Radical new Kenworth look
These images of the new look for the Kenworth range have had to travel quite a way before etruck could get hold of them to post them up here on the website. New Zealander Rod Simmonds is attending the 10th anniversary Trucking Hall of Fame event currently taking place in Alice Springs. He e-mailed the images across to the UK to Brian Weatherly who then proceeded to post them on his blog, the biglorryblog. This is where we found them and posted them up.
The new trucks do represent a radical redesign and rethink for Kenworth. The company are not known for making radical change at any time, Paccar are a conservative company who will make a change only when it needs to happen. This time around the rethink had to be in the modernisation of their long-standing and well loved cab over the K 108. The result is we now have a new kid on the block, the K 200.
The new design for the K 200 addresses some of the issues, which have seen other cabover prime movers making progress in the very lucrative B-double prime mover market. Other brands can offer a similar driveline with more space in the cab interior or improved OHS considerations in terms of driver access and comfort. etruck’s spies in Alice tell us the floor of the new cabover is getting closer to a flat floor to a surprising extent.
On the face of it the radical new look all comes down to radiator grille design with the new K 200 and the T609 getting a new curved elliptical shaped grille. The new shape does modernise the design to a certain extent but, in the case of the K 200, it is still fitted to a cab whose design first started appearing on Kenworth product back in the 60s. Of course, this is an all-new cabin design and bears little relation, apart from basic shape, to the original.
There will be many who will bemoan the passing of the ‘classic’ Kenworth radiator shape but time moves on, even for Paccar. The reason behind these new shapes is purely practical Kenworth are having to fit more or more under the hood and get more cool air into the engine compartment. This time around they have needed enhanced cooling packages to cope with the needs of the new engines and exhaust after treatment systems to clean up emissions to meet the new ADR 80/03 rules.
The company would have thought long and hard about making changes in the basic design of their trucks. It is important to them not to get too far away of that basic philosophy about the truck which makes Kenworth the most popular brand here in Australia. On the face of it, at first glance, the guys from Bayswater seem to have got it just right. The trucks are different enough to show they have been modernised but also retain that Kenworth look and feel which is so important to their enthusiasts who drive them week in week out.
These grilles just look wrong. They look like they come off a T660 or T2000 in the states. Give us a proper Kenworth grille please. I can see aftermarket suppliers doing a big trade in custom grilles.
I actually checked out the US Kenworth website to see if these grilles were used there and there is nothing even vaguely like this on sale in the States currently. It must be to increase the airflow into the engine compartment and an old style grille might just void your warranty.
Looks terrible whoever designed these needs to be sacked if we wanted americanised trucks we would import them from the states can handle the cabover but the conventionals are just look shithouse
Well these pic have traveled a long way, these pics where originally taken by Ryan Barton in South Australia, they where lifted from his face book page, I actually have the originals that he sent me, so if you think Rod Simmonds took these, then you are very much mistaken
Checked out the info on Kenworth Aus website. The new ‘hood’as they call it (I thought it was called a bonnet here) has been designed to improve airflow and cooling. All they need to do is narrow the strips on the edges and change the mesh to make it look more traditional. Or mabe paint them like they do with the 608 & 408. The cabover looks like it ran up the back end of a maccas sign.
Thankfully these are trial units and they don’t go on sale until April 2011 so if people make enough noise maybe they will change them. Or buy a current model while you still can.
Seen the T659 in the flesh tonight and it looks good. As do the photo’s of the 409SAR and 909. Also the 609 on the Kenworth website looks better in Red.
My mistake, I was given the impression he took them by biglorryblog
I think the new models look fantastic and well done to Kenworth designers and engineers. The K200 looks even better aqnd has still kept it’s original aerodyne style with some long overdue improvements. The T609 and The T409 bonnets have finally looked like they suit the truck where the T608 bonnet was too bold. Great work
Hey fellas, All these photo’s were taken at Port Augusta in South Australia.The K200 photo is out side the subway store and the others at the BP road house. I love the look of all of the models but the K200 does it for me. Can’t wait to get behind the wheel of one.
I would say its not as classic as the older ones, but still a lot better than a volvo or a daf. Or a scania. I wonder how it’ll handle the dirt roads?
that grill on the k200 looks horrible! the shape just doesn’t fit in. and those steps…
they are good
looks sh** house
for those who don’t like the new kenworth models you guys are F***ED UP they look so awesome and FAT i absolutely LOVE them. I like the way the aerodyne does’nt have a big hump any more its lower and nicer and the way the dash wraps around and how you have a under bunk fridge freezer. But i WILL REALLY MISS THE K108 AND THE K104/K104B
I’ve been a Kenny nut since I wore short pants and like a sap, I drive truck because of “MOVIN’ ON”. With that said, I gotta say that I envy you down under ’cause here in the States we can only buy used K-100s as KW in their cosmic wisdom no longer sells them unless you order atleast ten units. It’s getting awful hard to find one worth restoring so I’ll take a K200, funky grille and all. Or maybe one of you will put a K-108 in the post for me. God Bless!
Well after seeing some of the bonneted trucks at the Brown & Hurley reveal on the weekend I have to retract my earlier comments. The T409, T403, T659 & T359 look really good. The paint scheme on the trucks in the photo’s doesn’t do them any favours. No K200 there but word is there maybe swing out steps on the production trucks. Like the argosy except being a Kenworth they will actually work all of the time. I’m also told all of the trucks are much quieter then the current models. I was told there is testing underway on the 12 litre Paccar (Daf) motor and they are talking to Cummins about the ISX11.9 that has just been released in the US & asia.
Really if these trucks give Kenworth & Cummins quality, performance,tare weight and reliability with european comfort & safety levels without the inconvenience of adblue why would you buy a Volvo, Scania or Merc? Or a Freightliner or Western Star for that matter.
Congratulations Kenworth, After claiming the 8×4 cabover load-sharing front suspension as your own in the K-108(the same suspension setup I had on my ol’ 1981 T-line), now you’ve really outdone yourself and changed the front of the cab-over to look like a 1978 Hino. Personally I think youre going the wrong way.
Kenworth’s new model range is all about performance. Specifically, engine cooling performance. For cooling, air flow is everything. What you see today started in 2008, with cooling issues the company faced with the 2008 models. Style is second to performance. Maybe you dont like the styling (not sure about the conventional range, but I think the K200 looks good), but you will all like the peformance. The K200 is a huge improvememt over the K108. It drives so well. And I have driven one. The conventionals are much quieter. But that comes more from the removal of the exhaust from the cab more so than anything else (which leaves so much room for improvement if they are clever). There is massive potential for the mighty Kenworth from these trucks. Whilst they remain US owned, at least they remain Aussie made. Who wants Euro trash when you can have Aussie power!
And, Peter, only Australia has true trucks! Get hold of a Kenworth Australia calendar. It craps on the Kenworth US calendars. Seen the photos of the mighty Kenworth T9 road train powering through the bulldust? As Homer would say “Mmmmmmmmmmm”!
What do you call australian built kenworths, the antique roadshow! The k200 is still not airbag mounted. Bushes and small motorcycle shockies. Bounce bounce like they always have done and cut your head open on the door frame getting in and out.Window demisters that dont demist very well. yeah get a cummins that cracks a head up to 7 times with the EGR system. hooray the k200 has a flat floor 42years later. Something that a 1988 cabover pete had. Maybe those who moan about of volvo or scania should drive one first and see that $35grand is lot to save on full retail also with 60,000klms oil changes for a 16litre globetrotter. Theres a reason why the Usa stopped building aerodynes way back in 92. USA drivers wont drive a cabover. Same with the argosy.Our length limit has us stuck on the east coast with a outdated washing machine called a aerodyne. imagine if holden was still building the kingswood! At the price of todays VE. K200 That must mean how many Rivets there are on each side of the cab?
Due to our over beaurocratic country and industry over regulation and stupid regulations,(overall length rules) I and many Australian drivers have not been been able to get ourselves out of these cramped cabovers with short chassis. Add to that the total neglect and therefore disasterously bad state of many of our country’s roads and it is very hard to get excited about any cab over.OH@S are worried about how we get in and out of these cabs but apparently not worried that we have nowhere to sleep……..lack of parking bays.
Nowhere to crap
Nowhere to get a decent healthy meal
Nowhere to shower.
At least the trucking industry and truck manufacturers could do was fight p/mover length limits for larger sleepers that could house a shower and toilet (as some offer in the states) etc, and longer just to cope better with the constant kick up the arse we get from these roads. Please don’t expect us to get excited about any cabovers.
This is not europe.
Cabovers in Australia are a joke……..a bad joke.
Please manufacturers, and transport representatives, fight harder against the length laws,as we are too busy delivering Australia to Australians.
mmmmm interesting comments well ok yes they might be different look there not like the old ones but time moves forward an so do we an so does the shape of the future heavy vehicles of australia they might not be classic shape we like an know but if your look back in time every model differed something new added something redesigned but thats why they call them new trucks new looks i have driven volvos scannia kenworths freighliners personally which at the end of the day as i driver which each have ouron comforts an dislikes with what we drive but all that really matters is can it do the job you want it to do doesnt matter on if its cheaper then that brand by 30k its will it do the job your wanting it to do i will admit new shape of kenworths where not what i expected but if they still do the job expected an have done then looks wont matter only downfall i see is that they dont come with a real engine one built for the heavy loads those drivers know what i mean
Thank god for a freightliner classic xl with a 84 inch sleeper, 14 liter detroit 515 horses ,232 wheelbase. 18 speed eaton fuller transmission. Thank you america ! The hood is almost longer than your australian trucks.
For all of you lot bagging the K 200 you have no idea what you are talking about. I have been driving a K 200 test truck since October 2010 and it is a good truck. It is quite smooth and a pleasure to drive. We have both European and Australian trucks in our fleet and I would take K 200 anyday. A few weeks ago I had to drive a Volvo for a trip and in my oponion it is not any better to drive if as good. The K 200 has a very good ride. The only thing I don’t like about the K 200 is the cruise is on the dash and no variable speed wipers. Other than that I love it. You can have your gutless, boring, bouncy euro crap. Give me American muscle in an Aussie cab over anyday. And we will have cabovers in this country for a while yet. At least untill the brain dead pollies get with the programme.