CCJ

July 2015

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JULY 2015 21 babying older equipment since the down- turn and feel the time is right to upgrade. Most of the Icon 900's enhancements are cosmetic, selected to highlight the original tractor's classic lines. Kenworth also took nothing away from the truck, either. That incredible long nose still points proudly out. Paccar MX power is standard, but if you still want a big-bore diesel for the true retro feel, Cummins is available, as it was on my test truck. It's fun to hit the accel- erator with 600 horses at your command and feel a big truck literally hop to it. The cab itself is noticeably narrower than modern Class 8 designs. Some driv- ers like the wider cabs of today, while oth- ers don't. The Icon 900 high-roof sleeper berth still feels remarkably spacious, however, and must have been stunning when it was introduced. The skylights are always a classy touch. Simple yet elegant brushed-aluminum gauge bezels combine with special Icon badging to give the classic interior a modern feel. This philosophy carries over outside, too, where new LED lighting and an absolute caval- cade of chrome components, combined with those retro K enworth has been building W900 tractors since 1961. If you run an Internet search for images of the '61 model, the first thing you notice is that Kenworth has done little to alter the appearance of this tractor over the years. Under the hood and behind its panels, it's a different story: Continuous tweaks and upgrades have kept pace with virtually every modern advance, meaning that today's W900 is a quintessential blend of old and new. Maybe that's why the truck has been a perennial favorite. Today, you can't help but feel that time is running out for the tough old W900. My sense is that Kenworth executives would rather take a swift kick in their collective midsections than kill off the truck. But in this age of super-sleek aerodynamics and fuel-economy fever, it's tough to see how such an old-school design survives outside of flatbed and oversized hauls. On the other hand, a lot of old-school drivers are more than happy to take a fuel economy penalty for the honor of driving one of these machines down the highway. That leads us to the Icon 900 – a spe- cial-edition W900 unveiled this year at the Mid-America Trucking Show. Featuring special colors presented in throwback paint schemes, the Icon 900 is Kenworth's tip of the hat to one of the greatest designs to ever prowl an American road. The move isn't purely sentimental. Curt Swihart, marketing director, says the company noticed more drivers returning to the trucking market in re- sponse to the favorable business climate. Swihart says the market includes new drivers looking to buy their first truck as well as older drivers who have been PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS, AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS BY JACK ROBERTS JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jroberts@ccjmagazine.com or call (205) 248-1358. LEGENDARY TRACTOR: Kenworth has done little to alter the W900's appearance. UNDER THE HOOD: Continuous tweaks have kept pace with many modern advances. ROLLING TRIBUTE: The Icon 900 is Kenworth's tip of the hat to one of its greatest designs. A reborn classic Kenworth gives its W900 rebel the spotlight with its limited Icon 900 Continued on page 23 The Icon 900's throwback paint scheme was selected from a contest among the company's design engineers.

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