Mercedes-Benz City bus all set to woo commuters

Urban commuters can now look forward to a bump free ride, thanks to the new low access flat platform, rear engined, air-conditioned, Mercedes-Benz bus. This bus has been assembled at the company’s sophisticated Chakan plant. Mercedes Benz are the world leaders in passenger bus manufacture, with applications suitable for different road conditions and requirements in different countries. The history of making buses by Mercedes-Benz can be traced back to the early decades of the twentieth century. What they made then and what they are making today is a great and commendable evolution in passenger transport.  Today a passenger bus isn’t an enclosed sheet metal container having 40 plus seats and an adequate powerplant to propel it at a reasonable pace between two points in a city.

Unlike other bus bodies, the Mercedes-Benz bus side panels are pasted to the structural frame and then painted. The fit and finish is unbelievable, the rear-engined bus’ passenger compartment is totally devoid of noise and vibrations. The modern bus has to be good looking, comfortable but also needs to be air conditioned and cool. This is achieved in the Benz buses with well insulated and acoustic material on the interiors. The large window/glass area also gives a bus a pretty look and the tinting on the glass ensures the glare is evaded. All in all a lot of emphasis has been given to passenger comfort. This bus is also capable of accepting a wheel chair passenger due to its low floor pan and wide doors opening hydro-pneumatically. The suspension comprises of air bags with hydraulic dampers making for the smoothest of rides. The bus is capable of 100km/h plus speeds and braking is handles by multiport and large ventilated disc brakes.

The comfort mode is not restricted to the passenger cabin. The driver’s seat sports multiple adjustments and dampers and the auto transmission does away with the clutch and allied hassles. The comfort level on a passenger bus is largely supported by a well operating suspension system with really good damping for all kinds of road surfaces. In this particular bus it is achieved by the popular Airmatic suspension which Mercedes-Benz also uses in their passenger cars. It basically involves multiple air bags to act as springs and hydraulic dampers to arrest the oscillation set in by the air bags.

The result is a hugely comfortable ride quality. This is really critical because this bus can take in a lot of standing passengers who have to be transported with a minimum of swaying. And all this paraphernalia to be transported at good speeds also needs extraordinary braking. This bus has a system of multiport ventilated disc brakes capable of bringing the bus to a smooth halt without inducing discomfort in sitting and standing passengers. All the sophisticated braking technology on Mercedes-Benz cars has been loaded on to these buses. Needless to mention it is really comfortable and safe.

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The auto transmission has excellent controls, and ensures that the driver is fatigue free. The large windscreen and the driver seating position ensure 100 per cent visibility with no blind spots. Internal accessories like the grab handles and vertical poles are of highest quality and flooring is wear resistant. In a commuter bus these components take the maximum beating. The air conditioning is top notch and will keep passengers cool even in 40 degrees Celsius temperatures.

All in all the bus has all the goodies in keeping with its Rs 90 lakh price tag, which will be justified by its low maintenance nature. The Mercedes-Benz after sales service is noteworthy so these buses are sure to rove their worth to the city corporations who invest in them. Intercity travel has already undergone a change and now city travel is set for change. Happy commuting!