Kenworth Adds Features, Options

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Kenworth recently made several significant announcements about new features and options on virtually its entire range of trucks.

First off, the Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system is now available for the Kenworth T680 and T880. It integrates and advances a suite of Bendix safety technologies – radar, camera, the vehicle’s brake system, and SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS.

Built on the Bendix ESP full stability program, Wingman Fusion offers enhanced collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, stationary vehicle braking, and overspeed alert and action. The value of this combination is that it enables the system to assess a situation and react to it faster, while also reducing false alerts and false interventions

It features alert prioritization. If multiple system alerts are triggered simultaneously, such as a lane-departure warning and impact alert, Wingman Fusion arranges the alerts in order of importance and first delivers the more crucial one to the driver to minimize driver distraction. 

Kenworth has also expanded its engine auto start/stop monitoring system. As well as detecting when batteries get to a critical level, the system can now detect when engine oil temperature dips to a point where it could cause fuel gelling.

Initially introduced last fall as an option for its on-highway T680 in sleeper configurations, it’s now an option on vocational T880s with sleepers. It can be ordered with or without the company’s Idle Management System, a battery-based APU system. Kenworth has also added the engine monitoring system to include T680 and T880 day cabs.

Kenworth will offer a new clear back-of-cab, DEF-tank configuration option for the T880 and T680. It’s designed to maximize fuel capacity by removing the DEF tank from the frame rail and mounting it above the fuel tank and under the cab. When combined with an in-cab battery box, right-hand under-cab aftertreatment, and left-hand under-cab fuel tank, this new option can provide a clear cab back to assist in body installations.

The configuration features a new lightweight 7.3-gal DEF tank, which shaves off about 25 lb while clearing the way to install larger fuel tanks.

And finally, the Kenworth T370 is now available with Meritor non-drive front steer axles rated from 16,000 to 20,000 lb and the company’s 44,000- and 46,000-lb heavy-duty tandem-drive rear axles.

The Meritor MFS20 front axles and the MT-44 and RT-46 series drive axles  can be spec’d with the PACCAR PX-9 engine rated up to 350 hp and 1150 lb ft of torque.

Along with the new  axles, the T370 is now available with heavy-duty rear suspensions rated up to 46,000 lb from a variety of leading suppliers in either spring or air configurations.

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Rolf Lockwood is editor emeritus of Today's Trucking and a regular contributor to Trucknews.com.


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