The Rochdale manufacturer has released details of its re-designed Maxima accessible small bus which has been on the market since 2016.
Mellor says it is proud to announce the launch of a re-styled version of its Maxima accessible minibus. First launched in 2016, Mellor
says the updated model has been designed with an uncompromising focus on comfort, accessibility, and practicality, setting a new benchmark for passenger experience in the accessible transport sector. Popular with health care trusts and local authorities, the Maxima is the largest vehicle in Mellor’s product range, offering seating for up to 32 passengers, and can accommodate up to eight wheelchair users. Built on the Iveco Daily 72C18 platform, Mellor believes the Maxima offers best-in-class seating capacity alongside high levels of passenger comfort.
The bus is available with a choice of internal or underfloor passenger lifts, and has undergone a restyle which has delivered a host of new features and enhancements. According to the manufacturer, the stand-out addition to the Maxima is the new ‘sky view’ windscreen which eliminates the traditional cab header panel, increasing internal headroom and allowing natural light into the saloon to give a brighter, more open interior ambience. Also new is the entrance step with an additional, ergonomically curved step well designed to improve comfort and accessibility for passengers with limited mobility. The entrance door itself has also been repositioned further forward, aligning the driver’s eyeline directly with boarding passengers, eliminating the need for the driver to turn awkwardly. Mellor says the driver’s cab has been completely redesigned to offer greater visibility, comfort, and alignment with the Maxima’s contemporary exterior facelift, and a camera mirror system is also available as an option, helping to further reduce blind spots and increase manoeuvrability in narrow spaces.
Inside the saloon, updates include new cove, panels and a redesigned interior roof layout, a new custom-designed lighting extrusion carried over from Mellor’s new Strata LF range, a fully tracked flat floor for quick and easy internal layout reconfiguration, slip-resistant vinyl flooring, and configurable 2+2 seating to support a range of operator use cases.
The company says the composite body structure, which delivers lightweight durability and optimal fuel efficiency, has been designed to seamlessly blend with the base vehicle, whilst the batteries are now relocated to the nearside behind the skirt, providing improved access for servicing.
“We’ve listened to operators and passengers alike, and the result is a vehicle that truly delivers,” said Richard Matthews, Head of Sales at Mellor. “The new Maxima combines practical design with thoughtful features that enhance the driver and passenger experience – especially for those with additional accessibility needs – while providing operators with a cost-effective, durable solution.”
Mellor says that the order book is now open, and deliveries will commence in the last quarter of the year. The bus is fitted with a 2,998cc, 176bhp engine, delivering its power through a six-speed gearbox. It measures 8.5m long, 2.32m wide and is 2.87m tall.
