Kenworth Truck Co. introduced its “most aerodynamic truck ever,” the T680, on Wednesday, March 21, in Louisville, Ky.
The T680’s features include sculpted full-height roof, optimized bumper and hood, full-height side extenders, cab/sleeper-to-fairings closeout panels, chassis fairings extenders and flush-mounted lighting. Compared to other similar models, it has a 10 percent enhancement in aerodynamics, 65 percent more storage capacity, a 50 percent larger windshield, 40 percent less interior noise, 30 percent larger door openings and best-in-class forward lighting.
“Our goal for the T680 is to be best-in-class in key areas, including aerodynamics, quietness, comfort, reliability, durability and serviceability,” said Gary Moore, Kenworth general manager and Paccar vice president.
“The Kenworth T680 is Kenworth’s most aerodynamic truck … ever,” said Preston Feight, Kenworth chief engineer.
The Kenworth T680 is designed to maximize performance in linehaul, pickup-and-delivery and regional hauling operations. Available with a new 76-inch sleeper or as a day cab, the T680 is standard with the fuel-efficient 12.9-liter Paccar MX engine and optional with the Cummins ISX15 engine.
Kenworth’s newly designed T680 cab is a 83 inches wide with 23 inches of room between the seats. The T680 offers the premium Diamond VIT and Vantage trim levels and two interior color options of Sandstone Tan and Slate Gray.
Key Kenworth T680 features include:
Stamped aluminum cab: The lightweight and corrosion-resistant cab uses stamped aluminum panels joined with self-penetrating Henrob fasteners. Acoustic treatments in the floor and firewall help block out airborne noise.
Sleeper: A new 76-inch sleeper is integrated with the cab. The sleeper is 96 inches wide with a high ceiling and has 60 cubic feet of storage and a full-height wardrobe cabinet. A new Kenworth innovation is the rotating table, which is robust enough for daily use.
Windshield: A new panoramic one-piece bonded-in windshield is 50 percent larger that comparable models, has increased thickness to minimize the effects of rock incidents, offers efficient replacement time and provides enhanced aerodynamics.
Door: The stamped aluminum door is lightweight and stiff. Computational fluid dynamics was used to design for smooth airflow around the cab and minimize noise-inducing turbulence. A pressure relief valve equalizes interior and exterior air pressure to make the door easy to open and close. The door is triple-sealed against the elements and road noise.
Hood and bumper: The three-piece aerodynamic hood is made of sheet molding compound, a lightweight durable composite material that also enables high paint quality.
Lighting: The T680 is standard with dual lamp Halogen headlights and optional with High Intensity Discharge Xenon lights. Seamless, integrated jeweled headlamps improve aerodynamics.
Driver performance center: This has a full-color high-resolution 5-inch thin film transistor display screen, which includes current truck information, diagnostic data and pop-up alerts.
Seats: The Kenworth proprietary seats offer an advanced air suspension system that adjusts automatically to various driver weights. An adjustable shock provides a full range of seat comfort for driver-specific preferences. An optional passenger 180-degree swivel seat allows the occupant to face into the sleeper. This option, combined with the rotating table, creates an integrated work and living environment.
Dash: The new dash cluster has an easy-to-read layout with nine standard gauges and 12 additional gauges available. It includes Kenworth NavPlus with hands-free cell phone capability via Bluetooth connections and voice commands.
In other news, Kenworth announced a 14.1-percent Class 8 market share in 2011, up from 12 percent in 2010. 2012 market share year-to-date is 15.8 percent through February. The company also announced 20,000 Paccar MX engine installations and 6,000 in backlog.
