[rajtheindian]

Originally Posted by teamveevee

100-120 kn/hr should not be a problem for Volvo. It is driven continuously at higher speeds in other countries. Of course road conditions are also better in those countries.

It may not be a fair comparison, in my experience mist of the European countries has a speed limit of 100kmph on highways and I know for sure it is 60 MPH in UK,which turns out to <100 KMPH. More over these countries the buses are cruising at same speed, where as in india I have observed even in 4 lane national highways the buses suddenly accelerate/decelerate. We can't compare the driving style between Indian and many european countries where, volvo and MB are popular.
Even a 20 KMPH difference in speed (120 compared to 100) could impact the fuel efficiency, as the RPM band for fuel efficiency is lower in buses compared to cars.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by rajtheindian

... I know for sure it is 60 MPH in UK,which turns out to <100 KMPH. ....

How is the speed limit in other European countries and US.
ANy idea!

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

How is the speed limit in other European countries and US.
ANy idea!

When i visited germany i remember talking to my coach driver who drove a Mercedes.He said that the speed limit for busses/trucks/trailers all over Europe is 100 kmph and cars its 120 kmph though they can go till 130 kmph.

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

When i visited germany i remember talking to my coach driver who drove a Mercedes.He said that the speed limit for busses/trucks/trailers all over Europe is 100 kmph and cars its 120 kmph though they can go till 130 kmph.

Thanks for sharing!
Now I am wondering what makes the manufactures to provide power train options exceeding 400 hp in Coaches.Though the overall acceleration may improve but still the difference may be less if the top speed is limited for a fixed distance between two point.

[teamveevee]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

How is the speed limit in other European countries and US.
ANy idea!

US maximum i have seen is 70 M/Hr, not sure whether highways with higher speeds exists. but most of the highways i have seen are 65 M/Hr. But where the speed limit is posted as 70, we could see buses cruising at 75-80 miles per hour. Volvo brand itself is not very popular in US (They started selling the Volvo branded buses in US only recently). But buses from their canadian subsidiary PREVOST is quite popular. Welcome to the world of Prevost

[Zed]

Although top speed of buses is limited, these buses maintain decent speeds even when there are gradients - and Europe has its fair share. This may explain the need for high engine power in spite of top speed restrictions.

[bison]

I have been travelling trivandrum bangalore by bus for 11 years now. I have seen how volvo's market share has grown.today this route has approximately 15 B9R, couple of sleepers and couple of non ac buses. Interestingly not a single B7R.these numbers show that there is no competition for B9R.trip distance is about 700 km and many operators cover this distance in approx 11 hours.The growth of B9R is just becuase of customer demand.Most operators in this route are experienced businessmen, few new comers too. When experienced operators are putting money on B9R its just because they find value.one operator told me that one B9R on this route costs approx 1.25 crore (all inclusive). so your choice of bus should be driven by factors like which route you want to operate & customer preference in that route.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

When i visited germany i remember talking to my coach driver who drove a Mercedes.He said that the speed limit for busses/trucks/trailers all over Europe is 100 kmph and cars its 120 kmph though they can go till 130 kmph.

Trailers/trucks are limited to only 90kmph max. Buses can go upto 120 but they do not exceed 100 inorder to maintain safety. As such German autobahn has no speed limits.(most of the autobahn)

[Ashley2]

Going by the polls following are the rankings:

1.Volvo B9R XL
2.AL 12M
3.Volvo B9R
4.TM LPO 1618
5.TM Divo
6.MB Single axle
7.Isuzu, MB Multi axle, Cerita

But do these rankings reflects the market reception/perception and adoption!
I dont think so!!

[TheARUN]

Wonder why it's taking so long for VOLVO to launch the 9100. The time is ripe now, what with severe price escalations on LEYLAND and also the body builders, this will definitely be more competitive now

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

Wonder why it's taking so long for VOLVO to launch the 9100. The time is ripe now, what with severe price escalations on LEYLAND and also the body builders, this will definitely be more competitive now

Volvo 9100 was launched long time ago. Kerala based KTC and Gujarat based operators, Parshvanath and Patel are operating 9100s already. There are more 9100s in the production line at Volvo - and this bus is effectively replacing the old 2-axle 9400. (For some reason, operators say that the 290hp B7R is a "failure" - especially the newer CRDI ones.)

The Volvo 9100 comes with a 240hp, 7-litre engine. The interiors are similar to the 9400. The changes are in the exteriors (curved glass has gone). The overall length is slightly lower than 12M. The bus is currently offered only in 45-seat executive layout. Semi-sleeper versions are not offered as of now.

[TheARUN]

Thanks for the information. Any idea what the on-road price is? ASHOK LEYLAND 12M with engine driven AC and retarder is 22 lakhs, VOLVO type body from PRAKASH is 15 Lakhs and AC is another 4 lakhs, making the nearest competitor 40 lakhs, if it's priced at 45 lakhs, it'll be killer pricing. The B7R as far as I know retails for 70 lakhs

This one has more subdued design, lower spec chassis and lesser quality interiors, so don't know if VOLVO is passing on the benefit to the Customer or adding the figure to its bottom line

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

Thanks for the information. Any idea what the on-road price is? ASHOK LEYLAND 12M with engine driven AC and retarder is 22 lakhs, VOLVO type body from PRAKASH is 15 Lakhs and AC is another 4 lakhs, making the nearest competitor 40 lakhs, if it's priced at 45 lakhs, it'll be killer pricing. The B7R as far as I know retails for 70 lakhs

This one has more subdued design, lower spec chassis and lesser quality interiors, so don't know if VOLVO is passing on the benefit to the Customer or adding the figure to its bottom line

It is priced around 60lakhs - comes to around 55 lakhs after discounts (for major customers). I would like to add that the interiors are NO WAY inferior to the current variants of Volvo - I had been inside the bus personally, and I can vouch for the quality. The engine is a spec lower.

[Autokrat]

Originally Posted by binaiks

The Volvo 9100 comes with a 240hp, 7-litre engine. The interiors are similar to the 9400. The changes are in the exteriors (curved glass has gone). The overall length is slightly lower than 12M. The bus is currently offered only in 45-seat executive layout. Semi-sleeper versions are not offered as of now.

I could not find the specs of 9100 listed in the volvo website. Do not know why. Is it that the product is not yet ready for launch ?