Kenworth last week introduced a new medium-duty conventional truck lineup ranging from Class 5 to light Class 8 during a major virtual product reveal.
The new models are the Kenworth T180 (Class 5), Kenworth T280 (Class 6), Kenworth T380 (Class 7) and Kenworth T480 (light Class 8). In addition, for customers needing front engine power take-off (FEPTO), full parent rails and fixed grille, Kenworth added the Kenworth T380V and Kenworth T480V with a vocational hood.
Kevin Baney, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president, noted, “Our new lineup sets the industry standard for quality, performance, reliability and durability throughout the many diverse, medium-duty applications in the U.S. and Canadian markets.
“These Kenworth models possess excellent versatility and maneuverability, spacious 2.1-meter-wide cab, exceptional visibility and driver-focused ergonomics, and new PACCAR TX-8 transmission. Our new medium-duty trucks are an impressive addition to the World’s Best product line.”
Kenworth’s new medium-duty vehicles meet the needs of a wide variety of applications, including cargo and reefer van, beverage, tow and recovery, utility and government, fuel oil and propane, landscaping, fire and dump and mixer. The trucks may be specified with either a standard low roof or a raised roof option. The low roof is 63 inches tall, 4 inches shorter than the raised roof, making it ideal for height-restricted applications.
The new trucks offer three hood types to support the lineup’s application versatility – short aero hood (107.5-inch BBC) that accommodates front axles from 8K to 20K lbs., medium aero hood (109.5-inch BBC) for higher horsepower and AWD applications, and Kenworth’s vocational ‘sloped’ hood for the T380V and T480V. The shorter wheelbases produce a tighter turning radius and enhanced maneuverability for urban or vocational operating environments.
The Kenworth’s new medium-duty vehicles are available with the model year 2021 PACCAR PX-7 engine rated up to 325 horsepower and 2021 PACCAR PX-9 engine up to 380 horsepower, depending upon BBC. With the introduction of the new medium-duty vehicles, Kenworth offers – for the first time in its medium-duty trucks – the near-zero emission Cummins Westport L9N natural gas engine that delivers 320 horsepower.
New PACCAR Transmission
Kenworth also launched the new PACCAR TX-8 automatic transmission as standard for the Kenworth T180, T280, T380 and T480. The robust, yet lightweight 8-speed transmission provides smooth performance and enhances fuel economy. The PACCAR TX-8 serves a wide range of applications from pickup and delivery to utility service and a variety of vocational applications. When matched to the PACCAR PX-7 or PACCAR PX-9 engine, the transmission has a maximum torque rating up 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque and a 57,000-lb. GCWR.
“We designed these new Kenworth medium-duty trucks with our customers. Over the past several years, Kenworth actively sought, listened to and collected invaluable input and feedback from nearly 1,000 customers and drivers throughout the extensive design process,” said Joe Adams, Kenworth chief engineer. “The important customer insights – representing a variety of medium-duty applications – were essential to developing the world’s best medium-duty vehicles.”
Laura Bloch, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing, noted, “Kenworth achieved a retail sales market share record for the U.S. and Canada of 11.7 percent in medium-duty vehicles in 2020. Kenworth’s outstanding new medium-duty conventional models will further expand the full Kenworth experience into the Class 5 through light Class 8 medium-duty truck markets. Fleets and truck operators will discover the tremendous benefits of operating these new Kenworth medium-duty vehicles and count on them to provide exceptional performance over many years of service.”
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