Pithampur – Commercial vehicle manufacturer, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd (VECV) of Pithampur - the joint-venture subsidiary of Sweden’s Volvo AB and Eicher Motors Ltd of Gurugram (New Delhi), India – launched Volvo 9600 15m1 and 13.5m intercity coaches, a replica of European designs, and the Eicher 13.5m2 intercity bus.
Vinod Aggarwal, MD and CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles said, “India’s bus industry is on the path of revival. With the market opening up across segments, inter-city travel is picking up robustly and will soon touch pre-COVID levels.”
Akash Passey, President, Bus Division, VECV added, "The Volvo 9600 and the Eicher Intercity Coach are a testimony to our commitment towards redefining the bus industry in India.”
Volvo 9600 gets the power from a powerful and fuel-efficient Volvo D8K (8-litre) engine, which belts out 350 hp at 2200 rpm and 1350 nm of torque at 1200-1600 rpm. The fuel-efficient engine is built to minimize TCO and maximize uptime for bus operators. The Volvo 9600 comes with an I-Shift automated manual gearbox, electronic braking system (EBS) Hill-start aid, and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) systems. The initial products on this platform are sleeper and seater coaches with dimensions of 15m 6x2 and 13.5m 4x2. The Volvo 9600 is a benchmark in luxury, comfort and safety, The sleeping coach has 40 berths, but the 15-meter seater coach can accommodate 55 passengers. There is 15.1 cubic metres of luggage space in the seater application and 9.2 cubic metres in the sleeper application. While the 13.5m coach seats can take up to 47 passengers with 36 berths sleeper variant. Luggage space for the seater and sleeper variants are 13.6 cu.m and 8.1 cu.m respectively.
Eicher 13.5m Intercity Coach, addresses operators demand for a mid-premium HD bus and is the latest addition to the Eicher intercity platform. Proven engine performance, class-leading reliability, and improved functionality are some of the hallmarks of the range. The first OEM-built FE Coach with seater and sleeper configuration, the bus holds a VEDX5 engine with a power of 240 hp and torque of 900 Nm. Its 425L HDPE fuel tank promises long uninterrupted trips, while its lightweight construction improves fuel efficiency. The sleek Tall Boy design and layered surfaces of the modern aerodynamics immediately exude aesthetic appeal.
