Continuing our review of the PSVAR-compliant coaches currently on the market, Richard Sharman takes an exclusive first look at the new Volvo 9700
It’s a brave new world – we have just reached the penultimate phase of the end to coronavirus restrictions. A brave new world needs a coach that is equipped to tackle anything, from the school run to a week on tour in Scotland, and a weekend of rail replacement or express services in between. Could Volvo’s new 9700 be the answer?
The B10M of the 21st century?
If you are an ‘old school’ coach operator and I mentioned Volvo to you, the response I would more than likely get would be that the B58 and the B10M were reliable, go anywhere coaches that really earned Volvo its reputation, and of course you would be right. There are many B10Ms that are still out earning their daily keep in 2021. But we are in the 21st century and technology has moved on at a great pace. The B11R is Volvo’s powerhouse now, with 430bhp as standard and 460hp available as an option. Today, it can be found in everything from the luxury Volvo 9900 to the Plaxton Panorama, Sunsundegui SC7 and many more. It has, naturally, been selected to power the 9700. The tried and tested Volvo D11K six-cylinder engine uses Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), which takes place in the engine, then a liquid-reductant is injected into the exhaust stream which goes into exhaust a er treatment system, which combines a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Ammonia Slip Catalyst (ASC) to reduce Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC) and Particulate Matter (PM). All this is protected by a ‑ re suppression system as standard.
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