Capella and Vega are a definite departure from the traditionally-styled buses from the stables of S. M. Kannappa Automobiles.
Whether it is the diffused interior lighting, eye-catching design of the exterior LED lamps, aircraft-like hat rack design allowing for free flow of air-conditioning or the stylish and lighter seats – the 50-year-old luxury bus body builder has unveiled the two prototypes with the sole purpose of showcasing what the company is capable of building and the design thresholds that it can cross.
Mr. Vaibhav Narang, Director, S. M. Kannappa Automobiles, said: “Capella is a sleeper coach build on the BharatBenz platform while Vega a seater bus on Ashok Leyland chassis. We have tried to bring in attractive aesthetics in terms of styling. With these two, we have tried to modernize the traditional definition of a bus in India. The two models emphasize the safety and comfort aspects as well. The interiors also are modern and have been given an international look. The interiors of the sleeper coach look more like the cabin of an aircraft, meaning every aspect is carefully crafted. The aesthetics in both buses are a notch above everything that has been done till date.”
Addressing weighty issues
It seems it is not only humans who are weight conscious now – even the automobile builders are. Bus body builders are constantly plagued by the ‘weighty’ issues and hence are under tremendous pressure to innovate. Light-weighting without compromising safety is a tight rope to walk.
Mr. Narang shared: “It is an ongoing process for us. For Vega, we have used composite material for the interiors which is lighter than the traditional steel or aluminium. The overall weight reduction has been around 100-150 kgs. The panels are also made of composite material and have been imported though specifically designed for us based on our designs and requirements. We have deliberately given the finish and the serviceability a certain simplicity and user-friendliness.”
The general consensus in the automotive sector today is that the bus industry is maturing and such international-level buses made in India will receive an open and wide welcome.
He added: “Though there have been many challenges last year – be it the changeover to BS-VI, bus code implementation or other such matters, we feel that the Indian bus industry is poised to grow from strength to strength in the coming years. Despite the challenges, we rolled out 1300 units last year and this year we should be touching 2000 or even 2400 units.”
With Capella and Vega, S. M. Kannappa is certainly making a statement that beauty and brawn can definitely go together, with safety and comfort being their inherent features.