Last week, Volvo Bus launched an all new coach at its Swedish headquarters in Gothenburg. It has been twenty years since the last new coach was introduced by the ‘iron mark’ brand. This is not a face-lift, it is a totally new design. Although easily recognizable as a Volvo, significant changes have been made to the front and rear of the coach.
Drivers, Operators and Tour agents:
Opinions from Drivers, Operators and Tour agents alike were taken onto account before the final design was decided upon. Some of the features of the new coach include, extra height, extra luggage space and better insulation, which will significantly reduce the internal noise. Most of all though, the new aerodynamic design aims to improve the fuel performance by 4%. Another feature is the lighter roof construction, 230kg lighter in fact, which also brings down the centre of gravity.
Right Hand Drive
Although the new range has two variants only one model will be available in right hand drive (RHD) form. The slightly lower spec 9700 version will not, at least in the early stages be manufactured as a RHD. Production will begin in September and it will be launched to the Irish market at the CTTC Coach & Bus Show 2018 at the RDS, Dublin later this year, with first deliveries taking place in 2019.
Powered by the Volvo Group D11K, Euro 6, 430hp Euro 6C engine, coupled with the tried and trusted I-shift (AT24 12F) it also has the Dynamic Steering mechanism. Irish operators had a chance to drive the new coach and the reaction was quite favorable all round.
