The all-new Mercedes-Benz Tourismo made its hotly-anticipated debut this week. The builder is already talking of it as the most cost-effective coach in its class – so what’s it got going for it? Lots, it seems
The most efficient coach in its class, a more versatile line-up, and a pricing structure that puts it at the top of the table for total cost of ownership (TCO): All that and more is promised by EvoBus of the new Mercedes-Benz Tourismo.
This week it’s giving operators the chance to see the new coach in Brussels prior to deliveries starting in 2018.
In a break from tradition, all of those variants revealed so far will come here, and in an indication of its plans for the UK and Irish markets, one of the first-built examples is in right-hand drive.
The new Tourismo looks similar to the outgoing model, and it is built in the same factory in Hosdere, near Istanbul. But it is an entirely new vehicle, and a raft of improvements have been made in the name of comfort, efficiency and safety.
“We have invested €400m in the development and production of this completely new generation of touring coach,” says Head of Daimler Buses Hartmut Schick.
The new Tourismo absorbs the market sector formerly occupied in most of Europe by the range-topping Travego. While the latter was never sold here, Mr Schick says that the move helps to make the new Tourismo a genuine all-rounder.
“In order for the Tourismo success story to continue, it must be versatile. The new coach is a cost-effective product that can handle all work, from shuttle services to top-end touring.”
Growing range
Overall efficiency and a low TCO have been among the drivers throughout the Tourismo’s overhaul, says EvoBus. It is making some big plans to deliver, both on those promises and also literally, as it plans to further increase its UK and Ireland markets.
Range expansion will be a major factor in this, says EvoBus (UK). Come Q2 2018, the new Tourismo will increase its presence here when two variants arrive that are entirely new to right-hand drive.
One will be the long hoped-for 13.9m Tourismo L, while the other – in a potentially pivotal move – will be the 13.1m, two-axle Tourismo M2.
They will complement the 12.3m entry-level model and the 13.1m tri-axle Tourismo M; both of the latter are expected to debut in Q1 2018 and each has an existing right-hand drive equivalent.
EvoBus (UK) is still finalising some interior configurations on the new range, but it sees the M2 model – where 57 seats and a toilet are likely to be available – as being particularly attractive, says CEO Michael Thielmann.
As shown at this week’s launch, a left-hand drive Tourismo M2 with the 10.7-litre OM 470 engine tips the scales at around 13,600kg unladen, but EvoBus has a trick up its sleeve to bring that figure down.
In both two-axle models, to complement the OM 470 it has added the 7.7-litre OM 936 rated at 354bhp. Combined with a smaller exhaust unit, the OM 936 gives a 250kg weight saving; it comes only with the Powershift eight-speed automated gearbox.
The OM 470 remains available across the range, and to complement the existing 360, 394 and 428bhp ratings, a 456bhp variant has been added. It is understood that EvoBus has already entered discussions with ZF to utilise the EcoLife gearbox in conjunction with the 456bhp engine.
On the surface
Restyling work undertaken as part of the revamp initially appears understated, but every panel and pane of glass is different. Despite that, there is a clear lineage between the new coach and its predecessor.
At the front, lights from the Actros truck range are used, giving the lower dash a wholly different look. Much of the rest of the cosmetic overhaul work has focused on reducing drag, and the new coach boasts a coefficient similar to a car’s.
“That is tremendously low,” says Daimler Buses Head of Product Engineering Gustav Tuschen, adding that drag reduction contributes to an up to 7% like-for-like reduction in fuel consumption for the new model.
Aerodynamics have been improved throughout. At the front, a smoothing of airflow beneath the overhang is complemented by new, more flush arrangements for the door, mirrors, signalling window and windscreen wipers, while at the rear, a spoiler directs air away from the body.
Fuel optimisation
A number of other methods that have already debuted with other manufacturers have been incorporated into the new Tourismo to further cut fuel consumption.
When 56mph is reached, the suspension lowers by around 20cm to reduce wind resistance, and the driveline has been refined to deliver a small improvement in diesel use.
Additionally, 200kg has been taken out of the coach on a like-for-like comparison through framing optimisation, and in the two-axle entry model when coupled with the OM 936 engine, that gives a very useful 450kg net weight reduction.
Potentially the most significant addition is that of optional predictive powertrain control (PPC). Recently introduced on the Neoplan Tourliner, PPC utilises GPS data to read the road ahead, and to deliver the best economy it influences power delivery and gearshift strategies.
An eco-roll package is also available, where drive is deselected in certain situations for optimum economy, although it has not been announced whether this is compatible with both the Powershift and Ecolife gearboxes.
A further optional programme, and one that suggests that EvoBus will have more to say about partial automation in coming years, is ‘stop-go’ functionality in slow traffic.
With stop-go, the driver sets a maximum speed, and the coach will use the front-mounted emergency braking radar to follow the vehicle in front.
Input is required only if the other vehicle accelerates above the set maximum, or if the coach stops for more than 30 seconds. Otherwise, the new Tourismo is almost capable of driving itself in certain circumstances with stop-go.
Passengers’ delight
The interior sees wholesale revision over the outgoing model. The wide-entrance step arrangement is retained along with the sunken gangway, but the driver’s area is updated.
A dashboard trim level unique to right-hand drive coaches is introduced that is noticeably different to the predecessor’s, but the extensive space around the driver’s seat is retained along with the large signalling window. Notably, the ignition becomes keyless in all models.
In the saloon, dual-zone climate control is standard and the side wall has been slightly narrowed. A completely new range of interior colour schemes is added along with various floor coverings.
Three levels of seat trim – including a luxury option – are available, and both 240v and USB charging points can be located in the side walls; lighting is LED throughout.
In a new departure, a media router can be specified. Mounted in a lockable section of the overhead racks, it feeds passengers’ own devices with content and it complements the wi-fi router that is also offered as a factory-fit option.
Other improvements include a newly-designed optional servery including a hotplate and 40-cup boiler, while wheelchair accessibility can be provided by a cassette lift within the luggage locker immediately behind the nearside front wheel.
UK and Irish plans
EvoBus (UK) is already bullish about the new Tourismo’s prospects in the UK and Ireland, but as with other markets, introduction will not be rushed. That will allow the factory to ensure that quality is maintained during the switch, says Mr Thielmann.
Nevertheless, the importer has ordered 10 demonstrators, all of which will be either 12.3m two-axle or 13.1m three-axle coaches. They will arrive in late 2017 and will be ready for use by operators early next year.
For those who order the new model, first deliveries of the 12.3m two-axle coach and the M/3 are expected in Q1 2018 and they will be followed by the two new variants in Q2.
EvoBus (UK) has gained a reputation for offering the existing Tourismo at a cost-effective price, and while there will naturally be an uplift for the new model, it is expected to be modest.
Mr Thielmann says that while range expansion makes like-for-like comparisons tricky, the increase could in some cases be as low as 6%; Mr Schick confirms that the purchase price will remain “very attractive,” although he cautions that the sticker figure makes up only a small proportion of the TCO.
With the two additional models, EvoBus (UK) expects its market share to further increase. With the existing two-model Tourismo line-up it is already strong, and with two more variants to come, Mr Thielmann says that aftersales coverage will continue to build in the expectation of securing an even bigger slice of the pie.
Those operators not able to travel to Brussels this week to see the new Tourismo need only wait until Coach & Bus UK at the NEC Birmingham on 4-5 October. There, the right-hand drive coach on show this week will make its UK debut.
routeone comment
EvoBus has built around 26,000 Tourismos, and with the new model there is every sign that it has its eyes on increasing that number considerably.
The existing Tourismo is a popular coach for a reason. Not only is it priced cost-effectively, it is also liked by drivers and passengers, and those plus points are set to continue in the new model.
Combined with a broadening of the range, that makes further growth likely, and it is telling that a right-hand drive example debuted at the same time as left-hand drive coaches.
EvoBus (UK) says that it is continuing to invest in aftermarket support, and it will need to if its existing figures are to be sustainable. But on this first look, the new Tourismo seems to be – as Hartmut Schick says – a true all-rounder.
