Volvo B7R reviews?

simplyself · 7th July 2008, 18:08

I was never aboard a Volvo B7R. But I ahve seen many a tail (!).

First thing you notice is the belch of smoke it emits whenever it accelerates. The smoke would put a diesel rail engine to shame.

Most of these company trained drivers do not have any regard towards the fellow road users. They come on rushing at you just because they have power and brakes to match. This defies logic because with that much power they can easily pull away even if they have to slow down. One can understand a loaded lorry slugging it on overtaking even if there are oncoming vehicles but I just cannot understand the Volvos coming like that.

Volvo reportedly claimed their buses cannot be turned turtle. I think some of those trained drivers took this too seriously and ended up in roadside ditches with their underbellies turned upwards.

condor · 7th July 2008, 18:37

Quote:

sriturl

: KSTDC (Karnataka Tourism) Volvo buses have seat belt(lap belt only) for the front row seats !!!

Every single Volvo that I have travelled on in the last few years, and across 3 states, has had seat belts only for the front row seats.

aaggoswami · 7th July 2008, 18:40

I recently had the opportunity to travel in Volvo bus from Vadodara to A'bad.

It was not a good experience.

1)
I dont know when was the bus serviced last. Thick black smoke was coming out from exhaust. The engine was making more noise than the normal Volvo bus will do.

2)
The rear engine portion or rather the panels were vibrating and I felt that they could come out at any moment.

3)
The vibrations inside the bus were also excessive.

4)
The driver thought that he is having an invincible vehicle so he just went on to push it above limits. My seat was left side front lane. I got up and inquired about the speed and it was more than 95kmph. The speed limit on the express highway ( NE 1, part of GQ ) for busses is 80kmph.

I dont think that Volvo busses are getting proper treatment in India. They are not regularly serviced, and are more abused in form of rough driving. More power means that drivers normally are racing against M800/Omni and Mahinda Jeeps on the NE1.

Second thing is , I have observed that now many coach builders are exploiting the design of Volvo. Take along Tata/Ashok Leyland truck chassis and then put on the body that looks like Volvo. I could easily make out the difference, but most could not. They are cheating the passengers.

I hope Volvo comes to know about this and drags them to court.

deville_56 · 14th July 2008, 05:17

I'm a regular VOlvo passenger in TVM - Bangalore route and usually in Shama. Once I got the front row, which they classify as VIP seats and charges extra. View from there was bomblastic and I din sleep overnight and enjoyed the roadrage very much.

I consider Verna and Octavia as unbeatable on highways, but our bus could match took them in the tight stretched b/r TVM-Kollam.

My friend sometimes gotta chance to drive one. he was so fascinated and pleased the driver to get the ride. he drove it from the last stop to the garage. he says is easier to drive than the car, only prob is the size. he was so fascinated. He's a business man and because of his fascination towards volvo he tool HCV licencse and applied for a job as spare driver in 2 of the operators running to Bangalore. He is waiting for his chance now.

Most of the Volvo drivers haven't had the training. they r normal leylanderz and tata drivers. shift pattern and throw are different and gears wont engage w/o proper utilisation of clutch. i have seen many of them struggling to change gears.

i had bitter experience only once. Our regular bus was in for service which was a Mk-2 one and we got a Mk-1 as spare. by the time it left bangalore it was drizzling, not raining. after abt 15 minutes it was water instead of air being pumped through the AC vent. and for switching on the lights, the cleaner had to open the control panel and short the circuit with a peice of wire everytime.

not they have Mk-3 with LCD.

None of the operators r r

rajeshbolero · 14th July 2008, 21:27

First is the pollution, why that happens is due to the immense acceleration that the drivers adopt, which plays havoc with the clutch as well as the combustion inside the cylinders, secondly regarding their ego on the highways as if they own the roads and all the other drivers are to give way when a volvo approaches, since when did we start regarding them as having more right of way than ambulances, fire tenders or police vehicles?
The law talks of right to equality and being tax payers, the road users have every right to utilise it for the purpose it is built for. No arm-twisting tactics should be entertained.
What we need is comfortable travel where we are taken safely to our destinations and particularly during nights, allow people to sleep (may be those working in call centres wud like that in day time

). The person riding on a bike in front may be a father, brother, son, mother, daughter or anybody who has a right to live and its our duty to safeguard when we can.

deville_56 · 15th July 2008, 00:02

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT SPAM the forum. One-liners that add absolutely no value to the thread are strictly prohibited on Team-BHP.

We advise you to visit our board rules section before proceeding any further.

ssdubai · 31st July 2008, 20:53

Had a great expreience travelling in the Mangalore-Bangalore route on the New B7R of KSRTC.
The driver said that its a Mark III,and said that it had a Lift Option whereby the entire Chasis lifted and gave additional ground clearance.
Looks like these guys just figured out how to manouvere on the potholl ridden Ghat Section roads.
And well the Dashboard is a beauty with all digital stuff.
He said that it was 290bhp as against the 260 of older versions.

As for the way the staff at KSRTC behaved, Courteous ---too good.
I think all the Public/Government Organisations must learn to follow them.
Amazingly well maintained and neat.

The speeds on the Mysore Road was amazing.

Hats off to KSRTC and these beautifull Volvo-Airavats.

AviatoR · 1st August 2008, 12:06

Saw what looked like a volvo 9700 being tested on NH4 while driving towards Pune from Kolhapur. These were 2 test vehicles doing some serious 3-digit speeds. I dcould not take pics but the ones i am posting should give a clear idea.

Volvo B7R reviews?-volvo-9700-germany_6.jpg

ssdubai · 2nd August 2008, 15:31

and on the Indian roads...the All New 9700

Sankar · 2nd August 2008, 16:41

Anybody have the interior photographs of the new locally assembled Volvo 9700?

hrag · 2nd August 2008, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrag

Not sure about the other buses but KSRTC (Karnataka) maintains Volvos very well.

OT: Another option is the Meghadoota A/C which is reputedly more comfortable than the Volvos for overnight journeys.

I was hoping to try out the Meghadoota service last night from Bangalore to Madras. My hopes (with a booked ticket) were dashed as KSRTC announced a Volvo would replace the scheduled service. I heard some passengers say something about a bonus upgrade - poor folks must have never travelled overnight by a Volvo.

Another sleepless night followed by a ruined morning - I should have just driven down. I maintain - the ride quality is very good but the seats are hopeless for overnight journeys. My neighbour was smelling of rum - I should have done the same thing, he slept very well, while I noticed that NH4 hasn't changed a bit over ~350 km since my last drive down this road.

Edit: the full sized blankets are gone, replaced by a large towel sized blanket.

ssdubai · 4th August 2008, 14:20

Meghdoot is so sickening that i will never travel again, thanks to one Mysore -Bangalore trip.

Comparing it with Airavat is a no...no.

Overnight journeys are great in an Airavat.

As for Meghdoot , i dont think it stands any comparison with the Airavat.
They are worlds apart.

Sid-O · 9th August 2008, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssdubai

and on the Indian roads...the All New 9700

Why does it say B7R though instead of 9700 ?
I see two Parveen Travels run buses like this every morning coming back into Chennai from Pondicherry on ECR. Although I always took them to be modified B7R's and not the actual 9700 ?

btirthankar · 29th August 2008, 22:20

I like Volvos and especially they being such torque spewers.

They just come from behind as if whispering into your ear and wobble down into the darkness ahead. The way they overtake.

How do the drivers manage headlight glare from opposite vehicles.

?

Do their drivers have genetically modified eye-retina or something?

And How they brake without skidding off the road?

amitpunjani · 30th August 2008, 08:59

hi

I have been always wondering, how does the A/C works in these huge buses. Have they got separate diesel engine to run the compressor or the working of the A/C is exactly same as passengers cars???

Thanks

Amit

7th July 2008, 18:08	#106
simplyself Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,051 Thanked: 621 Times	I was never aboard a Volvo B7R. But I ahve seen many a tail (!). First thing you notice is the belch of smoke it emits whenever it accelerates. The smoke would put a diesel rail engine to shame. Most of these company trained drivers do not have any regard towards the fellow road users. They come on rushing at you just because they have power and brakes to match. This defies logic because with that much power they can easily pull away even if they have to slow down. One can understand a loaded lorry slugging it on overtaking even if there are oncoming vehicles but I just cannot understand the Volvos coming like that. Volvo reportedly claimed their buses cannot be turned turtle. I think some of those trained drivers took this too seriously and ended up in roadside ditches with their underbellies turned upwards.
	() Thanks

7th July 2008, 18:40	#108
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,930 Times	I recently had the opportunity to travel in Volvo bus from Vadodara to A'bad. It was not a good experience. 1) I dont know when was the bus serviced last. Thick black smoke was coming out from exhaust. The engine was making more noise than the normal Volvo bus will do. 2) The rear engine portion or rather the panels were vibrating and I felt that they could come out at any moment. 3) The vibrations inside the bus were also excessive. 4) The driver thought that he is having an invincible vehicle so he just went on to push it above limits. My seat was left side front lane. I got up and inquired about the speed and it was more than 95kmph. The speed limit on the express highway ( NE 1, part of GQ ) for busses is 80kmph. I dont think that Volvo busses are getting proper treatment in India. They are not regularly serviced, and are more abused in form of rough driving. More power means that drivers normally are racing against M800/Omni and Mahinda Jeeps on the NE1. Second thing is , I have observed that now many coach builders are exploiting the design of Volvo. Take along Tata/Ashok Leyland truck chassis and then put on the body that looks like Volvo. I could easily make out the difference, but most could not. They are cheating the passengers. I hope Volvo comes to know about this and drags them to court. Last edited by aaggoswami : 7th July 2008 at 18:42.
	() Thanks

14th July 2008, 05:17	#109
deville_56 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Thiruvananthapuram Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	I'm a regular VOlvo passenger in TVM - Bangalore route and usually in Shama. Once I got the front row, which they classify as VIP seats and charges extra. View from there was bomblastic and I din sleep overnight and enjoyed the roadrage very much. I consider Verna and Octavia as unbeatable on highways, but our bus could match took them in the tight stretched b/r TVM-Kollam. My friend sometimes gotta chance to drive one. he was so fascinated and pleased the driver to get the ride. he drove it from the last stop to the garage. he says is easier to drive than the car, only prob is the size. he was so fascinated. He's a business man and because of his fascination towards volvo he tool HCV licencse and applied for a job as spare driver in 2 of the operators running to Bangalore. He is waiting for his chance now. Most of the Volvo drivers haven't had the training. they r normal leylanderz and tata drivers. shift pattern and throw are different and gears wont engage w/o proper utilisation of clutch. i have seen many of them struggling to change gears. i had bitter experience only once. Our regular bus was in for service which was a Mk-2 one and we got a Mk-1 as spare. by the time it left bangalore it was drizzling, not raining. after abt 15 minutes it was water instead of air being pumped through the AC vent. and for switching on the lights, the cleaner had to open the control panel and short the circuit with a peice of wire everytime. not they have Mk-3 with LCD. None of the operators r r
	() Thanks

14th July 2008, 21:27	#110
rajeshbolero Newbie Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: bangalore Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	precisely what i meant to say friend First is the pollution, why that happens is due to the immense acceleration that the drivers adopt, which plays havoc with the clutch as well as the combustion inside the cylinders, secondly regarding their ego on the highways as if they own the roads and all the other drivers are to give way when a volvo approaches, since when did we start regarding them as having more right of way than ambulances, fire tenders or police vehicles? The law talks of right to equality and being tax payers, the road users have every right to utilise it for the purpose it is built for. No arm-twisting tactics should be entertained. What we need is comfortable travel where we are taken safely to our destinations and particularly during nights, allow people to sleep (may be those working in call centres wud like that in day time ). The person riding on a bike in front may be a father, brother, son, mother, daughter or anybody who has a right to live and its our duty to safeguard when we can.
	() Thanks

15th July 2008, 00:02	#111
deville_56 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Thiruvananthapuram Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT SPAM the forum. One-liners that add absolutely no value to the thread are strictly prohibited on Team-BHP. We advise you to visit our board rules section before proceeding any further. Last edited by GTO : 15th July 2008 at 15:40.
	() Thanks $Received Infraction$

31st July 2008, 20:53	#112
ssdubai BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dubai/Bangalore Posts: 49 Thanked: 3 Times	New B7R is real good Had a great expreience travelling in the Mangalore-Bangalore route on the New B7R of KSRTC. The driver said that its a Mark III,and said that it had a Lift Option whereby the entire Chasis lifted and gave additional ground clearance. Looks like these guys just figured out how to manouvere on the potholl ridden Ghat Section roads. And well the Dashboard is a beauty with all digital stuff. He said that it was 290bhp as against the 260 of older versions. As for the way the staff at KSRTC behaved, Courteous ---too good. I think all the Public/Government Organisations must learn to follow them. Amazingly well maintained and neat. The speeds on the Mysore Road was amazing. Hats off to KSRTC and these beautifull Volvo-Airavats.
	() Thanks

1st August 2008, 12:06	#113
AviatoR BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Mumbai<->Pune Posts: 63 Thanked: Once	Saw what looked like a volvo 9700 being tested on NH4 while driving towards Pune from Kolhapur. These were 2 test vehicles doing some serious 3-digit speeds. I dcould not take pics but the ones i am posting should give a clear idea.
	() Thanks

2nd August 2008, 15:31	#114
ssdubai BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dubai/Bangalore Posts: 49 Thanked: 3 Times	and on the Indian roads...the All New 9700 Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

2nd August 2008, 16:41	#115
Sankar Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Location Posts: 5,766 Thanked: 9,053 Times	Anybody have the interior photographs of the new locally assembled Volvo 9700?
	() Thanks

4th August 2008, 14:20	#117
ssdubai BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dubai/Bangalore Posts: 49 Thanked: 3 Times	Meghdoot is so sickening that i will never travel again, thanks to one Mysore -Bangalore trip. Comparing it with Airavat is a no...no. Overnight journeys are great in an Airavat. As for Meghdoot , i dont think it stands any comparison with the Airavat. They are worlds apart. Last edited by ported_head : 5th August 2008 at 00:51.
	() Thanks

29th August 2008, 22:20	#119
btirthankar BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Some Moving Vehicle Posts: 816 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	My Opinion on the Volvo I like Volvos and especially they being such torque spewers. They just come from behind as if whispering into your ear and wobble down into the darkness ahead. The way they overtake. How do the drivers manage headlight glare from opposite vehicles. ? Do their drivers have genetically modified eye-retina or something? And How they brake without skidding off the road?
	() Thanks

30th August 2008, 08:59	#120
amitpunjani BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 451 Thanked: 109 Times	B7R A/C working?? hi I have been always wondering, how does the A/C works in these huge buses. Have they got separate diesel engine to run the compressor or the working of the A/C is exactly same as passengers cars??? Thanks Amit
	() Thanks