Wrightbus back to coach with Contour diesel and hydrogen future

Wrightbus has announced details of its return to the coach sector with the launch of the Contour, a new diesel-powered two-axle model built in partnership with Chinese OEM King Long.

Alongside the Contour, the company has spoken in more detail of its plans to introduce a tri-axle integral hydrogen fuel cell-electric coach, due for debut in 2026.

Contour name returns on Wrightbus diesel coach product

Reviving the Contour name from the 1980s, Wrightbus has developed a 12.2m coach with 55 seats plus toilet. It is powered by the Cummins X11 Euro VI engine producing 400bhp, driven through a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox.

PSVAR compliant or PSVAR ready variants will be available to meet accessibility regulations, while left- and right-hand drive variants will be available. Luggage space is nine cubic metres, reducing to seven cubic metres with a passenger lift fitted.

With manufacturing handled by King Long in China, Wrightbus will conduct pre-delivery inspections before vehicles reach customers. The Contour’s “competitive price” and lead time of six months promises an edge over some current industry norms, the business says.

Aftersales backup will be provided through AllServiceOne, Wrightbus’s fleet support business, which boasts a UK and Ireland-wide network of over 70 mobile technicians. A two-year/200,000-mile warranty and a 12-year structural warranty are standard.

Hydrogen coach in development for 2026

While revealing the Contour diesel, Wrightbus has also spoken publicly for the first time of its plans for a hydrogen fuel cell-electric Hydroliner coach.

That vehicle will be its first fully integral coach model, developed entirely in-house. The initial variant will be a 15m overdecker capable of accommodating 69 passengers on the upper deck and up to 15 passengers and two wheelchair users on the lower deck, with 10 cubic metres of luggage space. Wrightbus has not confirmed yet whether it will carry the Contour name, nor where the body will be built.

With a claimed range of up to 1,000km, the Hydroliner is intended to help to address the limited number of current zero-emission coach models for the long-distance scheduled market.

A single-deck version is being considered for later, while the coach’s modular construction will make it suited to a number of different drivetrain options, depending on demand.

Coach renaissance comes at ‘the right time’ for Wrightbus

Wrightbus plans to showcase the Contour across the UK and Ireland with a demonstration tour beginning in the coming months. The first Hydroliner coach is expected to be built this year ahead of its 2026 debut.

Speaking of the company’s return to coach manufacturing, Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales had repeated previous comments that the move is a long-term plan to help address a paucity of vehicle supply. “When we heard there was no coach manufacturing in the UK, we said ‘that can’t be the case’,” he explains.

“We need to bring coaches back. We brought Dave Porter into our company, and this is not a one-off programme; this is a three- or four-year, long-term strategy to become a main player for the future.”

Commenting specifically on the decision to develop a hydrogen coach product, the Wrightbus chief adds: “This is our core DNA. We are a vehicle manufacturer. This is our 80th year, and our biggest unique selling point for the last five-10 years.

“We really believe we can put a world-class zero-emission powertrain into this coach at a time when the coach industry is struggling to decarbonise. We feel the timing of this couldn’t be better and we’re looking forward to launching this product properly in 2026.”

A full report will be available in the March issue of routeone, published on Wednesday 12 March.