Kenworth Truck Co. announced Oct. 3 that it is expanding into the Class 5 market with the introduction of the Kenworth T170 model. “Kenworth’s latest addition to its expanding medium-duty truck lineup offers outstanding performance, quality and reliability,” says Gary Moore, assistant general manager of marketing and sales for Kirkland, Wash.-based Kenworth.
The Kenworth T170 is a straight truck in a 4×2 configuration with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) up to 19,500 lbs. Standard features include the Paccar PX-6 engine rated at 200 hp and 520 ft-lb of torque, 8,000 lb. front axle and 11,500 lb. rear axle, hydraulic brakes, low-frame height chassis with 19.5 inch wheels and tires, power door locks, passenger-side electric windows (optional on driver’s side) and Kenworth DayLite doors with right-hand peeper window.
Customers can choose a manual or automatic transmission. The 6.7-liter Paccar PX-6 engine offers the highest horsepower-to-weight ratio in the industry, according to the company, and has a two-year warranty with unlimited miles. The Kenworth T170 is available with the Kenworth Medium Duty Van Body Program.
“The Kenworth T170 provides a highly affordable and maneuverable product for customers in a diversity of applications in the non-CDL Class 5 market, while also aiding driver retention,” Moore says. “Customers will also benefit by being able to have their T170s serviced at Kenworth dealerships instead of at car dealerships.”
The new Kenworth T170 incorporates a single-piece painted steel bumper that is forward of the hood to help reduce impact damage, and new Metton quarter fenders for additional durability and impact resistance. The new sheet-molded-composite (SMC) hood is designed to offer superior access to the engine compartment with 90-degree hood tilt for ease of service. New halogen-projector low-beam headlamps are designed to provide up to 30 more light down the road and three times longer life than sealed beam headlamps. The Kenworth T170 also comes with a steel battery box and ABS cover, heat-treated frame rail and 35-gallon steel rectangular fuel tank.
Inside, the T170’s ergonomically-friendly dash features a wraparound instrument panel with large easy-to-read gauges, Kenworth says, and the fully trimmed cab does not include a doghouse, which greatly reduces interior noise. Key options include a telescoping and tilting steering wheel, workstation with two 12-volt power ports for laptops or printers, optional corner windows to aid in backing and negotiating tight spots, and an electronic shift module.
The Kenworth T170 joins Kenworth’s latest lineup of medium-duty trucks, which features the T370 Class 7 and T270 Class 6 conventional models — both also available in a diesel-electric hybrid configuration starting in 2008 — and the K360 Class 7 and K260 Class 6 cabover models.
