0 The Setra ComfortClass 500 reinforces European long-distance network

Their route is Prague to Bratislava, or even further to Budapest. By introducing three touring coaches from the new ComfortClass 500, Deutsche Touring GmbH is opening a new chapter in international long-distance service.

"The three two-axle S 516 HDs are the first vehicles from the new Setra generation that we are using in our international regular service network, and therefore also the first ComfortClass 500 touring coaches to be used in the Czech Republic," said Frank Zehle during the ceremonial handover of the coaches at the Setra Customer Centre in Neu-Ulm. The General Manager of Deutsche Touring GmbH in Frankfurt took delivery of the three new two-axle coaches together with Milan Tuhacek, the General Manager of the Czech transport operator Touring Bohemia. Also present was Vladimir Krstic, General Manager of Touring Serbia in Nis, who took delivery of two ComfortClass 400 coaches - an S 416 GT‑HD and an S 417 GT-HD - on the same day. Both companies are wholly owned by the large Frankfurt-based fleet operator.

Frank Zehle knows that with this start into a new vehicle era, he will score with both his passengers and against competitors in the market: "With the new Business Class coaches we will be able to expand our range of safe and inexpensive tours even further. Our customers will be delighted with the comfort of these economical 48-seater coaches." In addition to a high-quality interior design and a seat spacing that allows plenty of legroom, passengers can enjoy free internet access. Each seat row is also equipped with a 220V power connection. A multi-channel system enables passengers to entertain themselves by listening to the radio or music CDs, or watching a film. In a few weeks Deutsche Touring will also take delivery of two new S 516s for its subsidiary in Croatia. This makes the Frankfurt-based company the first to use this ultra-modern touring coach in the Balkans.

Heinz Friedrich, Setra brand spokesman for Germany, is gratified by this prestigious order which enables the Daimler AG brand to demonstrate the commercial advantages of the ComfortClass 500 on an international basis: "I am convinced that these coaches from the new vehicle generation will attract admiring looks and show that they are ideally suited for use on European long-distance routes."

Deutsche Touring – also linked to Setra by the logo

As early as 1949 Deutsche Touring GmbH started its first international regular services from Frankfurt to Basle, Salzburg and Vienna. When regular bus services to Zagreb were introduced in 1971, regular international services developed into the company's main business. Further expansion of the network to Serbia in 1980 and to Bosnia in 1983 made the Balkans the most important source of income.

Using the slogan "We connect Europe", the modern touring coaches operated by Deutsche Touring Gesellschaft serve 700 destinations in 32 countries from 80 departure points in Germany. More than 1.7 million passengers from a wide range of nationalities used the regular service routes of Deutsche Touring last year to travel through Europe in the utmost comfort.

The company is linked to the Ulm-based Setra brand by a long tradition. The first Setra buses were introduced into the fleet as early as 1955. In 1949 the logo of Deutsche Touring GmbH was created by the designers at the bus manufacturer Kässbohrer, the owner of the Setra brand before the takeover by Daimler AG. In slightly modified form it is still in use today.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: The Setra ComfortClass 500 reinforces European long-distance network

0 Gössi sets a new tone for its coach fleet

On taking delivery of two coaches from the Setra ComfortClass 500, Gössi Carreisen AG from Horw near Lucerne has set a new tone for its fleet of vehicles. Managing Director Marco Gössi and his wife took the opportunity afforded by the official handover of two S 515 HD models at the Customer Center in Neu-Ulm to pay tribute to the move over to the new bus generation with a very personal touch of their own. In front of their accompanying guests, the couple named one of the two vehicles after their daughter Joline, who was born just a few weeks ago.

For Marco Gössi, the decision to purchase the new ComfortClass 500 was backed up by lots of plus points in its favour. In addition to the low operating costs and fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly Euro VI drive system, it was also the modern design of the new coaches which gently persuaded him to make the transition to the new generation: "The well-conceived design of the new touring coaches is very stylish and will certainly still be modern and trendy in years to come. But I appreciate the fact that the ComfortClass 500 is not completely different from the preceding models in terms of its appearance. This therefore makes it easier for us to integrate it into our existing fleet and combine it with vehicles which our customers value highly."

With the two S 515 HD each boasting 44 Setra Voyage Supreme-type travel seats featuring a leather/fabric combination, passengers will be able to make themselves comfortable on board and relax with a coffee from the galley while enjoying the views of the passing landscape. LED reading lamps and buttons for calling the tour guide, which are fitted with visual indicators in the service sets above the seats, are just a few examples of the exclusive appointments available on the luxury coach. The best in entertainment and information as well as an optimum audio experience are guaranteed thanks to the Coach Multimedia System, which among other features is fitted with a DVD player and also provides passengers with iPod and iPhone connection options for the playback of audio and video files. To guarantee travellers the best possible safety in addition to high levels of comfort, the travel company's management opted for two special equipment variants available for the ComfortClass 500. The "Visibility package" comprises a variety of safety features. These include bi-xenon headlamps for dipped and main beam as well as a reversing camera. Also focusing on the issue of safety is the "Assist Systems package" which comprises equipment such as the Lane Assistant , adaptive cruise control, Active Brake Assist (ABA2) with additional stop-and-go function, Attention Assist and also the tyre pressure monitoring system.

Exclusive special paint finish adds the trademark touch

Gössi Carreisen AG was established in April 1975 by Xaver Gössi in Horw, in the canton of Lucerne. Just four years later in 1979, the operator made the joint decision with his wife Verena Gössi to purchase a coach from the Ulm-based brand. The amicable partnership which was created has been continued by son Marco Gössi and his wife Karin. Located in the vicinity of Lake Lucerne, the company is currently one of Switzerland's most famous coach tour operators. With 19 luxuriously equipped coaches and over 300 of its own holiday packages, Gössi offers the largest range of coach tours in central Switzerland. One of the most distinguishing trademark features of the exclusive travel specialist are the individually designed, imaginative special paint finishes applied to its Setra touring coaches.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: Gössi sets a new tone for its coach fleet

0 Milestone coach marks two-fold landmark

A coach handover held a pleasant surprise in store for a Setra customer recently. When Gunnar Brustad went with his son Ole Jacob to celebrate the collection of his new Setra coach, little did he know that a very special vehicle was awaiting him at the Customer Center in Neu-Ulm. The two-axle S 516 HD not only represented the first vehicle from the new ComfortClass 500 series to be heading to Norway, but it was also the 500th Setra coach being delivered by the brand to the Scandinavian country.

Gunnar Brustad, with his company "Brustad Busstrafikk", has been a partner of the Ulm-based brand since 1983 and first learned about the two-fold milestone during the vehicle handover: "We are extremely pleased to be bringing the new generation of this very special coach to our country. After the successful Setra 400 model series, it is now important for us to be able to offer another superlative touring coach to our passengers travelling throughout Europe."

With 48 comfortable Setra Voyage-type travel seats, a functional galley with coffee machine and a modern audio and video system, the new Setra provides everything to make passenger journeys - which can sometimes cover long distances stretching from the far north to the deep south of Europe - as comfortable as possible. All of this also comes with an extremely high level of safety. The S 516 HD is equipped with the most state-of-the-art driver assistance systems available from the Ulm-based brand forming part of Daimler AG. These include adaptive cruise control as well as the extended advanced emergency braking system BAS PLUS, which is able to brake the coach automatically in the event of a collision, even in front of stationary obstacles. Gunnar Brustad also opted for the ComfortClass 500 for the Visibility package offered exclusively by Setra, which in addition to bi-xenon headlamps for dipped and main beams also includes a high-pressure headlamp cleaning system as well as ambient lighting for reversing manoeuvres.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: Milestone coach marks two-fold landmark

0 Keys to the popemobile handed over: Dieter Zetsche in a private audience with Pope Francis

Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, handed over the key to the Popemobile to Pope Francis yesterday at a private meeting in the Vatican. Pope Francis will use the M-Class, which was built especially for him, at the end of July when he makes his first official visit to Brazil. During their encounter, Zetsche and Pope Francis also discussed sustainable and safer mobility as well as the Daimler AG’s charitable commitment.

„We are delighted that His Holiness Pope Francis has decided to trust in the safety and comfort of our vehicles and that, by providing the popemobile, we will continue to accompany him on his travels in the future,“ said Zetsche after the meeting in the Domus Santa Marta, the guest house of the Vatican and the Pope’s current residence. „This tradition is a huge source of pride to us.“

The Mercedes-Benz brand has been providing vehicles for the trips and official appearances of the head of the Catholic Church for more than 80 years. This involvement began in 1930 with a Nürburg 460 pullman saloon for Pope Pius XI and continued in the 1960s when a 300d landaulet convertible with automatic transmission was built for Pope John XXIII. His successor, Paul VI, used a Mercedes-Benz 600 pullman landaulet and, later, a 300 SEL. The name ‘popemobile’ was first used in the 1980s in reference to the modified Mercedes-Benz G-Class that Pope John Paul II regularly used for celebrations in Saint Peter’s Square. The G-Class was replaced by a Mercedes-Benz M-Class in 2002. This specially built version was also used by his successor, Benedict XVI.

During his visit to the Vatican, Daimler’s chairman also spoke to the Pope about Daimler AG’s twin aims of creating a sustainable future for transport and fulfilling its responsibility towards the environment and society. In 2013 and 2014 alone, Daimler will invest 10.8 billion euro in research and development activities. About half of the investments will be used directly for green technologies. Daimler also meets the responsibility it has towards society as a multinational car manufacturer and a pioneer of the industry by undertaking a broad range of activities in the fields of science, education, art, culture and charitable projects. In 2012, the company donated a total of 58 million euro to not-for-profit institutions and social projects around the world.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: Keys to the popemobile handed over: Dieter Zetsche in a private audience with Pope Francis

0 SWEG takes its first Euro VI buses into service

Modern, environment-friendly regular-service buses operate throughout the entire network of routes served by the SWEG passenger transport company. Also in town centres, the bus plays a special role. It stands for sustainable thinking, economy, safety and comfort. The Citaro with its Euro VI-compliant engine is the embodiment of a modern and, above all, environmentally aware bus service. This is a bus that is wholeheartedly accepted by the population while at the same time constituting the backbone of the local public passenger transport system. In the presence of Baden-Württemberg’s transport minister, Winfried Hermann, and the chief executive of Ortenau administrative district, Frank Scherer, Tammo Voigt, Head of Public Transport Fleet Sales at Mercedes-Benz Buses & Coaches, officially handed over four Mercedes-Benz Citaro Euro VI buses on 12 June to Johannes Müller, spokesman for the board of SWEG. This procurement delivers yet further proof of the company’s commitment to sustainability. For it was only in September of last year that SWEG took two Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid buses into service, since when the vehicles have been in daily operation on bus routes in the town of Offenburg.

“Three Lions in Motion” design concept

One of the four Citaros is a design concept based on the visual appearance of some rail vehicles that will be in future service in Baden-Württemberg. True to the slogan “SWEG with Three Lions in Motion”, the striking design of the bus proudly sports the regional colours of Baden-Württemberg both inside and outside: signal yellow and white. Set off with halftone “Staufer lions” at the sides, the exterior of the Citaro design concept reflects the heraldic devices of the regional coat of arms. The interior, too, boasts the colours and devices of the state of Baden-Württemberg. The dark fabrics of the passenger seats are resplendent with the lion emblem, sometimes with a yellow outline, sometimes with a light-grey one. The signal-yellow grab rails form a contrast to the otherwise dark-toned interior.

The Mercedes-Benz Citaro Euro VI

The two-door rigid bus with horizontal engine combines the Euro VI exhaust emissions standard with a multiplicity of unique features.

This Citaro is powered by the new OM 936h rear-mounted six-cylinder in-line engine with 7.7 litre displacement, a power rating of 220 kW (299 hp) and a maximum torque of 1200 Nm. The engine already complies with the Euro VI exhaust emissions standard. Power is transferred by the ZF Ecolife six-speed automatic transmission. The abundant torque from the engine is an ideal match for the standard rear axle ratio of i = 5.77, which is almost 10% longer-legged than in the Citaro with the previous Euro V engine. This reduces the engine speed and therefore also the fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and driving noise.

Fuel economy

The new Citaro’s outstanding fuel economy is assured, among other things, by a recuperation module (24 volts), which allows the regular-service bus to save fuel in that the free electricity generated on overrun is stored and used to operate the vehicle’s electrical accessories. This reduces the load on the drivetrain and lowers fuel consumption.

The energy storage function is performed by “supercaps”, double-layer capacitors, with a power rating of 6 kW and a capacity of 1 Ah. This process alone reduces the Citaro’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by more than 2%.

In the Record Run Buses 2012, the Euro VI engine impressively demonstrated its clear superiority in terms of fuel economy over the already highly fuel-efficient Euro V engine. With a fuel saving of 8.5% in a head-to-head with the comparable predecessor model, the Citaro with Euro VI engine exceeded even the promises of the Mercedes-Benz engineers.

SWEG – at the service of the South West

Modern and regional – that, in a nutshell, is how SWEG sees itself. The passenger transport company’s bus and rail services extend from Weil am Rhein and Lörrach in the south of Baden-Württemberg to the area around Bad Mergentheim in the north-east of the state. The modern fleet comprises some 300 of the company’s own buses and 50 leased units. Every year, approximately 30 vehicles are replaced, involving a capital expenditure of around seven million euros. The majority of vehicles comply with the exacting EEV exhaust emissions standard (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle).

SWEG carried 61.3 million bus and rail passengers in 2012 together with its ten public transport companies and five subsidiaries. With a staff of 780, the company is an important employer in the region. Its traditionally good image helps SWEG to win broad acceptance among the population.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: SWEG takes its first Euro VI buses into service

0 Buses are gaining momentum: The Citaro Euro VI buses for the City of Trier

Trier’s public utility company has put three new Citaro Euro VI buses into service. The urban buses equipped with Euro VI exhaust treatment technology significantly improve urban environmental quality thanks to emissions that are 80 percent lower than those of their predecessors. At the same time, the fuel expenses of the transport operator are lower because the new buses use more than 8 percent less diesel fuel. This was substantiated in the "Record Run Buses" economy run conducted in autumn 2012 under the impartial supervision of Dekra.

Daimler Buses has delivered some 350 buses equipped with Euro VI exhaust treatment technology to date. By the end of 2013 more than 1700 Daimler Buses of the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands equipped with environmentally friendly Euro VI exhaust treatment technology are expected to be on the road.

Milestone in bus development, economic efficiency was top development priority

To comply with the Euro VI emission standards, the buses are equipped with complex exhaust treatment technology. They combine the customary Mercedes-Benz SCR technology of AdBlue injection and oxidation catalyst with exhaust gas recirculation and a closed particulate filter. The completely new engine generation and the complex exhaust treatment technology have reduced emissions to the very margin of detectability and thus represent another step in the advancement of diesel technology.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: Buses are gaining momentum: The Citaro Euro VI buses for the City of Trier