LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Kenworth will offer the Caterpillar C9 engine for its W900S and T800 vocational models in a move that the company says will to help customers lower operating cost and enhance productivity by reducing weight and increasing payload. Kenworth is exhibiting its latest products for the vocational market at the annual World of Concrete Show this week in Las Vegas, Nev.

The engine will be available for Kenworths W900S mixer, T800 short hood, and T800 front-engine power take-off (FEPTO)configurations. Contractors can save nearly 900 lbs. with the Caterpillar C9 over the 12.5-litre Caterpillar C13 and still get the power needed for their specific application, officials said in a release. Kenworth will offer the Caterpillar C9 with 350 hp and 1,250 ft-lbs of torque governed at 2,200 rpm and the 335 hp version with 1,150 ft-lbs of torque governed at 2,200 rpm.

This new combination of Kenworths vocational models and the C9 engine is ideal for weight- and cost-conscious contractors, said Gary Moore, Kenworth assistant general manager for marketing and sales. Vocational customers, especially in mixer and dump applications, will benefit from the lower operating costs and higher productivity available by selecting a lower cost engine with reduced weight and greater payload capacity while still receiving the high level of desired performance from their Kenworth trucks.