Ayats UK Coach Sales’ heavily-anticipated Eclipse demonstrator, on MAN RR4 chassis, arrived here earlier in March. Here, Tim Deakin becomes the first journalist to put the double-decker to the test
“Ayats is back.” That was the verdict of Ayats UK Coach Sales Director Dave Nickson in 2016 when he announced that the Spanish coachbuilder was returning to the British and Irish markets, and after several months of waiting, the promised Eclipse demonstrator arrived here earlier this month.
In the run-up, it was a busy few months for Ayats UK Coach Sales. It has already taken one order for an Eclipse – on a Scania chassis for JH Coaches in Tyne and Wear – and the MAN RR4-based demonstrator’s debut is further driving brand awareness.
“Operators that have seen it so far agree that it has the ‘wow’ factor. There is a lot of interest and I will be taking the coach around the country in the coming weeks and months,” says Dave.
“Building the demonstrator is an indication of the factory’s intentions for the UK and Ireland.
“It wants to be active in both markets and it wants to make an impact. The Ayats family recognises that sales here are important and it wants customers to be happy.”
Dave plans to bring in other Ayats models and the Eclipse demonstrator is to a layout that will suit the Irish market as well as UK buyers.
He adds that all production models will be built to buyers’ bespoke specifications. PSVAR compliance is part of the package required by JH Coaches Director Ian Shipley; the MAN-based demonstrator is not accessible.
With it not long off the boat, Dave made the eye-catching coach available for a routeone test drive.
Build
It’s difficult to argue with suggestions that the Eclipse has the ‘wow’ factor. It undoubtedly does, and that’s helped by heavily tinted and extensive glazing that gives it almost a Darth Vader look.
The Eclipse is also a big coach. The demonstrator is 14.2m long, and feels it from the cab, but one of the things that the driver will appreciate is how the boot area has been dealt with.
Powered parallel lifting doors are fitted, and there is also a full-height outward swinging door on the nearside, creating a ‘walk in’ bay.
AdBlue goes in at the rear offside and there are dual diesel fillers behind the front axle for a 607-litre tank.
Among the specification is a spare wheel, which is easily reached at lower deck level on the offside immediately behind the toilet. Like the eight wheels on the tarmac, it is an Alcoa Dura-Bright.
MAN’s RR4 chassis is powered by the D26 engine rated at 480bhp driving through a 12-speed TipMatic automated gearbox. It comes complete with a powerful retarder and a hill hold device.
Passenger access
Standard is a plug-type front door, and the demonstrator has been specified with a further two doors in the middle.
On the nearside is a plug example, and in accessible coaches a wheelchair ramp will be fitted here alongside a removable section of raised floor; the gangway is considerably lower than the seated area.
On the offside is a hinged emergency door. It has been specified on the demonstrator to meet Irish regulations, and on UK coaches it can be deleted.
Doing so will add two lower deck seats to the 16 present on the test coach and allow the addition of a table on the offside; as is, it only has one on the nearside.
The twin staircases each have eight steps. Handrail provision around them is good, as is headroom.
Handrails around the door are also good, and for passengers boarding at the front and sitting downstairs, two solid vertical stanchions are present in the no-man’s land between the front wheels.
Gangway width between the front wheels in moderate, and the courier seat reduces available space. Even so, Ayats has done a reasonable job of siting it; when it is out of use it is stowed against the staircase, but when required it rotates and locks on a side pivot.
Headroom in both saloons is good enough for a double-decker, but the recessed upper aisle is noticeable downstairs.
Passenger comfort
The demonstrator is to a luxurious specification to show what is possible on the Ayats range.
It has 81 MVT seats, with 65 upstairs and 16 on the lower deck. They are part leather and have three-point belts and drop-down tables. A single full-size table is fitted at the nearside front downstairs.
USB charging points are provided and mounted in the side wall. On production coaches, they will be relocated to the lower centre of each seat pair.
240v sockets can also be specified if required; a handful are dotted around the test coach, most obviously to power a vacuum cleaner.
A large kitchen is fitted above the offside front wheel including a large water boiler, a sink, two fridges and lots of storage, which continues opposite. Three polished metal waste bins are fitted, with one on each staircase and one on the lower deck.
Both saloons have a reasonably-sized Actia monitor at the front, and they are complemented by a number of smaller screens diagonally affixed to the luggage racks. The upper deck also has a larger screen at the centre staircase.
A Thermobus dual-zone air-conditioning unit is fitted and this combines with perimeter radiators and a Spheros coolant pre-heater to form the climate control system.
One of the Eclipse’s major positives for passengers is the view from the front seats upstairs. All-round glazing here is very low, and a manual sunblind is also fitted to the windscreen along with a single wiper.
Driver comfort
A high-specification seat is fitted in the cab and a safe is within the base. A large amount of space is around the seat, giving good room for a bag.
This extent of space includes the distance between the seat and the windscreen. It is substantial, and all-round visibility is excellent.
The latter is helped by narrow A- and B-pillars, and glazing behind the latter means that it is easy to check the offside blind spot.
Mirrors are mounted on long gullwing arms. They give a good view along both sides of the coach, and visibility in the wide angle panes is also good.
Three USB charging points are within the cab, one being to the driver’s left which will be suitable for the courier’s use. Additionally, a 240v socket is to the lower left of the seat.
Items like buttons, the tachograph and the DVD head unit are well located, but the temperature control unit and handbrake are less so. Both are to the driver’s lower right.
Dave explains that the issue with handbrake location has been identified and will be rectified on subsequent Eclipses, but heating and air-conditioning can only safely be set when the coach is stationary. The auxiliary heater control is much better sited.
A manual one-piece windscreen blind is fitted along with a powered signalling window. It is not heated, but the remainder of glazing between the A- and B-pillar is. Within the door is a péage window.
Performance
480bhp is a typical rating for a double-decker coach and the MAN engine has plenty of power and low-down torque. At 62mph it is turning at 1,200rpm in top gear.
The TipMatic gearbox works well when the coach is rolling, but clutch control from stationary or very low speeds is variable, and on one such occasion it displayed undue hesitancy when the accelerator was pressed.
Other than that, the coach drives nicely. The TipMatic block changes competently at higher speeds and the gearbox retarder is very strong, allowing the Eclipse to be slowed with little or no recourse to the foundation brakes.
Handling is competent, although side winds are naturally felt on exposed roads, such as on Thelwall Viaduct.
There is also a degree of wind noise from the mirrors. What is also noticeable is the 14.2m length of the coach, and a big ‘bite’ is necessary when turning if kerbs are to be avoided.
The standard reversing camera is a necessity on a coach of this size, and combined with the large mirrors it makes backing up easy. Manoeuvrability is further aided by the exceptional amount of glass around the cab, giving excellent visibility.
Verdict
The double-decker coach market is a niche one, and buyers in this segment typically expect a vehicle that is built exactly to their specification.
Ayats is in a position to do that, and its mantra is that if it can be done within the regulations, it will do it.
The Eclipse demonstrator is fitted out to a high standard and those operators choosing Ayats will no doubt find it to be a popular product with customers.
There is a limit to what can be done within a double-decker coach’s space constraints, and Ayats packages the Eclipse well.
In particular, the staircase arrangement is good and the potential for an offside door will be welcomed by some buyers, despite its modest impact on capacity.
From a passenger’s point of view the travelling experience is good. Those at the front of the upper deck have a superb view, while those elsewhere – including at the rear upstairs – benefit from a deep window line and a quiet ride.
The MAN RR4 chassis does well enough, but the TipMatic’s low-speed clutch control is not perfect. Availability of a Scania option adds a further dynamic to the Eclipse, but MAN has a loyal following and it remains to be seen which marque proves most popular.
The driver will find that his or her working environment is good. The cab is huge by double-decker standards and visibility is excellent, and when the handbrake is relocated there will be little, if anything, to fault in terms of overall layout.
One thing that Dave is at pains to stress is that Ayats is now in the UK and Irish markets for the long-term. In the Eclipse, it has a product that can stand up against its competitors and the coach has a huge road presence. Ayats certainly is back.
