BASE Coach Sales launched the 3.6m variant of its MOBIpeople Explorer at Coach & Bus UK, with an example for Pontefract operator Poppletons on show.
It is the fourth member of the Explorer range for Poppletons. Built on an MAN RR8 chassis, it comes with a PSVAR certificate and is able to carry 53 seated passengers or up to four wheelchair users.
Soon set to complement the 3.6m Explorer in BASE’s range is a replacement for the Barbi Galileo.
It will also be built by MOBIpeople and utilise the same framing as the taller Explorer, but with revised frontal and rear aspects. Final decisions regarding styling are currently being made and the first will enter production “shortly,” says Director Mark Aspinall.
“One of the stipulations for the 3.6m body was that it must offer excellent luggage capacity. MOBIpeople has achieved that,” adds Mr Aspinall. “We included a number of Barbi customers in the group that has worked on the new body’s design.”
The Explorer range’s core market remains high capacity applications. BASE Coach Sales has now sold 125 74-seat, two-axle examples. Such a vehicle on its stand was a Scania K 320-based example for Ellisons Coaches of Swindon. BASE recently ordered its 20th Scania chassis.
Additionally, it has supplied ‘dual seat’ Explorers. They come with one set of standard seats to give a capacity of 57, and another in a 3+2 layout to allow 74 children to be carried. That, says Mr Aspinall, means the coach can be occupied both during school terms and in the holidays.
The MAN TGL-based Midi Explorer also continues to perform well. Over 50 are now in the market and the orderbook for 2020 already looks strong.
