84-type platform · Mitsubishi Fuso FE85-type platform |
| Use | Cab-over work truck · Vocational chassis cab |
| Axle layouts | 4x2 |
| Cab / body | Compact tilting cab-over |
YEARS & TECHNICAL ERAS
Follow the dated evidence
Corporate production dates, model years and individual factory-code availability are not interchangeable.
VERIFIED
Class 3 and EPA07 update
COE30 joined the line. Advertised output rose to about 185 hp, with DPF/EPA07, cooling and chassis changes; the chassis was lowered roughly two inches and a 189-inch wheelbase joined the heavier range. No unsourced 185-hp torque figure is inferred.
VERIFIED
Verified endpoint
Factory and regulatory records retain COE30, COE45 and COE50 through MY2009. Aftermarket application tables do not extend the Sterling 360 into MY2010.
CONFIGURATION IDENTITY
Codes and BBC references
| Identity | Reference meaning | Use limit |
|---|---|---|
| COE30 | MY2008–2009 · later Class 3 branch | Confirm year, axle layout and build record before applying specifications. |
| COE40 | MY2007 · early launch configuration | Confirm year, axle layout and build record before applying specifications. |
| COE45 | MY2007–2009 · Class 4 | Confirm year, axle layout and build record before applying specifications. |
| COE50 | MY2007–2009 · Class 5 | Confirm year, axle layout and build record before applying specifications. |
Sterling badge, Mitsubishi Fuso manufacturer
The public model is Sterling 360; the underlying manufacturer is Mitsubishi Fuso, the platform is Canter/FE, the plant is Kawasaki and the VIN family begins JLS. It is not a Sterling-designed cabover, Acterra derivative or Cargo derivative.
COE and FE platform mapping
Service literature uses FE84D and FE85D inside the 360 architecture. Broadly, COE30 aligns with an FE83-type class, COE40/45 with an FE84-type class and COE50 with an FE85-type class. Platform kinship does not make every Fuso calibration or specification interchangeable with a Sterling-badged truck.
4M50 and Aisin powertrain
The MY2007 baseline uses the Mitsubishi Fuso 4M50 family at approximately 4.9 litres, 175 hp and 391 lb-ft with an Aisin M036A6 six-speed automatic. MY2008 advertising raises output to about 185 hp; exact torque remains unresolved in the accepted source set.
Wheelbase and body scope
Launch references include approximately 115-, 134-, 152-, 164- and 176-inch wheelbases. MY2008 adds an approximately 189-inch heavier/Class-5-type configuration. No wheelbase is presented as valid across every GVWR, COE code or body.
The false M6500 Acterra decode
Some commercial VIN decoders misclassify Japanese JLS Sterling chassis as M6500 Acterra. A genuine Fuso-derived JLS Sterling COE belongs to the 360 architecture; normal Acterra evidence uses a different conventional/St. Thomas lineage.
OWNER / BUYER CHECK
Identify the individual truck
- Confirm the JLS VIN/WMI and Kawasaki/Japan manufacturer identity.
- Read COE30, COE40, COE45 or COE50 before applying class or wheelbase information.
- Use FE83/84/85 relationships for platform research without assuming badge-identical specifications.
- Reject commercial M6500 Acterra labels when the vehicle is a Japanese-built Fuso-derived COE.
A–H DIMENSION GUIDEAMBER+
Precision graphic intentionally withheld
Sourced BBC or wheelbase figures may be useful, but they do not complete an A–H reference. No missing width, height, overhang, frame or fifth-wheel geometry is inferred from artwork or an adjacent Sterling family.
EVIDENCE REGISTER
Sources and reference scope
Reviewed September 16, 2026. Each source remains limited to the stated year, vehicle, document or configuration.
SRC-STERLING-0151Sterling swings wideFleetOwner · April 2006
360 launch, Fuso basis, Class 4/5 scope, planned Class 3 branch and launch powertrain.
SRC-STERLING-0152Sterling unveils Class 3–5 low cabover truckCommercial Carrier Journal · February 2006Calendar-2006 public launch and Mitsubishi Fuso platform relationship.
SRC-STERLING-0161Mitsubishi Fuso manufacturer recordNHTSA vPICRegulatory manufacturer identity connecting Mitsubishi Fuso and Sterling 360.