European bus and coach journalists will now have their first opportunity to test the new Setra TopClass 400, which entered series production at the start of the year. The entire product range will be available for the comparison test drives in Neu-Ulm: an S 411 HD, an S 415 HD, an S 415 HDH, an S 416 HDH, an S 417 HDH and an S 431 DT double-deck touring coach.

Even though the brand has every reason to be proud of the high sales figures, positive customer feedback and the numerous international accolades for the TopClass 400, Setra continues to be committed to constantly enhancing quality, engineering, safety and comfort. Development engineers and designers, in close cooperation with Production and Sales, have incorporated a host of technical solutions and new features in all models of the TopClass 400 touring coach generation, which is now even more advanced and attractive.

Werner Staib, manager of the Setra Bus and Coach unit, is proud of the fact they managed to raise the level of quality of the top-class Setra touring coaches even further without altering the distinctive Setra "face": "Our objective was to achieve the maximum amount of technical improvements with the minimum amount of changes to the look of the vehicle."

The first priority in this comprehensive facelift was given to safety. Once again Setra is setting the standard by offering the TopClass 400 model series with a displaceable driver area and an integral absorber structure as standard. The interaction of these two subsystems was optimised based on the findings of countless crash simulations. The result is a significant increase in passive safety for driver and tour guide. The effectiveness of this safety system has also been demonstrated in many crash tests. Both the displaceable driver area and the absorber structure are elements of the new Front Collision Guard (FCG) system, which also offers an underride guard that complies with ECE-R 93 to protect other road users involved in a collision. These three letters: FCG will in future stand for the highest degree of protection for the driver and passengers of Setra touring coaches.

While the FCG system raises passive safety substantially, there are also inno­vations in the area of active safety. Take for instance the new lighting element at the front of the bus that illuminates the junction ahead when turning. At speeds below 40 km/h, the relevant fog lamp is automatically activated to provide a cornering light function as soon as the indicator is selected.

Both front upper (corner) marker lights now feature LED technology, offering a significantly longer service life. What is more, a new wiper control system ensures that the wiper blades are slowed down just before the reversal point, substantially reducing noise in the process.

Another quality improvement is not immediately visible, but is all the more apparent when you step on the accelerator pedal. Coach operators can count on even more power from now on, which helps the Setra tackle the steepest gradients on mountain roads with even greater ease. The substantially uprated engines are housed beneath the newly-designed engine flap. This flap now uses a swivel rather than a lifting mechanism and is integrated at the vehicle rear to protect against rainwater ingress. Setra offers the S 415 HD, the S 415 HDH, S 416 HDH and the S 417 HDH with the OM 457 LA 6-cylinder in-line engine developing 315 kW/ 2100 Nm or 335 kW/2200 Nm respectively. The V8 OM 502 LA engine developing 370 kW/2300 Nm is available on request, and is installed as standard on the S 431 DT double-deck touring coach. The S 411 HD compact touring coach is fitted with the V6 OM 501 LA engine with an output of 300 kW/1900 Nm. Another new feature is the Power-Shift GO 240-8/MPS automated 8-speed manual transmission, which is available as an alternative to the ZF-AS Tronic. All engines meet the Euro 4 emissions standard and can also be equipped to meet Euro 5 as an option.

And it is not only the engine power that has been substantially uprated in the new TopClass 400: the front-end of the coach is now 200 mm longer, which translates into extra comfort for driver and passengers. The additional 14 centimetres in the bodyshell offer the coach driver even more seat adjustment options, while the extra seven centimetres for the tour guide provides the same legroom as offered by a four-star seat. The S 411 HD has a slightly shorter front-end extension, while the Setra "Club Coach" with its compact length of 10.10 metres remains the most "agile" member of this touring coach family from Ulm. The wheelbase of the S 415 HDH has been extended by 100 mm, thus increasing the total vehicle length of this three-axle coach to 12.30 metres.

And by moving the driver rest area to its new location behind entry II, the S 415 HDH, S 416 HDH and S 417 HDH super-high-deckers now offer additional space to accommodate a seat for a second tour guide. Boarding and alighting through the rear door is now even easier in these coach models as Setra has equipped the new TopClass 400 super-high-deckers with additional entry and exit aids.

When it comes to ride comfort, Setra passengers enjoy a silky smooth ride. Using a series of controlled countermeasures, the optional pitch/roll control system ensures the vehicle does not develop uncomfortable body movements, gliding along smooth­ly both on bends and on uneven road surfaces. The trailing axle with independent suspension, installed for the first time in the TopClass 400 in Europe, also contri­butes by guaranteeing a high level of smooth running, while also reducing weight by 160 kg.

As far as weight is concerned, the reworked touring coaches also offer every reason to be pleased. In spite of some measures leading to an increase in weight, it was still possible to reduce the overall weight of the vehicles by one percent. The omission of the luggage compartment flap on the left side is one factor in this weight reduction, apart from making access to the luggage compartment easier and more convenient.

But these are just some of the measures that modify the vehicles' looks. Take for instance the rubber strip around the windscreen that has been omitted - an inno­vation that will also improve fuel economy.

The newly integrated cornering light and the increased angle of approach contri­bute to giving the Setra a face that bears an even friendlier "smile" in future.

Naturally the driver also benefits greatly from this facelift courtesy of the even more comfortable cockpit which increasingly features the kind of exclusive inno­vations normally reserved for a passenger car. New features include a redesigned joystick, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel with a host of integrated functions and the new instrument cluster with a clear 3D look.

Setra introduced a new dimension in touring coach design with the launch of the TopClass 400 in 2001, ensuring a consummate touring experience for passengers and driver. This is thanks to innovative comfort features such as back supporting seats, multimedia systems, a range of kitchen appliances and the unique glass roof above the central aisle. The ergonomically designed cockpit is a blend of elegant practicality and aesthetics.

It is not for nothing that the TopClass 400 was voted "Coach of the Year 2002" by European bus and coach journalists just eight months after its debut. Among the features that most impressed the jury were the outstanding technology and the distinctive design as a symbiosis of form and function. Since then the TopClass 400 has scooped many other international accolades and awards. Among them the "Commercial Vehicles of the Year 2007" readers’ poll where 8500 participants voted the Setra TopClass 400 the winner in the "High-deck touring coach" category for the third time.

The TopClass 400 is also state-of-the-art when it comes to safety. All the vehicles are fitted as standard with disc brakes, the Electronic Braking System (EBS), anti-lock braking system (ABS), acceleration skid control (ASR), Brake Assist (BA), and Electronic Stability Program (ESP), an active system designed to enhance driving safety and handling stability. Since 2005, Setra touring coaches have also been available with proximity control (ART) on request. This system reduces the driver's workload on motorways and other major roads. When the proximity control system detects a slower-moving vehicle ahead, it automatically brakes the coach until a distance preset by the driver is reached. This gap is then constantly maintained by the proximity control system. Since 2005, Setra has also offered the Continuous Braking Limiter (DBL) as standard. The system automatically brakes the coach, for example if it exceeds the legally prescribed speed limit of 100 km/h by accelerating under gravity on a downhill gradient. Setra also offers Lane Assistant (SPA) as an option. This system uses a video camera to monitor the distance between the vehic­le and the lane markings and detect any tendency by the vehicle to depart from its lane. If the vehicle appears likely to cross this line, the driver is immediately warn­ed by a pulsating mechanism in the seat – which goes unnoticed by the passengers. The warning is only given when the vehicle reaches the outside edge of the lane marking, which gives the driver the greatest possible scope to take remedial action. Lane Assistant is activated at speeds above 70 km/h on long, monotonous motor­way journeys, for instance.

The TopClass 400 generation comprises the 10.10-metre-long S 411 HD Club Coach, the 12-metre S 415 HD, the S 415 HDH super-high-decker with three axles, the three-axle 12.99-metre-long S 416 HDH and the 13.85-metre S 417 HDH super-high-decker. The flagship in this Setra premium range is the 13.89-metre-long S 431 DT double-decker coach. Setra designed the S 417 specifically for the North American market; it conforms to US regulations and was first presented in spring 2003.