Volvo has offered an update on its coach range, confirming that it will introduce a tri-axle variant of the UNVI XL25-bodied B13R coach in 2027.
The manufacturer shared the news at the UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA) conference on 23 March, during a presentation on its current coach and bus offerings.
Volvo first announced the UNVI XL body for the two-axle B13R chassis, in 12.8m, at last year’s UKCOA conference, describing it as a luxury product with 53 seats or 49 with one wheelchair space in PSVAR compliant form.
While the announcement was light on detail, Volvo Bus Product Director Josef Gisslow suggested the manufacturer is intending for seating capacity in the 6×2 model to be “in and around the 59-seats size”. That should position it between the 53-seat UNVI XL25 and double-deck 9700DD.
Also planned for 2027 is the return of the 9700 on the B13R chassis, with early details suggesting that will be a twin-axle model with 53 seats.
Other developments outlined include the expansion of the 8-litre B8R platform to include new electronic architecture (including digital dash and full active safety platform availability), 57- and 72-seat variants (the latter in 3+2 configuration) and developments in the vehicles’ HVAC systems. Mr Gisslow says the first units will land at the end of this year, with final work being undertaken on the 72-seat variant.
Offering an update on the twin-axle UNVI XL, he adds that while no units have yet been shipped, the vehicle is currently going through homologation and the plan remains to demonstrate the vehicle at the Bus Driver of the Year competition in Blackpool in April. Deliveries are still expected to begin in the summer.
Volvo’s BZR Electric high-floor coach chassis, announced in 2024, remains in “development projects with partners” according to Mr Gisslow, though he notes that there is still “limited demand in the (UK) market” for its application. While Carrus Delta has bodied a coach in partnership with European operators for the left-hand drive market, Mr Gisslow says more news will come “when (Volvo) sees demand increasing”.
