MAN Bus and Coach took advantage of Euro 6c to launch a revised Neoplan Tourliner variant: Select Plus. Tim Deakin puts one through its on-road paces from the Trafford Park dealership
Neoplan’s long-lasting Tourliner is due to be replaced by the all-new HD16 version later in 2017, but MAN is making the most of the outgoing model with the Select Plus package before it is superseded.
It consolidates the previous cost-effective Select and luxurious VIP trim levels into one, but it is not simply a ‘halfway house’ between the two.
“Select Plus has additional items above the earlier Select model and as per the name, it should be seen as an upgraded Select,” says Bus and Coach General Manager Wayne Ulph.
“Additions include Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels, footrests and an improved kitchen unit, while fuel efficiency is aided by Efficient Cruise and Efficient Roll functions.”
For a driver, those software changes are important. Efficient Cruise uses GPS to monitor approaching topography and it works smartly when climbing hills.
The gearbox may downshift sooner, or not at all if it knows that the ascent is almost complete. It may also reduce power early in the latter case.
Under Efficient Roll, the gearbox selects neutral on modest descents if it calculates that the coach’s momentum is sufficient to retain speed without exceeding the cruise controls setting. It too reduces fuel consumption.
Also debuting with the Select Plus is MAN’s 12.4-litre D26 engine at the latest iteration of current emission standards, Euro 6c. Power and torque ratings have changed at Euro 6c and a small amount of engine architecture is different.
The D26’s like-for-like power ratings have actually dropped with Euro 6c, but torque is increased and it is delivered at lower engine speeds. routeone has already driven three earlier D26-equipped MAN coaches, and the contrast between them and a comparable Euro 6c Tourliner is very interesting.
The Select Plus offers good value. Wayne made a 13.2(?)m stock P20 example available, and the retail price for this 55-seater is £225,000.
Build
The smaller D20 engine has been dropped from the Tourliner range and at Euro 6c all coaches are powered by the D26.
In the test coach, it is rated at 460bhp, a like-for-like reduction of 20bhp. 420bhp is standard in two-axle coaches. Maximum power is produced at 1,800rpm, while the 2,300Nm of torque comes in from a remarkably low 930rpm and remains constant to 1,350rpm.
A 12-speed TipMatic automated manual gearbox is fitted, which is essentially a badge engineered ZF AS-Tronic. A taller back axle ratio goes with the Euro 6c engine, and so revs are considerably lower than before when at the limited road speed.
A ‘smart’ water pump that works at variable speeds via a viscous coupling has been added at Euro 6c, and a dual-mass flywheel is now used. The latter, says MAN, allows smoother gearshifts.
Ad-Blue goes in at the extreme rear offside of the coach, while dual diesel fillers are over the front axle. Two tanks are fitted there with a total 580-litre capacity.
Luggage locker doors are manually operated, and along with all opening flaps and the passenger doors they are on a central locking circuit. A tool kit along with spare belts and a bottle jack is on the offside ahead of the steer axle, while a battery isolator and jump start connection are at the rear.
Passenger access
The Tourliner’s doorway feels narrower than some other coaches’ but the step layout may have something to do with that. They are not completely full width, creating a slightly constricted feel.
Four steps lead to the platform and two more to the sunken gangway. All are lined in high-visibility yellow.
There is a further shallow step on the platform into the cab, and this reduces space there slightly. An additional step in the aisle takes passengers to the two rearmost rows of seats.
Handrail provision around the door is very good. The courier seat is compact and the squab sits flush with the back, but a horizontal handrail is provided nonetheless. On the left when boarding, there is a vertical rail that gives good support.
Access along the aisle is unimpeded, but seats lack handholds.
Additionally, the sunken gangway makes it a stretch to reach the overhead racks for some passengers; it is easily managed by a taller person, but will be trickier for those who are shorter.
The step into the centre stairwell is marked in both high-visibility yellow and with a blue LED strip, and is very obvious.
Passenger comfort
Kiel seats are fitted and they come with three-point belts, drop-down tables and footrests.
They are comfortable and have synthetic leather headrest inserts and piping; MAN has a number of different moquette combinations on stock coaches, all with matching curtains.
Climate control is fitted utilising perimeter heater radiators and an air-conditioning unit, and an auxiliary water heater is present within the engine bay.
Controls are simple, and part of the same unit that governs cab air temperature, flow and fan speed.
A Bosch Professional Line entertainment system is standard along with two fixed monitors.
Select Plus Tourliners come with a small kitchen that comprises a comprehensive drinks making facility along with a sink that has its own heater; the boiler can hold enough water for 40 cups of tea or coffee and a percolator is part of the package, as are various storage compartments.
The kitchen pack is located in a lockable unit opposite the toilet, while a top-loading fridge is within the dash.
Views from the Tourliner are good thanks to its deep windows and those passengers sitting in the rearmost window seats will find no intrusion from the pillars. The same is not the case for those travelling in the front row, however, where large B-pillars intrude significantly into side vision.
Driver comfort
An air-suspended Grammer seat with all the usual adjustments and a hands-free microphone is fitted, while the driver also benefits from a steering wheel that has an excellent degree of adjustment.
Controls, particularly the handbrake, are located conveniently and there is a good amount of legroom on both sides of the steering column.
The speedometer is very clear, although the location of the rotary gear selector – immediately above the driver’s left knee – is unusual.
The larger mirror on each gullwing arm is adjusted electrically, and on the nearside, two wide-angle panes are fitted. The large signalling window is electrically heated and lowered.
Visibility from the cab is good, although the large B-pillars are located adjacent to the seat and that slightly compromises the driver’s view over his or her right shoulder when changing lanes.
Storage in the cab is reasonable. There is room behind or to the right of the seat for a modestly-sized bag and a cup holder is provided. Additionally, a tray with a lid next to the dash fridge can be used for other items.
Performance
What is striking with the D26 engine at Euro 6c is the difference in performance when compared with the earlier Euro 6 unit.
In short, there is noticeably more grunt at lower revs, and MAN has taken advantage of that with the axle ratio that sees just 1,100rpm recorded at 62mph in top gear. That may suggest that hill climbing is compromised, but nothing could be further from the truth.
On the hilly M66, the D26 showed its mettle when accelerating uphill past a slower car.
From around 55mph at below 1,000rpm in top gear it piled on speed extraordinarily well, and the D26 pulls from very low speeds in a manner that can only be equalled by the OM 470 engine used by Mercedes-Benz in the Tourismo.
Gearshift quality is also excellent, and on a number of occasions the TipMatic made a very wide block change with no difficulty.
Because it can do this, speed is gained on uphill motorway slip roads exceptionally rapidly, and it is difficult to imagine any instance where power will be wanting.
The Eco Roll function also works very well. Neutral was engaged on several descents and this, along with subsequent reselection of drive, is completely imperceptible without watching the tachometer.
Aggressiveness of the Eco Cruise and Eco Roll functions is governed via a dash button. It controls the level of deviation from the set cruise control speed when either programme is engaged.
At their most effective, road speed may fall below the cruise control setting by a maximum of 7km/hr in the name of economy, but when the impact is reined in, speed losses on gradients are reduced at the cost of slightly increased diesel use. It may sound complicated, but is easily understood and works very well.
A stalk-operated retarder is fitted and it is very powerful. Holding the stalk progressively increases stopping power, but a button on the end immediately actives maximum auxiliary braking.
Verdict
The Tourliner Select Plus is positioned as a mid-range, cost effective coach, and it meets that brief well.
While not overburdened with creature comforts – it lacks a reversing camera, for example – it does what is required and passengers will find little to complain about.
Drivers, equally, will be hard pushed to find significant fault with the coach, although it is susceptible to side winds. Nevertheless, the cab is comfortable and the courier has more space than is often the case.
Where the Select Plus excels is under the bonnet, and that will continue in the coming HD16 replacement for the current Tourliner.
MAN is the only manufacturer to have made anything of the transition to Euro 6c engines, but based on performance alone it is right to do so.
The D26 in its latest iteration is a fantastic engine. It pulls incredibly well, is exceptionally quiet, and when its superb low-speed torque is combined with MAN’s clever Eco Cruise and Eco Roll software, fuel economy should be good.
The TipMatic gearbox also does well. Low-speed clutch control is not always perfect, but it is improved over earlier examples.
In short, the Tourliner Select Plus does exactly what it says on the tin, and for operators looking for a lot of coach for their money, it is an attractive proposition.
