Vysoké Mýto, September 26th, 2017
The 2017 edition of the International Bus & Coach Competition (IBC), which took place in late June in Munich (Germany), was for the first time dedicated to low entry buses, with four leading European manufacturers competing.
Over five days the competing buses have undergone a battery of demanding tests conducted by the international journalists making up the jury panel.
The Crossway LE was voted the best of the competitors for its driveline, its manoeuvrability, its comfort and its total cost of ownership. The IVECO BUS Crossway Low Entry will be on display at bus and coach exhibition Busworld Kortrijk.
Priority to comfort and accessibility
The jury was very appreciative of the comfort of the Crossway Low Entry – both the driver’s space and the passengers’ compartment.
The Crossway LE offers optimal accessibility, allowing a fast passenger flow, mainly thanks to its wide doors (1 200 mm) and low floor section (2 547 mm). The IBC version offers optimum thermal comfort, seating for 43 passengers and a dedicated wheelchair area. The members of the jury particularly appreciated the comfort during the driving test in interurban areas.
Already recognized by professionals as the "best ergonomic space dedicated to the driver", the driver's seat of the Crossway further improves on comfort thanks to the 10 cm extension of the front overhang. The ergonomics of the driver's working environment has also been further improved with the new-style instrument panel.
Exclusive HI-SCR engine delivers better profitability
Regarding the driveline, the international members of the jury were greatly impressed by the performance and reliability of the engine and automatic gearbox.
Already renowned for its reliability, performance and reduced fuel consumption, the Euro VI version of the engines on the Crossway range offers greater displacement for increased power and torque, while using less fuel. The IVECO Crossway LE perfectly meets the needs of suburban passenger transport with a choice of 2 engines – the Tector 7 and Cursor 9 – with power ranging from 286 to 360 hp.
The exclusive HI-SCR technology optimizes combustion, as the engine only draws in fresh air. The reduction in polluting emissions is ensured by the after-treatment system, downstream of the engine, without the need for exhaust gas recirculation, which results in a significant advantage in weight reduction and compactness for easy maintenance.
The jury particularly appreciated the flexibility of the 360 hp Cursor 9 engine coupled with the ZF Ecolife 6-speed automatic gearbox, which offers an easy and pleasant driving experience.
Cost effective
The IBC jury also noticed the optimized Total Cost of Ownership, mainly due to the long maintenance intervals, reduced costs and lower fuel consumption, as well as the quality of the exhaust gas after-treatment and the efficiency of the particulate filter.
Wolgang Tschakert, President of the IBC jury, summed up: “In total, the concept of the Crossway has convinced us: A lot of benefits combined with attractive conditions. A dignified winner won the test and will be awarded – the Crossway LE showed scarcely weaknesses and many talents”.
Crossway, a forerunner
The Crossway range, including the Low Entry version, is the market leader in its category, with nearly 30,000 units in operation across Europe and remarkable sales in France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Czech Republic. It is extremely popular with private operators and key accounts transport companies alike, with customers operating sizeable fleets, such as Deutsche Bahn for instance with more than 1 000 Crossway buses. This successful range is manufactured in Vysoke Myto (Czech Republic), the most important bus production plant in Europe, with120 years’ experience.
Sylvain Blaise, IVECO Vice-President, in charge of global operations for IVECO BUS, stated: “Crossway has been a true success story since its launch, which is above all the success of our customers, putting the Crossway range as their first choice for their business. Today we are particularly honored to receive this recognition from the international trade press, after having put our Crossway LE through five days of demanding tests that have clearly demonstrated its qualities in real operating conditions.”
