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Volvo B9R - A New Coach with Sunsundegui Teamwork

Volvo Buses is about to launch an entirely new and versatile vehicle for customers who need an elegant, simple and value-for-money coach or intercity bus. The Volvo B9R is manufactured in cooperation with the Spanish body maker Sunsundegui.

Volvo Bus is a leading supplier of luxury coaches and today offers a wide choice of body and chassis combinations on the various markets of Europe to take account of local preferences. However, this can mean that customers must deal with different businesses for aftermarket support.

The new Volvo B9R/Sunsundegui vehicle expands the Volvo coach range into new segments and offers the advantage that Volvo Bus or an authorized Volvo dealer can take responsibility for the entire product for service and repairs of chassis and body.  The new coach will be marketed under the name Volvo B9R Elegance.

Sunsundegui, who are based in Northern Spain, have built bodies on Volvo chassis for many years and are one of Volvo Buses’ recommended body partners. In addition to sales in Spain, Sunsundegui-bodies Volvos are sold in Italy,  Israel, some parts of eastern Europe and the UK.

The new Volvo B9R Elegance features the Sideral 2000 body: this exciting and elegant design features a distinctive large windscreen and exclusive exterior mirrors.  The interior conveys a clean, airy appearance with comfortable seats and good visibility.

The B9R chassis was first offered in Mexico and some units have been sold in Spain. Now at Euro 4, this combination of tested, reliable components and new technology from Volvo’s TX platform will be offered in more European markets.  Air suspension and disc brakes all round are standard.  The brakes have electronic control (EBS), contributing to comfort and Volvo’s acknowledged high level of safety.

One of the standard features is Hill Start Aid, which assists the driver in starting up hills without rolling back by holding the brake power until the driver depresses the accelerator. Emergency Braking Assistance helps the driver to obtain maximum braking power in a panic-braking situation, while the Brake Blending function ensures that all brake systems – wheel brakes, engine brakes and retarders – work together in the most efficient manner, depending on speed and braking demand.

The engine in the Volvo B9R Elegance is Volvo’s new 9-liter D9B engine, which generates 340 hp (1600 Nm) or 380 hp (1700 Nm). This is one of the most modern engines on the market.  It is turbocharged and intercooled and has an overhead camshaft, unit injectors and four valves per cylinder.

This strength, combined with generous torque across a broad range of revs, provides excellent drivability and high average speeds.  The engine’s placement in the rear offers a large luggage compartment volume, of 7-9 m3, depending on the layout.

Naturally, the engine meets Euro 4 emissions standards.  An important reason why Volvo selected SCR technology is that it contributes to lower fuel consumption, which is very important with today’s high fuel prices.  In addition, it is a simple, reliable and tested technology.  Volvo has many years of experience with SCR technology, which has operated without problems.

A 6-speed manual transmission from ZF is standard equipment on the Volvo B9R Elegance.  An added option for customers is the widely-acclaimed Volvo I-shift.  This intelligent shifting system combines the robustness and reliability of a manual transmission, with the comfort and convenience of an automatic transmission.

Thanks to exact gear changes and very small internal losses, the Volvo I-shift can improve fuel economy.  The latest generation of I-shift is lighter, more compact and quieter than previously.

The standard body has a basic specification with a ride range of options so that the customer can get the best value for money for the intended usage: options include air conditioning, Volvo’s exclusive AV system Sound & Vision, WC, refrigerator, higher capacity heating system, hydraulically operated luggage compartment doors and much more.


The Volvo B9R Elegance will be offered in two different lengths – 12.2 m with room for up to 55 passengers and 13 m with room for up to 59 passengers.

The European debut of this vehicle will be at the IAA in Hannover.

2006-09-06

For further information, please contact Arne Sehlman, product manager, +46 31 322 52 58 or Per-Martin Johansson, press manager, +46 31 322 52 00.

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