The arrival of the Citaro hybrid sees Mercedes-Benz open a new chapter in the evolution of city bus drive systems. This marks the first time anywhere in the world that hybrid technology has been offered as optional equipment for an extremely wide range of city buses with both diesel and gas engines, rather than in the form of stand-alone models. In this way, a large number of models can benefit from its advantages: depending on the operating profile and vehicle version, the Citaro hybrid combines with the electrohydraulic steering, another new feature, to lower the fuel consumption of the famously efficient Citaro by as much as 8.5 percent again. Thanks to the intelligent combination of existing components from the Daimler Group, the Citaro hybrid is able to offer a wealth of benefits: it is highly efficient, light, inexpensive to purchase and unproblematic for drivers and workshops alike. The new Citaro hybrid is not an interim technology on the road to the all-electric drive system, rather it is being used by Mercedes-Benz in a unique way to hone the internal combustion engine for maximum efficiency.
This is all rooted in a clearly defined development goal: to make minimal modifications to the basic vehicle while maximising fuel efficiency. The Citaro with combustion engine is already acknowledged to be very efficient, yet the intelligent combination of various components lowers the fuel consumption of the Citaro hybrid by as much as 8.5 percent by comparison, says Daimler Buses, depending on the route it operates on and the model version.
Once again, the hybrid drive can be ordered for both the Citaro NGT rigid bus and the Citaro G NGT articulated.
The new Tourismo RHD is the new star in the business segment, which is how Mercedes-Benz defines this multi-faceted area of the bus and coach sector. The new Tourismo RHD is set to supersede Europe’s best-selling high-deck touring coach after eleven years. Series production has already got under way, with all models on stream by the end of 2017.
Second premiere is the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Within the wide-ranging portfolio, the Sprinter City model series is the specialist for regular-service operations and offers its passengers the comfort of a low-floor entrance, either between the axles (Sprinter City 35, 45, 65, 65 K) or even along the vehicle’s entire length (Sprinter City 77).
Like the Sprinter City 35, the new Sprinter City 45 is based on a Sprinter panel van with the longest available wheelbase (4325 mm). In this case, however, it is the version with a long rear overhang that serves as the platform. This stretches the Sprinter 45 by exactly 400 mm compared to the more compact model, giving it a length of 7.36 m. As the wheelbase is identical, the small turning circle of just 15.3 m remains unchanged. This combines with its slim width of 1.99 m to make the Sprinter City 45 surprisingly easy to handle. This manoeuvrability is a great advantage when driving along narrow old-town streets, on side roads as well as in residential areas.
As a result, the new Sprinter City 45 is ideally suited to use on routes with low passenger numbers on the outskirts of cities, during times when there is lower demand such as at weekends or on night services, as well as for regular-service operations in rural areas or in small towns.
