At this year’s United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Expo bus trade show in Long Beach, California (8–12 February 2012), the Setra brand showcased an exclusive TopClass S 417 touring coach and the very economical ComfortClass S 407. In addition to luxury items of equipment, this year’s exhibits feature the Electronic Stability Program ESP® which is standard-fit on US touring coaches provided by the Ulm-based brand from now on.
The brand with the star shines: A new major order for 221 Mercedes-Benz Conecto articulated buses has been placed by the public transportation provider IETT to update its fleet of city buses in the metropolis on the Bosporus. The new order allows Daimler subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Türk to strengthen its partnership of over forty years with IETT, more than 50 percent of whose vehicles are Mercedes-Benz products.
No other Mercedes-Benz coach has achieved sales figures approaching those of the permanently best-selling O303 and certainly none has been as successful in the medium price segment. Its name says it all: we're talking here of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo. Some 17,500 vehicles have been sold since the start of the O350 series in 1994. The introduction of the second generation in 2006 ushered in a new era for this economical coach.
Belgian coach operator Voyages Léonard is giving its fleet of vehicles a facelift with 17 Setra TopClass touring coaches. The coaches form part of an order for a total of 32 new vehicles which the Sales-Lentz Group has placed with the Daimler brand. Luxembourg's largest bus company became the Belgian tour operator's new owner in January 2011.
Daimler FleetBoard is the first supplier of telematics solutions to offer a fleet management and driving analysis app for the Apple iPhone and iPad. Operators can use it to control their fleet of buses or coaches at any time and from any location. The trip recorder also makes it possible to display the most recent journey made. The app enables operators to monitor how their vehicles are being used, their drivers' working hours, the fuel consumption of their buses and coaches and the drivers' driving style. It is even possible to show the status of doors and loading ramps.