New Kenworth T610 launched in Melbourne
After almost a decade of development, Kenworth has officially launched the new T610 model during a spectacular ceremony in Melbourne on the weekend.
The result of more than 100,000 Australian design hours and more than ten million kilometres of testing and validation, the T610 was specifically developed for the local road transport market, according to Brad May, Paccar Australia’s Director of Sales and Marketing.
“The T610 is the single largest investment in product development the company has ever made in Australia,” he said.
“It represents everything a Kenworth should be in terms of durability, reliability and safety. Yet the really noticeable product improvements are the superior space, ergonomics and driver comfort and control.”
Based on a tried and proven chassis, the T610 features an entirely new cabin that is centred around the needs of the driver, May elaborated.
“The core of this project was about building a bigger cab but it’s really about creating the ultimate driver environment.
“A good driver environment leads to better all-round driving performance, safety, efficiency and productivity.”
At 2.1m, the new cab is almost 300mm wider than the outgoing one (T409, ed.), with the engineers having also pushed the cab 300mm forward over the engine to meet Australia’s stringent length laws and make the T610 more attractive for the contested fleet market.
“Incorporated into the design is greater foot space, more standing room and storage, wider walkthrough access between the seats and more expansive door and windscreen glass, providing space, visibility and ergonomics never before seen in Kenworth’s suite of Australian made trucks,” May summarised.
While all Kenworth trucks are tested and validated to the same standards, the benchmark for the T610 has been elevated even further, Kenworth’s Engineering Project Design Manager, Ross Cureton explained during the launch event on Saturday.
“The T610 has been tested three times more than any Australian Kenworth truck that’s gone before it,” he shared.
“All Kenworth trucks would normally run on a standard, 60-day shake test program, where the physical cab is mounted on a simulation machine, as if driving on its chassis, to see if it survives. We put the T610 cab through three of these cycles, which acts as if it were being subjected to the vibrations and forces of the worst case road conditions found in Australia.”
Cureton said despite the multiple, at times violent simulations, the new Kenworth cab passed with flying colours. “I’ve been at Kenworth for 23 years and the T610 shake test has proven it to be the most durable cab we’ve ever tested, and we wouldn’t want it to be any less, given the Australian market and our collective expectations.”
As part of the new cab, Kenworth also developed a new, automotive quality dashboard with improved access to the air conditioning (HVAC, ed.) system and tool free access to electrical circuit protection, plus visually apparent fasteners in the dash to assist further access if required.
Under the hood, the new T610 will be powered by Cummins’ X15 Euro V engine with Advanced Dynamic Efficient Powertrain (ADEPT) technology – a term to summarise a whole suite of electronic features that interact with the optional Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), dynamically adapting to operating conditions to enhance fuel economy with no impact to productivity.
The T610, which also come in a SAR version, will be offered in either a day cab or a 860mm sleeper to make it suitable for virtually any application – including maximum payload 26m B-double work. The set forward front axle (SAR) version will also make it suitable for 19m single trailer, as well as tipper and dog applications.
On the safety front, the 610 will be available with state-of-the-art collision avoidance and mitigation technology, “including active cruise with braking and lane departure warning working in harmony to take safety to the next level”, as Kenworth put it.
Source: primemovermag.com.au
