Mr. Harald Landman, Head of Daimler Buses, commented: “As the oldest bus maker in the world and market leader in the bus segment, Mercedes-Benz buses will enable people in India to ‘Travel with the Star’. The Mercedes-Benz O 500 R / RF is a versatile chassis and has been proven across markets the world over. Its legendary suspension, reliability and safety will be complemented by the superior dynamics offered by the bus body created locally by Sutlej. We are bullish about the bus business and see this as the beginning of Mercedes’ bus business in India”.Mr. Harald Landman presented the key to the first customers, Mr. Suresh and Mr. Sunil Sharma from Sharma Transports of Bangalore, Mr. Anil and Mr. Sunil Sawla from Neeta Tours and Travels of Mumbai, and Mr. Prabhakar Konduskar from Konduskar Travels of Kolhapur.
Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, observed: “Our footprint in the commercial vehicles segment now widens with the introduction of Mercedes-Benz buses. The Mercedes-Benz coaches stand for the latest and best of technology, design, comfort, reliability and performance – aspects that have received enthusiastic response from our customers. Sharma Transports from Bangalore, Neeta Tours and Travels from Mumbai and Konduskar Travels from Kolhapur, as our first customers, will be our brand ambassadors in the market. We shall start with pre-selected routes in western and southern India and look forward to expanding our network significantly in due course.”
The bus industry in India is witnessing a virtual transformation, aided by Government-driven infrastructure projects which are dedicated to redefine the mass transportation industry in India. Large-scale projects like the NSEW corridor and the Golden Quadrilateral are almost nearing completion. As links between far-flung places strengthen, there is growing demand for mass transit systems that are strong, reliable and passenger oriented. It is precisely this need that the Mercedes-Benz buses will fulfill.
Mr. Daljit Singh Wilkhu, Managing Director of Sutlej Motors, commented: “It is indeed a great honour to be associated with Mercedes-Benz India, to bring to the Indian market the best quality luxury Intercity Coaches. For Sutlej Motors, this is a dream come true and we, along with Mercedes-Benz India and Daimler Buses, take pride in launching a truly world class product for the Indian market.”
Sutlej Motors Ltd. was started in 1935. The company embarked upon truck body building business in 1957 and ventured into wooden coach body building in 1967, complete steel body construction in 1987 and moved forward to welded and bonded coach bodies in 1992. Sutlej Motors then started scaling further heights of success by 2000 by indigenously inventing monocoque (integral coaches) for low-floor coaches, airport (tarmac) coaches and long-distance two-axle and three-axle coaches.
The buses launched by Mercedes Benz will be positioned in the super luxury segment where the only player currently offering similar products in India is Volvo. The Swedish major launched its B7R range of Intercity buses five years back, and today the name Volvo has become synonymous with luxury buses in India. Mercedes Benz is offering a very powerful product to take on competition.
Powerful drive unit
The Benz bus is fitted with a Euro III engine which can deliver expected performance and environmental compatibility. The OM 926 LA rear engine with 6 vertical cylinders, turbo-charged and inter-cooled, delivers 225 kW (305 hp) at a torque of 1200 Nm @ 1400-1600 rpm. Thus the coach comes equipped with more than enough power to travel on Indian highways as well as mountain routes.
Suspension
The Mercedes-Benz O 500 R / RF 1830 is a true coach chassis. The air suspension system comprises two air bellows with four shock absorbers at the front axle and four air bellows and four shock absorbers at the rear axle which are in co-ordination with the leveling arms. Taking the road condition, driving style and the vehicle load into consideration, the system adapts the damping forces and provides optimal comfort to passengers.
The suspension system comes with a lifting mechanism that allows the driver of the bus to lift the height of the coach in case of poor road condition. As long as the coach is in ‘lifted’ position a buzzer sound is activated. It also has a visual display on the dashboard instrument cluster, which reminds the chauffeur that the coach has to return to the original position.
The coach uses the ZF steering box that comes along with an automatic-hydraulic steering limit and with a control valve that ensures driving safety in proportion to the vehicle speed. The steering box is located out of the crashing area and is a proven performer for its precise and rapid steering response, coupled with excellent manoeuvrability. The ZF transmission is equipped with the Voith retarder to guarantee less wear and tear of the service brakes. However, to reduce service brake wear, the “retarder integration” function also allows the retarder to be activated via the foot brake pedal.
The bus is fitted with anti-lock braking system (ABS), which impedes the locking of all the wheels when braking the vehicle. The fuel tank with 500 litres capacity enables long journeys without the need to refuel. The fuel tank placed just behind the front axle rests on a special platform and is fastened securely to withstand any kind of vibration. A fuel sensor gauge helps the driver in monitoring the fuel level. The battery compartment is well secured with greased terminals and with a flap in the aisle to provide speedy access.
Daimler Buses has been the world’s leading bus and coach manufacturer for a number of years. In 2007, Daimler successfully consolidated its position as the world market leader for buses and coaches with a gross vehicle weight of above eight tonnes, selling over 39,100 complete buses and chassis units worldwide under the Mercedes-Benz, Setra and Orion brand names.
les and coaches.
