The Kenworth K220 has been crowned Truck of the Year Australasia (ToYA)

The Kenworth K220 has won the inaugural Truck of the Year Australasia (ToYA).

The latest iteration of this cab-over tractor unit, which has dominated the Australian and New Zealand truck markets for some time, fought off competition form the FUSO Shogun 510, the latest generation of MANs and the Iveco S-WAY.

Collecting the award at the opening morning of the Brisbane Truck Show, PACCAR Australia MD Damian Smethurst said: “I am proud to accept the inaugural Truck of the Year Australasia 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.”

“The Kenworth K220 is a massive step change for the Kenworth brand here in Australasia,” said 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 K 200 and definitely the K 220, have seen complete transformations of a classic truck design. There are a load of new innovations in this truck, too many to list here but multiplex wiring, sophisticated electronics and the Eaton Endurant XD AMT stood out for the jury.”

These were sentiments echoed by fellow judges Dave McCoid, editorial director of Trucking NZ, and Charlene Clark, the editor of Focus on Transport in South Africa.

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. This new annual award will be presented in New Zealand in 2024.