Kenworth K220 isn’t 'change for change’s sake'

Love it or hate it, seems everyone has an opinion on the new 2023 Kenworth K220. But while the next-generation Kenworth cab-over – or ‘Next Level’, to go with PACCAR Australia’s launch theme – represents a major progression from the K200 that went before it, the iconic Aussie truck manufacturer says it has trodden a careful line in giving drivers more of what they want, without losing that intrinsic Kenworth essence.

While in Brisbane for the recent launch of the new Kenworth K220, trucksales caught up with Kenworth Australia Chief Engineer, Noelle Parlier, to chat about how the heavy-duty truck market sales leader produced a new cab-over generation without alienating its rusted-on K series disciples.

“As Brad May [Kenworth Australia National Sales and Marketing Director] said at the launch last night, we don’t change things for change’s sake, and that’s where we’re making sure that we have the voice of the customer,” she said.

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“What do customers need the truck to do differently than what the K200 did for them? That’s where we really had to find that balance. And the new technology really is purpose-driven technology – you're making it easier for drivers to do their jobs without making it too new, making it into something that’s not a Kenworth.”

Ms Parlier, who after four years as Kenworth Australia’s Chief Engineer will shortly return home to the United States, said she believes the project’s team has delivered on that aim.

“It was definitely a fine line, but I really think we’ve done that,” she said. “Is it going to be for everybody? No, okay, we don’t have gold bezels still on the dash, but that’s okay – you can still get a K200 for next year too. But at some point, we feel what we’ve done here is something the majority of drivers will really appreciate.”

Inside the Kenworth K220’s cab, there’s still the familiar studded upholstery trim and the familiar woodgrain-look fascia for the dash, but there are many, many changes to be found elsewhere, from the new aerodynamic roof lines, which bring additional head room further forward in the cab and which have allowed for a raft of additional overhead storage space, to the new bunk lighting and charging console, an all-new HVAC system with climate control, to the dumping of the old Vista windows in the cab’s roof, thereby aiding both thermal and noise insulation.

But it’s the new cockpit and the technology that lies behind it that will truly grab drivers’ attention as the biggest ‘behind the wheel’ difference. Gone is the bank of analogue clocks for the main instrumentation, replaced by a 15-inch high-definition digital display that can be customised by the driver.

“It’s the same hardware as used in both Europe in the DAF product as well as in North America [in the new Kenworth T680],” said Parlier. “The hardware is common as a platform but it’s an Australian software package, so the integration and the smarts of the system is specifically for Australia.”

The main instrument display is complemented by a new 8-inch AVN unit, the acronym denoting Audio Visual Navigation. As such, it provides audio streaming, call management, truck satellite navigation or smartphone mirroring, while there’s an inductive charging pad for a smartphone nearby.

These are just two elements of what represents an entirely new 12-volt electonics architecture for the Kenworth K220, said Parlier.

“So the K200 was an analogue truck, which meant that from one sensor you had to go wire it up to a specific gauge with a specific wire,” she said. “But this new architecture is CAN-bus based; it’s the same platform that the trucks in Europe and North America are currently on.

“We’ve skipped about three levels of architecture on the K200 specifically to get to this level, so now we’re aligned globally, and our next project will be doing the same thing for the T610, T410, T360.”

While power carries over in the form of the Cummins X15, and many will continue to favour Eaton’s manual 18-speed Roadranger transmission, the new Kenworth K220 can also be fitted with Eaton’s all-new Endurant XD Pro transmission, which the firm is touting as a major progression from the Eaton Ultrashift Plus. This new-generation, 18-speed automated manual transmission brings sophisticated new software and robust internals to offer smoother, more precise shifts, meaning less strain on the driver and enhanced fuel economy.

But beyond all the technical changes, Parlier said it’s the customer relationships Kenworth has leveraged to develop this new truck that resonates most.

“I’m most proud of how [Kenworth Australia Director of Product Planning] Ross Cureton’s team put in so much effort to get that voice of the customer, to hear what they wanted,” she says. “The K series is an iconic truck in Australia. It’s the only place in the world where you’ll find this truck, and to take what the customers who operate and love this truck, what they need it to do, and to take it to that ‘next level’… well, we’ve had a tremendous response from customers and that has been very rewarding.

“Because that’s what it’s all about, you know? The customers use this truck to make money, this is their bread and butter. And so we want to make sure that we’re giving them the best piece of equipment to do that and to do it locally, with what they need for Australian conditions.

“Really, it’s all about the driver and making sure they’re given the tools they need to do their job. And if we can make it easier or more productive for them, that’s what we’re here for.”