The first completed example of the Volvo B13R with UNVI XL body is due off the production line soon ahead of a round of evaluation and testing, with UNVI having also commenced series manufacture of the model.
Volvo Bus UK and Ireland announced the XL partnership with UNVI around a year ago. The 12.8m coach will have either 53 seats or 49 plus one wheelchair user space. Originally UNVI had planned to build the body at its Spanish site in Ourense, but that work has been moved to Porto in Portugal “to unlock additional production capacity,” Volvo says.
Product Director Joseph Gisslow adds that demand for the XL has exceeded expectations, with 12 customers having placed orders. One of those deals is for nine units. The first coach to be built will be used by Volvo Bus UK and Ireland as a demonstrator after evaluation and testing is complete. One coach per week will initially be finished from July onwards.
Adds Mr Gisslow: “To ensure that we can deliver coaches as quickly as possible, UNVI has transferred production to a dedicated facility in Portugal. This gives us the capacity to meet our strong order book commitments while ensuring lead times for future orders remain competitive.”
The XL will come with Brusa Create 120 seats as standard, including three-point belts, aisle-side armrests, footrests, magazine nets, drop-down tables, enhanced upholstery in a mix of moquette and synthetic leather, and seatback USB-A and USB-C charging points.
Volvo adds that other XL specification elements will include generous overhead luggage capacity along with interior and gangway LED lighting. Thermo King air-conditioning will be used alongside a Bosch audio-visual system with twin 22-inch screens. Underfloor luggage space will be around 9.5 cubic metres and a freshwater centre sunken toilet will be included.
Service Market Director Daniel Tanner says that the B13R XL combination will be backed by a network of over 80 Volvo Truck and Bus dealer points. “This includes a specialist parts facility held at our Loughborough body and paint shop, which keeps stock of thousands of bodywork components, from glazing and body panels to spare seats,” he adds.
Body and chassis warranty will be three-years/300,000km, with 12 years’ structural coverage. Power in the coach is from the 13-litre D13K engine driving through a 12-speed I-Shift automated manual gearbox with an overdrive top ratio.
