Show debut for KW King Suite

Among the seven trucks on display at the PACCAR stand at the Brisbane Truck Show was a Kenworth K200 cab-over fitted with a new 'King Suite' sleeper (pictured), marking the oversize bunk's first official show debut.

Available for some months now as a factory option in the 2.8-metre Aerodyne cab, the King Suite features a king-size single mattress plus an extra 48 litres of storage space, creating what Kenworth says is "the largest available sleeping quarters for a driver anywhere on the Australian market".

The king-size sleeper bunk is a roomy 1070mm wide, while Kenworth engineers have also introduced an illuminated 'tri-storage' compartment at the rear of the cab in addition to an extra under-bunk drawer, along with a larger toolbox compartment.

"It's very important to provide that comfortable environment and this is sure to set a new standard," said General Sales Manager – Kenworth Trucks, Brad May.

The Brisbane Truck Show also saw the first public unveiling of Kenworth's new Business Class cab, which sees a standard cab format adopted across the brand's range of conventional trucks and offers a higher level of comfort and convenience.

Kenworth says the Business Class cab "includes a host of innovations which greatly improve driver comfort, safety and productivity".

Features include a steering wheel with integrated finger-tip controls, a reconfigured curved dash, an overhead console and a privacy curtain.

The new format lends the T359 cab a higher ceiling and more depth, while T659 and C509 cabs now have more seat room and a curved windscreen for enhanced forward visibility.

A cut-cab version of a conventional Kenworth was on hand at the show to demonstrate the advantages of the Business Class upgrade.

Kenworth's new Active Cab Entry (ACE), meanwhile, affords a higher degree of safety on cab entry and egress thanks to an automated set of non-slip steps and LED cab footwell illumination, both complemented by full-length grab rails.

PACCAR Australia’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Andrew Hadjikakou, said the new Business Class interior and conventional cab were worth the wait.

"The new conventional cab and Business Class interior is the result of two years' research and development, and takes cues from Kenworth's K200 cab-over interior, which received rave reviews from customers following its interior upgrade," he said.

"Operators were very impressed with the driver-friendly innovations and overall spaciousness and comfort. That feedback inspired us to go one step further with the cabs in our conventional trucks.

"The Business Class interior provides great advancements in terms of spaciousness and comfort – there’s a renewed emphasis on ergonomics resulting in easy-to-reach controls and gauges, and improved visibility all round."

Kenworth says the common architecture now allows fleet drivers to switch between different Kenworth models with ease, while a full range of interior colours and trim options are now available.