Kenworth K220 2024 Review

The K220 has gained many fans since its launch over a year-and-a-half ago. The truck was initially built alongside the K200, but is now getting closer to having exclusive use of the line in the PACCAR facility in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater.

There was much excitement at the launch and the truck was touted as the ‘Next Level’ for the venerable Kenworth cabover models.

And next level it proved to be with many improvements over the K200, not the least of which was the Eaton Endurant XD Pro transmission – an all-new 18-speed automated manual – in addition to Eaton’s manual 18-speed Roadranger.

The Endurant transmission took over from Eaton’s Ultrashift Plus AMT; it is a big leap forward and makes the K220 a far better truck to drive in two-pedal form.

Kenworth also did a lot of work on technology, NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) and insulation, making the K220 an all-round better truck to live with than the previous cabover models.

The K220 is fitted with all the latest safety equipment including all the usual gear like ABS, stability control and the like, but now with the addition of adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and Side Object Warning.

The side object detection system monitors the truck’s blind spots and provides the driver with audible and visual alerts when an object or vehicle has entered these zones — invaluable when making a lane change or negotiating tight delivery sites.

There is also Collision Mitigation which is a feature that is always on, monitoring the road and providing warnings and active braking, even when the cruise control is not in use.

The warning is designed to provide the driver with time to react to the situation and potentially avoid a collision altogether. If the driver does not take pre-emptive braking action, the collision mitigation system will apply the brakes in an effort to reduce the severity of a crash.

However, a lot of these safety systems are on the options list so if you want them, you might have to tick a few boxes.

The K220 we had on test was a fairly typical setup for intrastate or interstate work. The sleeper was the second-biggest in the range at 2.3m and power was supplied by a Euro 6 Cummins X15 rated at 565hp and 1850Nm. As stated, the transmission was an Eaton Endurant XD Pro 18-speed automated manual through to a Meritor 4.3 diff.

We did have a few options on the truck, one of which was the electric steps. The steps are operated by a button just inside the door and when pushed, this extends the steps outward forming a neat staircase, rather than the vertical ladder which is standard. It doesn’t sound like much, but it certainly makes entering and exiting the truck a much more easy, and safe, exercise.

We also had the full disc-brake option on the truck which we were told only around 10 per cent of owners go for. On the outside we had a very smart chrome sunvisor which worked a treat and looked pretty cool too.

Fuel was 1500 litres with the big straps on the polished tanks – another nice touch.

Up in the cab, there was the usual Isri driver’s seat with a fixed seat on the passenger’s side, and from here, the view of the road ahead is great. There’s still a split screen, but on the road you don’t notice it.

This model has the ‘smart’ steering wheel with controls for the cruise control, audio, phone as well as the scroll for the different screens on the digital dashboard. The screens are great and allow the driver to see as much, or indeed as little, as he or she wants.

I like having the full range of gauges in front of me with a nice big digital speedo inside a regular tacho. That is surrounded by all the info a driver needs from fuel and temp to air pressure and transmission temperature.

There is more room for the driver in this model too. There is a foot rest or dead pedal on the left and there is more room in the footwell so you can change positions to keep yourself comfortable.

I found plenty of adjustment in the seat and that combined with the adjustable steering column makes it really easy to find a comfortable driving position.

The wraparound dash means everything is close at hand and you don’t have to reach for anything – even your drink.

We had a neat phone charging pad just near the driver’s drink holder so you never need to suffer from a flat phone. I’m pretty sure that’s an option but it’d be a pretty sensible box to tick.

With the new roofline, there’s more headspace. Even bigger drivers over the old six-foot scale can stand tall in the sleeper. Overhead storage is now triple the size, we’re told, and the new climate control system delivers 61 per cent more airflow.

Sleeper cab options are 2.3m and 2.8m and they offer the biggest range of optional storage and bunk configurations, as well as a 240V inverter and other personal touches that make this a real home away from home.

Optimised for the Cummins X15 Euro 6 and Euro 5 engines, the K220 can be coupled with a manual or the all-new 18-speed Endurant XD Pro automated transmission.

Designed from the ground up to set a new automated transmission benchmark, the Endurant XD Pro is lighter, smoother and engineered to reduce fuel and maintenance costs, we were told at the launch.

It’s a pretty clever transmission and according to Kenwworth it has: “Next generation engine management software that integrates the transmission with other vehicle sensors, for intelligent shift decisions. From effortless low-speed manoeuvrability to optimised highway cruising, the Endurant XD Pro is a game-changer”.

There is a unique feeling to driving a Kenworth. Every Kenworth seems as though it’s a different truck. No doubt because they’re so bespoke, and built with a ‘hands on’ approach.

And driving them is a hands-on feel too. Don’t get me wrong, they’re easy to drive, and this one with the new Endurant auto is easier than ever, but the feel is different from any other heavy-duty truck.

There’s the rumble of the Cummins engine, the growl of the Jake brake on backoff and the feel of the steering that set these trucks apart from everything else. It’s just, well, unique.

But getting away from the romance of the drive and back to practicalities, the K220 is an easy truck to get used to and an easy truck to drive. It still has the old American-style push-and-pull park brake which I hadn’t used since driving the Legend SAR. It’s an old system but it works and at least it’s positive and you know when they’re on and off.

The steering has been improved with no slop at the straight-ahead and it’s direct, making it easy to put the truck exactly where you want it on the road.

It tracks nice and straight too, taking corners in its stride. We were loaded to 43.5 tonnes and the K220 hardly felt it. We pulled up hills and cruised steadily all day. Sure on the steeper hills we dropped back a few gears but the Endurant box was a beauty; with smooth and relatively brisk downshifts, we didn’t lose momentum.

Of course, with a flick of a switch on the end of the right-hand stalk, you can switch to manual mode which I did a few times to drag it back for some descents or to hold a gear on steep grade. It was all too easy.

Another feature of note was the adaptive cruise control, which I used on the open road. There’s also a roll feature which slips you into neutral – just like the old ‘angel gear’ – and allows the truck to coast down slight declines to save fuel. I had this coasting for a kilometre or two at times and you’d have to think that over a long drive, you could save quite a bit of diesel.

All too soon, it was time to head back for the Big Smoke and hand back the keys to the K220. I’d had a great day behind the wheel of this fine truck. It left me with the feeling that I wouldn’t be too upset if I had to spend a few days living in one of these.

Fill the fridge up with a bit of food and a few drinks, fill the big tanks (hoping I don’t have to pay), chuck a sleeping bag and pillow in the sleeper and head off. There could be worse ways to earn a quid…

Specifications
Kenworth K220
Engine: Cummins X15 EURO 6 ‘Performance’ – 565hp/1850Nm
Transmission: Eaton Endurant XP Pro 18-speed automated manual
Diff: Meritor 4.3
Fuel: 1500L
AdBlue: 180L (standard)
Rear suspension: Kenworth Airglide
Front Axle: Dana E14621 6.6t (standard)
Rear Axle: Dana D46-170 20.9t (standard)
Brakes: Discs (opt)
Air cleaner: Donaldson 2501 engine mounted (standard)
Safety standard: ABS, Drag Torque Control, Automatic Traction Control, Electronic Stability Program
Safety optional: Active Cab Entry Steps, Hill Start Assist, Trailer Response Management, Blindspotter Side Object Detection System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Highway Departure Warning (with braking), Lane Departure Warning, AEB