Mercedes-Benz launches Intercity coaches (2 and 3 axle)

[hanmust]

Mercedes-Benz forays into Bus business in India with launch of Mercedes-Benz Intercity Luxury Coach.

• Mercedes-Benz invented the first Bus in the world in 1895. Daimler continues to be the largest bus manufacturer in the world today.

• Mercedes-Benz Buses in India will be built on chassis O 500 R / RF 1830. Body will be built by Sutlej Motors as per technical specifications from Mercedes-Benz.

• M/S Sharma Transports in Bangalore, Neeta Tours and Travels in Mumbai, Konduskar Travels in Kolhapur were the first customers of the Mercedes-Benz buses in India and were handed keys of their vehicles during the launch.

• Initial offering launched on specific routes for Western and Southern India with adequate service and after-sales support; footprint to be increased with time.

Pune-Mercedes-Benz today announced its foray in the luxury bus segment in India with the launch of its Intercity Coach. The coach sports the versatile O 500 R / RF chassis from the Mercedes-Benz stable while the bus body will be built by Jalandhar based Sutlej Motors. Mr. Harald Landman, Head of Daimler Buses and Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, CEO of Mercedes-Benz India presented the key to the first customers: Mr.Suresh and Mr.Sunil Sharma from Sharma Transports in Bangalore, Mr.Anil and Mr. Sunil Sawla from Neeta Tours and Travels in Mumbai and Mr. Prabhakar Konduskar from Konduskar Travels in Kolhapur.

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”.

Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India further added: “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. M/S Sharma Transports from Bangalore, M/S Neeta Tours and Travels from Mumbai and M/S Konduskar Travels from Kolhapur will be our brand ambassadors in the market, as our first customers. We shall start with pre-selected routes in Western and Southern India and look forward to expand our network significantly in the times ahead.”

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 long awaited 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."

The bus market in India is witnessing a tremendous change- a revolution 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 already underway and close to completion. As links between far-flung places strengthen, there is an increased demand for mass transit systems to move the people with solutions that are reliabile, robust, and passenger oriented. It is this need that the Mercedes-Benz buses will fulfill.

[SIZE=3]Sources: Media.Daimler AG &[/SIZE]

Daimler Buses Launches New Mercedes-Benz Intercity Luxury Coach In India | eMercedesBenz - The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog

[sushrutha]

Good to hear Mercedes entering the Bus segment in India. But @ what price & seating capacity?

[Rotorhead]

What are the pro's and cons vis-a-vis to the current competitor the volvo B7 in terms of tech specs, cost. Any info on that ? Now that TATA Hispano is also slotted for launch the people transport segment should see some good times ahead. Either ways how is the brand doing in heavy vehicles segment in the rest of the world. As far as i know in the trucks the names of scania, mack, MAN ,freightliners,Hino's, Kamaz are heard often. Havent heard much of the merc's capablities

[kezhilnambi]

Hai happy to put this before you

The new 305 horse-power, Euro III complaint coach that is priced at Rs 80 lakh, comes with an O 500 R/RF chassis from the MB stable, and a body built by Jalandhar-based Sutlej Motors with whom the company signed an agreement earlier this year.

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Moneycontrol >> News >> Business >> Mercedes-Benz drives bus into India

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[hanmust]

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

What are the pro's and cons vis-a-vis to the current competitor the volvo B7 in terms of tech specs, cost. Any info on that ? Now that TATA Hispano is also slotted for launch the people transport segment should see some good times ahead. Either ways how is the brand doing in heavy vehicles segment in the rest of the world. As far as i know in the trucks the names of scania, mack, MAN ,freightliners,Hino's, Kamaz are heard often. Havent heard much of the merc's capablities

Dude, I'll post the tech-spec of the new bus as soon as I have it with me. But regarding the capapbility of the Merc in CV, its one of the best selling & most advanced in its class, both heavy truck as well as buses. The Actros & the Travego are example for the same. The next competitors who are upto the level are MAN, Scania, Volvo & Freightliner in US markets, Hino, Kamaz, etc are way down in the segment.

[bottle]

does volvo outsource the body contruction like mercedes here have done or do they do a complete package ?

[neoonwheels]

I guess "Azad" used to build bodies for Volvo.

[aerohit]

Hino to begin selling trucks in India in 2009
Kyodo
179 words
2 September 2008
12:27
Kyodo News
English
(c) 2008 Kyodo News


TOKYO, Sept. 2 -- Hino Motors Ltd. will launch sales of its trucks in India next year through a marketing firm established jointly with Marubeni Corp. in light of vigorous construction and resources development activities there, the two Japanese companies said Tuesday.
The joint venture was set up in late August in Mumbai, the two firms said in a joint statement.
The new company, Hino Motors Sales India Private Ltd., is due to begin selling Hino 500 series trucks, the Japanese manufacturer's mainstay model outside Japan, in mid-2009 to be followed within several years by Hino 700 and Hino 300 trucks, the two companies said.
Buses will also be marketed though the sales schedule has yet to be determined, a Hino official said.
The capitalization of the joint venture, denominated in rupees, the local currency, is equivalent to about 490 million yen. It is owned 65 percent by Hino with the remainder held by Marubeni.
The joint firm has about 30 staff, the two partners said.

[Mpower]

Any idea what the price of the Merc bus will be compared to the Volvo?

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

I guess "Azad" used to build bodies for Volvo.

This was going to be taken in-house after volumes picked up and also for quality reasons.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

About chassis:-

Mercedes-Benz Australia - Buses - O 500RF 2 Axle - Technical data

I had read somewhere (not here) that "good buses" are monocoque - integrated chassis and body. The allegation was that buses from Tata and AL are mere bodies on "truck chassis". What is the difference between a truck chassis and a busis chasis (of the type mentioned here - I have a fairly good idea of what the Tata / AL chassis are.

Edit - that chassis has a 3 axle version too. See Mercedes-Benz Australia - Buses - O 500RF 3 Axle - Technical data

[cliffbravo]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

About chassis:-

Mercedes-Benz Australia - Buses - O 500RF 2 Axle - Technical data

I had read somewhere (not here) that "good buses" are monocoque - integrated chassis and body. The allegation was that buses from Tata and AL are mere bodies on "truck chassis". What is the difference between a truck chassis and a busis chasis (of the type mentioned here - I have a fairly good idea of what the Tata / AL chassis are.

Edit - that chassis has a 3 axle version too. See Mercedes-Benz Australia - Buses - O 500RF 3 Axle - Technical data

I do differ from the above quote. its the other way around, most truck fleet owners, like to take on leyland bus chassis, just in case they happen to take care of logistic needs of automotive companies ie Tractors. As tractors are usually trucked in flat bed trucks and are usually loaded and tagged horizontally to the chassis And on Azad coach building , cant come up to standards to Sutlej. Far ahead in every aspect. and as far a monocoque construction, I dont think we could afford it. As even the present volvo's are tadd lil expensive between a merc E class and S class. doesnt work for a fleet owner, having to spend more than that for a monocque chassis in a single vehicle with a astronomical price tagg

[khanak]

The bus looks good but its going to be very inconvinent for the driver to carry that key around.

[kuttapan]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

I had read somewhere (not here) that "good buses" are monocoque - integrated chassis and body. The allegation was that buses from Tata and AL are mere bodies on "truck chassis". What is the difference between a truck chassis and a busis chasis (of the type mentioned here - I have a fairly good idea of what the Tata / AL chassis are.

Don't hold it against TATA/AL. Monocoque technology was available with both, but the market was never ready for it. I know for a fact that AL had integrated buses available for more than a decade(maybe 2) now. But the fleet owners always wanted to buy the chasis and plonk an el-cheapo body on it, safety be damned. Only since the new millenium we are seeing acceptable bodies from players like Sutlej, Azad, Irizar, Prakash, Amar etc.

The difference between bus and truck chasis would in the load rating for the suspension and of course the engine/gearbox/drive ratios. In the early days, even Leyland Comets(pakka truck) used to pass off as buses, that is probably where you are coming from. The scenario changed later, and specific bus chasis were lined up by the two biggies - AL(Cheetah, Viking etc) and Tata(had similar numbering system for buses and trucks, but I know that the specs were different).

Edit - I notice that the chasis has been built specifically to give a Volvo feel to the uneducated public. I wish they had come out with the distinctively European style buses(not to say that Volvo is non-European) - change would have been welcome.

[AMATMO]

blue lines bangalore had a mercedes benz bus looked like a doudle deck bus above
it was golden biege in colour, bluelines had bought it 2-3 years ago

[hanmust]

Some more photos of the Mercedes' new Coaches.