As PACCAR continues to celebrate its 50th year of manufacturing in Australia, the brand’s stand is set to draw a lot of attention at the Brisbane Truck Show, with whispers that an exciting new Kenworth Legend will be revealed – though its details have been largely shrouded in secrecy.
PACCAR has remained tight-lipped about the model, but the word on the street is that we can expect to see the very limited-edition Legend SAR taking pride of place at the stand.
Back in 2017, PACCAR launched the Legend 900 which was on sale for just 24 hours. Following the great response that time around, the Legend SAR is expected to go on sale in a similar fashion, with customers given just 24 hours to purchase the limited-edition rig. How many will be available? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Kenworth’s newest model, the all new T410SAR which was launched last year, is also expected to be a be a major drawcard at the stand.
Driven by a continuous innovation and product development process, influenced heavily by customer and driver feedback, Kenworth has taken the features of the T410 and applied these and more to the T410SAR.
“Combining classic Kenworth styling with modern enhancements, the T410SAR complements the existing Kenworth product range and provides Australian and New Zealand customers with additional solutions for their application needs,” said Brad May, Director Sales and Marketing, PACCAR Australia.
Offering better weight distribution with its set-forward front axle and classic Kenworth styling, the T410SAR delivers bigger payloads, a superior driver environment, improved fuel economy and a greater choice of options. Specifically designed to provide maximum payload under Australian regulations for 19m B-double, most 19m quad dog applications and car carrier specifications, the T410SAR offers a shorter bumper-to-back-of-cab length of 2,850mm.
“To develop a new product that meets the needs of our customers, consultation is paramount and is the foundation of its development. Sharing many of the same attributes as the T410SAR, feedback from customers on the performance and handling of the T410 has been positive, including feedback received from customers with an integrated PACCAR Powertrain, incorporating the PACCAR MX-13 engine and 12-speed transmission. The same combination is being made available in the T410SAR,” added May.
Since its introduction to the Kenworth range in the T409, the MX-13 has gained popularity and earned the respect of drivers and fleets alike. Its performance and responsiveness has delivered fuel economy and operational benefits, making it a leading contender against other 13 litre options. The 12v MX-13 provides exceptional levels of refinement and service simplicity. No longer requiring 24v-12v inverters, the electrical architecture is even more simple, durable and cost-effective to service and maintain.
The T410SAR offers the operational advantages of the PACCAR 12-speed or Eaton 18-speed automated transmissions. Both integrating perfectly with the PACCAR 12v MX-13 engine. Designed from the ground up and first offered in the T410, the PACCAR 12-speed transmission features an aluminium main case, internal sensors and wiring, and helical cut gearing. With a torque capacity of 1850lbft and rated to 50 tonnes GCM, the 12-speed transmission is smoother and ticks all the boxes in terms of class-leading weight, durability and serviceability.
Like the PACCAR 12-speed transmission, the Eaton 18-speed UltraShift Plus transmission delivers the performance and reliability needed for years of trouble-free operation and is available with a torque capacity of 1850lbft or 2050lbft and a rating of up to 70 tonnes GCM. Both automated transmissions are operated via a transmission stalk controller mounted on the right-hand side of the steering column, selecting various transmission modes and exhaust brake is easy with both the transmission and engine brake in one convenient location. Moving the transmission controller away from the dash has provided more space in front of the dashboard to allow easier movement around the cabin. The T410SAR also comes optioned with an 18-speed Eaton manual transmission.
On the DAF front, expect to see the entire model range on show including the LF, CF and XF Series, with PX-7, MX-11 and MX-13 engine variants on the stand.
Released just last year, PACCAR’s Euro-6 rated MX-11 is an 11-litre engine with three hp settings on offer – 370hp, 410hp and 450hp – and it’s available across the CF range (as is the PACCAR MX-13 engine across all CF models).
“Improved fuel efficiency is achieved through the various electronic and mechanical technologies that have been applied to the engine, while emission reductions are achieved through the use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and emission aftertreatment systems (EAS). These engines are also mated to the ZF TraXon fully automated 12-speed gearbox,” said DAF Brand Manager, Tim Car.
CF models include a number of axle configurations: single and double drive axle prime movers, 8×4 and 6×4 rigids, and a 6×2 rigid option with a trailing lift axle. There are also day cab, sleeper cab or space cab options, with a full suite of safety technology available throughout the model range.
“Our DAF sales team will be in place throughout the show to talk about the trucks on the stand and customer application requirements. They will also be backed up by our PACCAR Finance and PACLease teams, along with PACCAR Parts, which are responsible for the supply of genuine DAF parts and accessories, including a recently released merchandise range, throughout our extensive dealer network,” added Car.