The Kenworth K220 has been crowned the inaugural winner of Truck of the Year Australasia.
The prize was presented to Paccar Australia managing director Damian Smethurst the opening morning of the Brisbane Truck Show on May 18.
The Kenworth K220 is the brand’s latest cabover prime mover which has dominated the Australian and New Zealand truck markets since its launch last year.
It came out on top with other contenders named for Truck of the Year Australasia including the Fuso Shogun 510, the MAN TG3 and the Iveco S-Way, all of which were praised by the judges for raising the bar on safety and efficiency for the trucking industry in both Australia and New Zealand.
Smethurst says he was proud to accept the inaugural award on behalf of Paccar Australia.
“This award also belongs to our valued customers who, as a result of close collaboration with our product planners and engineering teams, represent such an integral part of our product development projects,” he says.
Based on the International Truck of the Year (IToY) rules, the annual award will be presented to the truck introduced into the Australasian market in the past year, which has made the most significant contribution to road transport safety and efficiency.
The judgement relies on several critical criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint’ and total cost of ownership.
“The Kenworth K220 is a massive step change for the Kenworth brand here in Australasia,” says Tim Giles, editor of PowerTorque Magazine and 2023 chair of the ToYA jury.
“The K Series has been with us for a long time, evolving time after time, but both the K200 and definitely the K220, have seen complete transformations of a classic truck design.
“There are loads of new innovations in this truck, too many to list here but the multiplex wiring, sophisticated electronics and the Eaton Endurant XD AMT stood out to the jury,” Giles says.
The four contenders for the award all had strong claims to being included, having demonstrated their contribution to the standards of safety and efficiency of transport of goods by road in Australasia.
“Creating a Truck of the year Australasia award gives us a chance to display to the world all of the things which are so great about trucks and trucking in Australia,” Giles adds.
Along with Giles other Truck of the Year Australasia judges included NZ Trucking editor Dave McCoid, Focus on Transport in South Africa editor Charlene Clark (who is also a member of the International Truck of the Year Innovation Award jury), trucking industry stalwart Bob Woodward who has worked for Finemores and the Australian Trucking Association and Deals on Wheels editor Randolf Kovich.
The Truck of the Year Australasia is going to be an annual award, alternating between being presented in Australia one year and in New Zealand the next.
