Setra renews TopClass and ComfortClass
Where everyone expected to see the new Setra in the spotlight, we only could do a test drive through Hannover. The coaches could therefore only be seen on the outside exhibition area. Are the new Setras so newsworthy that they deserve that spot in the spotlight? In the past ‘upgrades’ like this were always big news, but after the economic malaise after corona ‘war das einmal’. Bus chief Till Oberwörder emphasized in a round table discussion that business is on the rise again and that the production facilities in Mannheim will remain the development center for the eCitaro and the production and development center of Setra will remain in Neu-Ulm. He also reported that a Setra with fuel cell is being worked on, the same system that has now been presented for the Mercedes-Benz trucks. On the outside, the new Setras have not changed much. The front has been given a new grille and new LED headlights with a higher light output and the Setra logo has been adjusted. The Setra’s have also received new rear lights. But under the ‘bonnet’ changes are made. First of all, they have a new ZF front axle. Then they are equipped with Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5), the system that detects slow-moving and stationary objects and can proceed through a full braking action to a standstill. The renewed Active Drive Assist offers semi-automatic (level 2) driving and can now also perform an emergency stop. Even the torque is adjustable.
The topographic map of the PPC system, Predctive Powertrain Control, has been further improved and now also adjusts the behaviour of the Setras when, for example, an intersection is approached. Traffic signs are digitally recognized, which the system anticipates, for example in terms of speed. Furthermore, the Setras have an electronic handbrake, a 360-degree camera system that makes everything around the coach visible to the driver, and the passengers are delighted with new HD monitors.
