In May of 1997, Series V Champion graders were launched.
The scope of change from Series IV to Series V was limited, with the focus on improvement of Series V machines to resolve some quality and reliability issues experienced with the Series IV machines.
The following new models were also introduced:
730A VHP, 740A VHP, 750A VHP and 780A VHP
Cab improvements were also made.
The hydraulic system was fine tuned and improvements in the area of product serviceability were implemented.