Supplier Arriva Bus and Coach took the Van Hool EX16M on tour last week. It’s a new departure for the Belgian builder, which has done major work to the EX range to reduce the total cost of ownership
Van Hool’s EX range is rekindling momentum, with supplier Arriva Bus and Coach (ABC) last week kicking off a tour showing the EX16M to operators as part of a programme that will take in England, Scotland and Wales.
The 13.3m, two-axle demonstrator is a second generation EX. At 3.7m high it is lower than the two first generation variants seen here, and with a sunken toilet it can carry a maximum of 57 passengers.
A straight 59-seat configuration is also available, as is a floor-mounted WC and a 57/59 demountable layout. Accessible versions are due later.
The 12.5m EX15M is also available. ABC will hold both of these mid-height variants in stock; the smaller coach seats up to 53 with a toilet or 55 without.
Retail price for the EX16M starts at £250,000. That sets it apart from budget-priced coaches, but ABC is not targeting that market segment. Instead, the EX is now viewed as complementary to the established TX line-up, rather than competing with it.
Brand extension
“The EX is an addition to the Van Hool family. Some elements are common with the TX, but it benefits from economies of scale at the Skopje factory, including assembly line production and reduced labour costs,” says ABC Commercial Director Andy Cullen.
Although EXs are produced differently to TX models, Van Hool says that build quality is identical. The driving and passenger experiences are also comparable.
Although the EX is more expensive that some of its competitors, ABC is confident that residual values, traditionally a Van Hool strongpoint, will be strong. “Couple that with low fuel consumption and long service intervals, and the EX’s total cost of ownership (TCO) will be excellent,” adds Mr Cullen.
Customer response during last week’s tour of England was “better than we could have hoped for,” says ABC Head of Product Steve Fletcher, but the dealer stresses that the EX relaunch will not affect the breadth of the TX range that it offers.
Major changes
Van Hool has worked to improve the EX’s fuel consumption, which will further reduce when DAF’s revised MX engine range is introduced later this year; it is already promising a 5-7% like-for-like efficiency gain. Over 500kg of weight has been removed from the second generation EX, and tests in Belgium with a half-loaded EX16M have returned over 12mpg.
In a move that will be welcomed by UK operators, the radiator has moved to the offside, while the engine is now mounted on an independent subframe mated to the chassis via shock absorbers.
The latter change is interesting. Van Hool says that the shock absorbers filter out 95% of engine vibration, significantly improving the passenger experience.
Other alterations include the adoption of a hydraulically-driven radiator fan, and movement of the air-conditioning unit rearwards to maintain weight distribution.
Coach details
The EX16M demonstrator has a sunken toilet and 53 Kiel seats with excellent pitch. As part of Van Hool’s weight-consciousness, its own seats will not be offered in the EX.
Under the bonnet is a 435bhp MX-11 engine coupled to a ZF EcoLife gearbox. AS-Tronic is available on coaches built to order, and it is understood that its replacement, the Traxon, will follow this year.
The EX16M’s wheelbase is 6.79m; much of the shorter EX15M’s difference is between the axles, although it also has a slightly shorter rear overhang.
routeone was able to put the demonstrator through its paces last week on a 70-mile route between Beestons Coaches’ base in Hadleigh, Suffolk, and Richmond’s Coaches depot near Royston.
The cab displays lots of similarities to the TX range, including Van Hool’s trademark ‘wheel’ that controls various items such as mirrors and heating. ABC’s boast that the EX drives like a TX is well founded. The EX is uncannily quiet, although pick-up with the EcoLife in an economy setting is perhaps not quite what would be expected of a high-power two-axle coach.
When the kickdown switch beneath the accelerator is depressed, things rapidly become a lot different. Few other coaches would catch the EX16M in such circumstances, but the engine sub-frame arrangement means that noise levels remain low.
The EX16M is a delight to drive, and operators that have seen it share a similar impression. All ABC has to do now is get out and sell it to them. The first stock EX15M and EX16Ms are due here in the spring.
routeone comment
Will the second coming of the EX prove to be a watershed moment in Van Hool’s recent history in the UK?
That remains to be seen, but the range’s relaunch opens up the aspirational Belgian brand to buyers who, in recent years, may have found it to be beyond them. It also offers a complementary and versatile product to those operators who have stuck with the TX.
Like other coach builders, Van Hool recognises that total cost of ownership is an important factor for savvy buyers. Fuel consumption has received attention, and coupled with a high capacity on two axles and extended service intervals, ABC promises that the EX will deliver a TCO that compares well with any other model.
The coach drives well and it rides well. It is off to a good start already.
