Mercedes-Benz to foray into the "Fully Built" City Bus segment

GTO · 10th June 2010, 17:55

Excerpts from the official communication:

Quote:

• Mercedes-Benz is evaluating an integrated body-building facility for city buses located within its premises in Pune. Estimated start of production in Third Quarter of 2011

• Mercedes-Benz will offer low-floor fully built City Buses to start with. Targeted at Urban Transportation segment

• Product clinic for city buses with two Mercedes-Benz buses to start by June 2010.

Mercedes-Benz today announced their expansion plans for the Bus business. The company plans to set-up a dedicated assembly line that will cater to the production requirements of the city buses as well as the already available 2-axle and 3-axle inter-city luxury coaches. Mercedes-Benz also indicated their plan to offer integrated body-building facility for the city buses housed out of their present premises at Pune.

The market for high-end city buses is lucrative. It is estimated at approximately 500 units per annum and expected to grow by 20% each year. Mercedes-Benz India sees a potential in this niche market and as such plans to offer with solutions that are been successfully operated in similar operating conditions in other parts of the world. The company now plans to conduct product clinics and fine tune the buses to the specific needs of Indian city bus operators. Mercedes-Benz has already imported a low floor and a semi-low floor city bus for the product clinic.

Spitfire · 10th June 2010, 18:06

Ahh... a Volvo challenger. Nice.

mnhegde · 10th June 2010, 19:24

Would prefer the buses in red color, White looks so boring .
Watch-out Volvo, You have competition!

Pic Source: bmtcinfo.com

urzdeepu · 10th June 2010, 22:41

do i feel a marcopolo cut for the design rolled out by the merc?

tsk13 · 11th June 2010, 01:15

Even AL's Low Floor Bus in DTC's fleet looks better than Merc's offering. Saw the Volvo City Bus operated by Haryana Roadways and it certanily looks no good.

teamveevee · 11th June 2010, 11:31

Is this bus is priced ~80 Lakh? Volvo is selling close to 500 buses per year even after so many years in India, so how big this market could be in the future. Also most of the RTCs that baught Volvo are regretting their decision, as there are not many takers for this expensive services. But i like the competition in this segment though.
Recently read some where MB is planning to bring Mitsubishi Fuso trucks and buses for the lower segment (Like Volvo doing a Volvo Eicher for the lower segment), If that happens, In my opinion, there will be more potential than this expensive city buses.

DWind · 11th June 2010, 12:00

Dunno why! but I feel MB is marketing only its brand more than the bus itself. In the picture you see "Travel with the Star" Slogan and nothing about its USP / feature. What are they thinking? "Sirf naam hi Khafi hai"?

n.devdath · 11th June 2010, 13:44

I hope MB have taken a lesson or two from Marcopolo's failures and give their buses the required power and features to compete with Volvos. Else, like their inter city buses, even these will not find many customers.

prmd_cochin · 11th June 2010, 14:28

Doesnt look upto mark compared to the Volvos. Even their B9R competitor was behind the volco in design/look.

SirAlec · 11th June 2010, 14:52

Mr. Aulbur, thats the dude in the above image, says he already has 25 orders.

GordonGekko · 11th June 2010, 14:59

Read about this today in HT Business.
How are they when put up against the volvo buses we have runnin?
Maybe they are going into the budget segment too...who knows.

SILVERWOOD · 11th June 2010, 15:09

It will be good to see some competetion in the luxury bus segment with Mercedes-Benz low-floor fully built City Bus coming in to market.

Betw:KSRTC already owns a fleet of Mercedes-Benz, in addition to their existing fleet of Volvo and Isuzu buses.

Mpower · 11th June 2010, 18:30

Great news! Even better that it will be built in-house at Pune. They should do the same to intercity buses as well.

PS: Yes its not flashy. But how important is looks when choosing a commercial vehicle? (for both passengers and operators?)

binaiks · 11th June 2010, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by SILVERWOOD

Betw:KSRTC already owns a fleet of Mercedes-Benz, in addition to their existing fleet of Volvo and Isuzu buses.

A "Fleet" of Mercs and Isuzu buses??? KaSRTC has ordered for 10 Mercs - but has not received a single one yet. They were using one Isuzu - but that was on trial.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

PS: Yes its not flashy. But how important is looks when choosing a commercial vehicle? (for both passengers and operators?)

Looks are indeed very important - there are many passengers who choose their bus on looks. This is the primary reason why private bus operators are making their buses flashy day by day - this is also one reason why SRTCs are changing the looks of their buses.

HammerHead · 11th June 2010, 20:10

Any idea how they have priced it compared to Volvo, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motor's low floor buses?

10th June 2010, 18:06	#2
Spitfire BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka Posts: 3,313 Thanked: 778 Times	Ahh... a Volvo challenger. Nice.
	() Thanks

10th June 2010, 19:24	#3
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 2 Times	Would prefer the buses in red color, White looks so boring . Watch-out Volvo, You have competition! Pic Source: bmtcinfo.com
	() Thanks

10th June 2010, 22:41	#4
urzdeepu BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Thrissur Posts: 188 Thanked: 108 Times	do i feel a marcopolo cut for the design rolled out by the merc?
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 01:15	#5
tsk13 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 1,256 Thanked: 362 Times	Even AL's Low Floor Bus in DTC's fleet looks better than Merc's offering. Saw the Volvo City Bus operated by Haryana Roadways and it certanily looks no good.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 11:31	#6
teamveevee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Kottayam Posts: 1,081 Thanked: 155 Times	Is this bus is priced ~80 Lakh? Volvo is selling close to 500 buses per year even after so many years in India, so how big this market could be in the future. Also most of the RTCs that baught Volvo are regretting their decision, as there are not many takers for this expensive services. But i like the competition in this segment though. Recently read some where MB is planning to bring Mitsubishi Fuso trucks and buses for the lower segment (Like Volvo doing a Volvo Eicher for the lower segment), If that happens, In my opinion, there will be more potential than this expensive city buses.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 12:00	#7
DWind BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Singara Chennai Posts: 805 Thanked: 238 Times View My Garage	Travel with the Star! Dunno why! but I feel MB is marketing only its brand more than the bus itself. In the picture you see "Travel with the Star" Slogan and nothing about its USP / feature. What are they thinking? "Sirf naam hi Khafi hai"?
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 13:44	#8
n.devdath BANNED Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,287 Thanked: 2,816 Times	I hope MB have taken a lesson or two from Marcopolo's failures and give their buses the required power and features to compete with Volvos. Else, like their inter city buses, even these will not find many customers.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 14:28	#9
prmd_cochin BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Cochin Posts: 575 Thanked: 85 Times View My Garage	Doesnt look upto mark compared to the Volvos. Even their B9R competitor was behind the volco in design/look.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 14:52	#10
SirAlec Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: zxc Posts: 3,393 Thanked: 727 Times	Mr. Aulbur, thats the dude in the above image, says he already has 25 orders. Last edited by SirAlec : 11th June 2010 at 14:54.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 14:59	#11
GordonGekko BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: gurgaon Posts: 263 Thanked: 25 Times	Read about this today in HT Business. How are they when put up against the volvo buses we have runnin? Maybe they are going into the budget segment too...who knows.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 15:09	#12
SILVERWOOD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: BANG-A-LURE. Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 4,668 Times	It will be good to see some competetion in the luxury bus segment with Mercedes-Benz low-floor fully built City Bus coming in to market. Betw:KSRTC already owns a fleet of Mercedes-Benz, in addition to their existing fleet of Volvo and Isuzu buses.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 18:30	#13
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,397 Thanked: 1,735 Times View My Garage	Great news! Even better that it will be built in-house at Pune. They should do the same to intercity buses as well. PS: Yes its not flashy. But how important is looks when choosing a commercial vehicle? (for both passengers and operators?) Last edited by Mpower : 12th June 2010 at 01:25.
	() Thanks

11th June 2010, 20:10	#15
HammerHead Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Goan in Pune Posts: 1,254 Thanked: 653 Times View My Garage	Any idea how they have priced it compared to Volvo, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motor's low floor buses?
	() Thanks