In line with its philosophy of meeting the entire range of customer requirements in its capacity as a full-line supplier, the Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach Unit of EvoBus GmbH developed the Tourino midi-coach, a fully equipped two-door midi-coach destined for the Western European market which measures 9.35 m in length and which can carry up to 34 passengers (plus driver and courier). With the Tourino, Mercedes-Benz has now also entered the midi-coach segment for smaller travel groups and neatly rounded off the bottom end of its touring coach portfolio. The completely new midi-coach concept was developed especially for this market segment with its growing demand for highly manoeuvrable coaches made for smaller tour parties and maximised seat occupancy.

As well as its compact dimensions, the Mercedes-Benz Tourino boasts cutting-edge technology, a gross vehicle weight of 12.6 t and an extensive range of luxury features fitted as standard. The Tourino is underpinned by a unique concept which forms the ideal basis for offering exemplary ride and passenger comfort: no other midi-coach offers the same combination of rear-mounted engine and independent front suspension. Apart from offering superior ride and acoustic comfort, one of the main plus factors of this set-up is the tremendous manoeuvrability it offers: with a wheelbase of 4.68 m, the Tourino requires just 17.12 m to turn around. The OM 906 LA six-cylinder inline engine which is fitted vertically at the rear of the midibus comes with a choice of two power ratings, 180 kW (245 hp) or 205 kW (280 hp). Power transfer to the rear axle is the task of a six-speed manual transmission.

Since the spring of 2005, the ESP Electronic Stability Program has been standard in the Tourino. On request, the midi-coach can also be equipped and registered to meet the EU Directive 2001/85 EG (class 2/3). A toilet which is integrated into the rear of passenger compartment without any loss of luggage space is now available to order as an option, as is a galley, which can again be incorporated into the rear of the midi-coach. The galley is available in three different specification levels and houses an additional refrigerator as well as an optional microwave oven.

Designed anew from conception to completion: appealing styling and sophisticated technology throughout

One totally new departure in the midi-coach segment is the design of the powertrain, featuring a rear engine and a front axle with independent wheel suspension which was developed especially for the Tourino. The vehicle’s attractive design exudes contemporary elegance and makes no secret of its heritage as part of the current Mercedes-Benz bus and coach family. An extensive range of equipment and a comfortable interior join forces with the proven engineering quality and impressive value retention you expect from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle to produce an impressive cost/performance ratio to fully satisfy the requirements of today’s customers.

The Mercedes-Benz Tourino takes its cue in every respect from the growing trend towards smaller tour parties. As early as the planning phase, the individual components were geared towards offering the customer, the passengers and the driver a high utility value as a priority, without losing sight of the healthy cost/ performance ratio required for this market segment. It goes without saying that the high levels of comfort and safety which everyone can expect from a Mercedes-Benz touring coach have been taken into consideration and incorporated in the form of cutting-edge technologies already in the earliest design phases of the Tourino midi-coach.

The 9.35 m Mercedes-Benz Tourino is not just a shortened or derived version of the 12 m Tourismo or Travego touring coaches, but instead represents a quite distinctive development within the Mercedes-Benz product range. Its compact dimensions (length 9.35 m, height 3.30 m, width 2.40 m) allow the Mercedes-Benz Tourino to remain eminently agile and manoeuvrable even when negotiating narrow city centre streets, turning and parking in tight spaces or driving along rural routes. The midi-coach has a wheelbase of 4.68 m and a turning circle of only 17.12 m.

Its attractive exterior design allows the Mercedes-Benz Tourino to stand out immediately from the midi-coach crowd, stylishly harmonious brand hallmarks blending seamlessly with a progressive-looking yet elegant body and a striking front end. The Tourino has set out to make a name for itself, whilst at the same time emphasising its membership of the Mercedes-Benz bus and coach family. Like all of the other Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches, it has been given a separate name to emphasise its individual identity within the product family.

Among the defining elements of the Tourino’s exterior design is the front end with its typical Mercedes-Benz „face“. Handsomely designed and integrated attractively into the front end of the vehicle, the radiator grille bears the three-pointed star and has the basic form shared by all Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The design of the Mercedes-Benz Tourino is given an extra dynamic edge by the downward chute of the windscreen, which also curves in towards the roof line and side walls, and by the forward-sloping contours of the roof. The design of the sidewalls softens the rectilinear lines of the coach’s body and gives the vehicle a striking and distinctive profile. The finely balanced relationship between the flush fitted windows and the sidewalls combines with the accentuated smoothness of the surfaces to give the Tourino an elegant silhouette. The B-pillar rises vertically, before slanting diagonally and flowing gracefully into the contours of the roof lines. The air conditioning system, mounted on the roof mid-way along the coach, also blends in smoothly with the overall design. The body lines converge harmoniously at the rear of the vehicle, rounding off the overall shape of the Tourino in suitably refined style.

A fully equipped and luxurious interior for up to 34 passengers

The Mercedes-Benz Tourino caters to the general trend towards smaller travel groups, without cutting corners when it comes to providing a comfortable touring experience. The Mercedes-Benz engineers and designers have created a fully-equipped midi-coach for up to 34 passengers which is capable of completely satisfying even the most exacting customer demands in terms of technology, aesthetics and comfort in the midi-coach segment. Even in standard guise, its comprehensively appointed and luxurious interior leaves little to be desired. The Mercedes-Benz Tourino offers up to 30 seats with 900 mm spacing in 5-star specification, or up to 32 seats with 830 mm spacing in 4-star trim, plus the driver’s and courier’s seats in each case. Meanwhile, the 3-star variant is able to accommodate 34 passenger seats spaced 770 mm apart from one another.

Passengers can board the Mercedes-Benz Tourino midi-coach via one of two convenient entrances, one at the front with three steps and one at the rear with four. The height of the front entry point is 388 mm, with the rear entrance/exit posi-tioned 324 mm above the ground. The wide-opening outward-swinging doors measure 855 mm in width at the front and 800 mm at the rear. Inside the coach, the passengers are greeted by spaciousness which sets new standards in this market segment. A generous feeling of space is created primarily by the 1.94 m of headroom. Plus, the passengers can get to their seats quickly and easily along the 380 mm-wide centre aisle which is illuminated by lights in the seat bases as standard. The non-slip PVC floor covering can be lined with carpet floor mats from the Mercedes-Benz Coach Collection as an option. Full-length and amply-dimensioned luggage racks for hand luggage are located above the seats.

Light colours throughout the interior and comfortable CXR seating combine to ensure a welcoming ambience and encourage the passengers on board the Tourino to just sit back and relax. The Mercedes-Benz design studio in Mannheim makes its full spectrum of colours and materials available for the interior appointments, including the sidewall and ceiling trim, as well as the seat upholstery. The high-comfort seats are fitted with folding armrests on the aisle side and are variably adjustable. Thanks to the seat spacing of 680 mm to 900 mm (depending on GBK classification – GBK is an association which monitors and classifies levels of comfort in buses and coaches in Germany), they also ensure that the passengers will always be sitting comfortably, even over long journeys and holiday tours. The seats can also be optionally equipped with footrests, folding tables, ashtrays and luggage nets. The service sets which are integrated into the luggage racks above every double seat were specially developed for the Tourino. They incorporate two air vents and two reading lamps, which can be adjusted individually to the requirements of each passenger, as well as a service paging button and speakers.

In order to provide a pleasant climate for the passengers, even when the going gets hot in the mid-summer sun, the Mercedes-Benz Tourino comes as standard with a roof-mounted air conditioning system with an output of 22 kW which has been integrated harmoniously into the overall design of the vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz Tourino is also fitted as standard with a powerful convector heating and a heated front-mounted unit. Additionally, there are two electrically operated roof hatches, which are also designed to act as emergency exits, and a sophisticated, draught-free ventilation system. An auxiliary heating system can be fitted as an option. With its impressive complement of air conditioning, convector heating and service sets with speakers and reading lights, the Tourino’s interior equipment levels compare favourably with those of a large touring coach. What makes the interior particularly impressive is the fact that its design is perfectly coordinated with the exterior of the midi-coach, its flowing lines decorated with familiar Mercedes-Benz design elements. On demand of the operator, a galley and toilet can also be integrated easily into the interior at the rear of the vehicle.

The luxurious interior would not be complete, of course, without the ergonomic design of the driver’s seat and controls, including an air-suspended luxury seat supplied by Grammer. The cockpit-style instrument panel has been designed according to the latest ergonomic findings, thus forming the ideal basis for safe and relaxed driving. All displays are non-reflecting, fitted with backlighting and arranged exactly where the eye would expect to find them. The large, single-piece windscreen is made from lightly tinted laminated safety glass. Together with the electrically heated and adjustable exterior mirrors, it ensures good visibility all round. A navigation system and/or a combined radio, DVD and TV/video system can all be installed as required. An electrically folding LCD flat screen monitor positioned in the front section of the vehicle providing for passenger entertainment and information is also available as an optional extra, as is a mobile telephone with hands-free facility.

The full-length luggage compartment offers a capacity of 4.4 m³ and can be loaded quickly and easily by opening the two hinged flaps on either side of the vehicle. The luggage compartment flaps can also be fitted as an optional extra with a space-saving lifting mechanism. The impressive luggage capacity, together with the excellent through-loading capability which ensures that large, bulky items of luggage can also be accommodated, along with the policy of mounting the engine in the rear of the vehicle, give the Mercedes-Benz Tourino a clear edge over the conventional midi-coach concepts produced by competitors, which are based on truck chassis with front-mounted engines.

Unique in its class: a leading-edge powertrain and low lifecycle costs

The Mercedes-Benz Tourino is equipped with a state-of-the-art powertrain featuring a number of inspired innovations. For the first time in the midi-coach segment, the Euro 3 turbodiesel engine is positioned vertically in the rear of the vehicle. As well as the rear-mounted engine, the Tourino features a front axle with independent wheel suspension which was specially developed from scratch for the midi-coach. Further highlights include disc brakes all round, as well as the tried-and-tested Mercedes-Benz HO2 rear axle (8.5 t). This means that passengers in the Tourino midi-coach will enjoy the same benefits of air suspension and the same high standards of comfort and safety that they have come to expect from full-length Mercedes-Benz touring coaches.

Safety in particular was a high priority in the development of the Mercedes-Benz Tourino midi-coach. Important elements of active safety include the electronically controlled braking system (EBS) with disc brakes all round and, as part of the same package, the standard-fit acceleration skid control (ASR) and the anti-lock braking system (ABS). The latest generation of pneumatically activated disc brakes with integral Brake Assist (BA) system apply braking pressure smoothly and offer impressive and evenly distributed braking power at all wheels. Since the spring of 2005, ESP has been standard the Mercedes-Benz Tourino. Also on the standard specification list is a Voith VR 123 retarder.

The Tourino midi-coach is powered by an OM 906 LA 6-cylinder turbodiesel engine vertically mounted in the rear of the vehicle, which is available with two different power ratings (180 kW/245 hp and 205 kW/280 hp, at 2,200 rpm and 2,900 rpm respectively). Torque peaks at 900 Nm between 1,200 and 1,600 rpm in the case of the 180 kW variant, and at 1,100 Nm between 1,200 and 1,600 rpm on models fitted with the 205 kW version. Power transmission is handled by the all-synchromesh Mercedes-Benz G 85-6 six-speed manual transmission. Two different final drive ratios (i = 3.909 (standard) and i = 4.300) are also available to cater for every conceivable set of requirements on the European continent.

Positioning the engine in the rear of the midi-coach, a completely new approach, also contributes to interior noise levels which are considerably lower than with the front-engined designs usually to be found in this segment of coaches. For the transport operator, two of the most important factors in the cost-effectiveness of the Tourino are its extremely economical engine and a service and maintenance concept which is geared to keeping the midi-coach on the road as much of the time as possible. The service and maintenance intervals for the Tourino are set at 60,000 km as standard.

The impressive value retention and service life typical for Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also intrinsic features of the Mercedes-Benz Tourino, thanks amongst other things to a comprehensive corrosion protection and paint system involving the targeted use of cathodic dip priming. Indeed, even in the planning phase for the vehicle the brand’s engineers and designers were totally committed to maintaining the high standards expected of a Mercedes-Benz touring coach in every respect. The result is a fully-equipped midi-coach which, like all other Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches, will be sold in all western European countries through the European Mercedes-Benz sales network of EvoBus GmbH. This means that, if required, the full range of expertise in terms of after-sales servicing and the Omniplus range of services specially developed for buses and coaches is also available for the Mercedes-Benz Tourino midi-coach.