Siddhivinayak Logistics takes delivery of Scania luxury bus

Surat based Siddhivinayak Logistics Limited (SVLL), a company known for its fleet of trucks that ferry goods across the country, has entered the inter-city bus segment under the SVLL Connect banner. The company has placed an order for 120 luxury buses from Swedish commercial vehicle maker Scania, which has set up a factory on the outskirts of Bangalore. Scania, owned by the Volkswagen group, will produce trucks and buses for the Indian market from its Bangalore factory.

While truck production has already commenced, the first Scania buses will roll out of the Bangalore factory from early 2014. Scania has introduced 3 inter city buses in India, under the Metrolink badge. The buses come in 3 different lengths, engine outputs and seating capacities. The Scania HD 45 variant is a 45 seater that measures 12 meters in length. Powered by a 9 liter, 310 Bhp turbo diesel engine, the bus features a 4x2 layout.

The HD 49 variant measures 13.7 meters in length and can seat 49 adults in a semi-sleeper configuration. This bus is powered by a 13 liter turbo diesel engine that outputs 360 Bhp while the driveline features a 6X2 layout. The HD 53 variant, also a semi-sleeper version with a 6x2 drive line, measures 14.5 meters in length and can seat 53 adults. The bus features a 13 liter turbo diesel engine that outputs 410 Bhp. 

All Scania Metrolink buses get an 8 speed automated manual transmission, measure 2.6 meters in width and 3.7 meters in height. A 465 liter diesel tank is standard on all models. Scania will initially meet SVLL's 120 bus order through completely built unit (CBU) imports. Local assembly, set to begin in early 2014, will include localization to drive down costs. Scania has plans of capturing 20% of the luxury bus market in India over the next half a decade. 

The bus that SVLL has ordered from Scania costs 2.3 crore rupees and features interiors designed by Dilip Chabbria, an automotive designer and the owner of design firm DC Design. The heavy customization means that the bus can accommodate only 31 passengers. The bus will feature its own pantry and crew, who will serve passengers refreshments during the course of the journey. However, the technical specifications of this bus remain unavailable currently. 

SVLL clearly seems to be positioning itself as a luxury bus player catering to passengers who otherwise would have opted for first class rail travel. The Scania bus that SVLL has inducted will also feature a rest-room, Wi-Fi, projectors and class leading space, akin to the "Sleep like a baby" Volvo inter-city bus service launched by KSRTC's Airavat. Apart from market leader Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Tata Motors are the other major players in the inter-city luxury bus segment.

SVLL's luxury bus service will connect destinations such as Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Surat, Mumbai-Bangalore, Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad-Surat initially, with a phased pan-India roll out likely to happen in the coming months. These buses will stop at exclusive SVLL bus-stops to provide standardized customer service. SVLL's inter city bus service will begin from late-October 2013.