Volvo intercity bus caught testing

Thanks to Prasad Kulkarni for sending these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

A test mule of a Volvo intercity bus was recently spotted near Hubli, Karnataka. The test vehicle, marked as chassis no. 180389 might be a facelift version of the Volvo 9400 multi-axle model, which is currently on sale. Apart from the Euro 4 badge near the front door, rest of the badges have been taped off. 

In terms of styling, the bus has a similar front end with black trim in the centre and headlamp clusters on either side. The front bumper has two fog lamps. At the rear, the bus has a black roof spoiler and triple-pod tail lamps.

Currently, Volvo offers 3 variants of the 9400 intercity bus. The base model has an overall length of 12 m and a dual-axle setup. It is powered by a 7.7-litre, 6-cylinder diesel engine that puts out 325 BHP @ 2,200 rpm and peak torque of 1200 Nm @ 1,200-1,600 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

The 13.8 m version is powered by a 10.8-litre, 6-cylinder diesel engine that makes 365 BHP @ 1,600-1,900 rpm and 1,790 Nm @ 900-1,400 rpm. The 14.5 m variant uses a 10.8-litre, 6-cylinder diesel engine that churns out 404 BHP @ 1,600-1,900 rpm and 1,900 Nm @ 900-1,400 rpm. Both are triple-axle variants and come equipped with a 12-speed I-Shift automated manual gearbox. The spy images suggest that this particular test vehicle is equipped with Volvo's I-Shift 12-speed automated manual transmission.