A stately tourer

The all-new Volvo 9900 integral attracted significant attention when it appeared at Euro Bus Expo in October last year. Clearly proud of the latest member of its ‘family,’ Volvo is positioning the 9900 as a premium touring coach. But does it tick all the touring boxes? Stuart Render finds out

The recently-opened Volvo Bus and Coach Sales Centre, located on the south-eastern edge of Coventry, not only provides a fitting welcome to coach operators but also demonstrates Volvo’s confidence and commitment to the UK market.

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That confidence and commitment has always been there of course, but as you walk through the doors, the smiles and welcomes from the sales team give you the impression that it’s not just the sunny March weather that has put an extra spring in their step.

Of course, something most certainly has happened, and that something can be glimpsed through the doors leading into the main showroom area.

At the NEC last year the 9900 (seemingly pronounced nine, nine hundred) turned heads. The all-new design of the coach, from the unique ‘Z’ design of the window line, through to the front and rear ends, combined with the interior’s theatre-style raked seating, was undoubtedly something different. But seeing the coach in the showroom, up close and personal, is something different again.

At 13.9m this is an impressive and imposing motor. This is a coach with kerb appeal and really quite unlike anything else out there.

My hosts for the day are two faces that will be familiar to many operators: Dave Porter, Retail Sales Manager, and Ricky Mason, Coach Products Manager.

“It is rather impressive, isn’t it?” says Dave, noting the smile on my face. “Operators will be familiar with the 9700, and the way in which that design has evolved over the years. What makes the 9900 special is that it’s an all-new design. It’s not a facelift, it’s not a reworking. It’s not just a rectangular box on wheels. This is something different. It’s a premium vehicle, a vehicle that’s primarily aimed at the touring market, but which will be equally at home on a wide range of work.”

Exterior and mechanicals

The 9900 is available in two configurations – the 13.9m 57-seat version being tested today, and a 13.1m 53-seat version. Both are tri-axle with rear steer, and both have demountable toilets giving the option of up-seating to 59 and 55 respectively. The two extra seats are supplied with the coach.

Power is supplied by a 10.8-litre, six-cylinder Volvo D11K rated at 460hp. This delivers 2,200Nm of torque at 1,000 to 1,400 rpm. The engine is coupled to a Volvo I-Shift fully-automated 12-speed gearbox with integral retarder.

Volvo says that the 295/80 R22.5 tyres fitted to this demonstration vehicle will grow to 315 on the production models.

Flat windows have replaced the earlier curved design, a move that Volvo says presents a more modern look, and improves airflow.

On the roof is the air-conditioning unit, carefully designed – as you would expect of course – to ensure optimum airflow.

The 600-litre fuel tank sits above the front axle with filling points on either side of the vehicle just behind the front wheels. The AdBlue filler is on the nearside behind the rear axle. The engine bay at the rear is accessed via a single lift-up door with struts positioned well to the sides, giving good access. The 9900 carries an engine-bay fire suppression system, a mandatory item from June this year. The emergency engine stop button is located on the engine itself.

On the nearside, three manually-operated parallel lift locker doors, with central locking, open to reveal 13.1 cubic metres of luggage space. These are heavy to close, so it’s good to hear that production models will feature a second handle, higher up the door panel. However, for a front-line touring vehicle, the option of powered locker doors may be very well appreciated by the crew.

The one-piece wrapround windscreen, with its moulded upper edge, features an additional wiper at the top to aid the forward view for passengers. Each of the two rabbit mirrors contain two separate mirrors and there’s an additional driver mirror fitted on the driver’s A-pillar.

Of course, the single most significant element of the exterior design of the 9900 is the new ‘Z’ effect (an Alpine peak perhaps?) window line. It’s certainly a stand-out design, although at first glance I found myself wondering just how this non-standard window layout would affect the passenger experience. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

With the 9900, Volvo is keen to reinforce the brand. Sitting above the front wheel arch on both the nearside and offside of this demonstrator is the message: “The All-New Volvo 9900 – For Your Ultimate Journey.” The Volvo logo is also clearly evident on both the front and rear, although some operators may find that this, especially on the rear, compromises the available space for their own company branding.

There’s another element to the new design that looks set to challenge tradition. To-date, the only images of the 9900 have been of this vehicle, with its single maroon/burgundy colour. The unusual design of the vehicle, especially the ‘Z’ window line, will require some new design thinking to adapt an operator’s livery to suit. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Volvo launching a 9900 livery competition to show the options and just what can be achieved!

Safety

Volvo has long been synonymous with safety, an association that resonates well with operators and customers alike. It goes without saying then that the 9900 features all the safety kit you’d expect, including Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Support (LKS), which uses the front-facing camera and radar unit to help the driver maintain good position on the road. Stray over the white line and the appropriate side of the driver’s seat vibrates.

However, there’s something new on the 9900. Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS) reduces vibration through the steering column, helping to minimise shocks that might otherwise reach the driver when the vehicle hits a pothole or other uneven surface. At slow speeds the steering wheel is also easier to use. VDS also means that the steering wheel self-centres more rapidly than it otherwise would. This might sound a very reasonable driver aid, but on roundabouts it can catch you out until you are used to the system. VDS can be disabled by the dealer.

Access and passenger comfort

A plug door opens onto four steps from the pavement to the driver’s cab area, and a further two steps up to the aisle. A continuous handrail runs along the left-hand-side of the entrance, but there’s nothing on the right except the door stanchion and the courier seat.

The seat is of the pull down and lift variety, so slightly more stable than a straight pull-down seat, but it’s easy to envisage passengers that want to use both hands to aid their own stability grabbing hold.

The pinch point between the seat and the driver binnacle is a rather cosy 43cm.

The slightly sunken aisle rises very gently to the rear, but not at the same degree as the rake of the seating. As a result, the step up from the aisle to the rear five seats is quite high.

The 57 Volvo Superior comfort seats (‘Level 4’) have real leather headrests and piping. At the Bus and Coach Sales Centre operators can see and try the varying seating options. To be honest, Level 3 seems perfectly adequate and comfortable for most requirements.

Seats, including the rear five, recline. As they do the seat squab moves forwards and lifts slightly. It’s a welcome addition that will give additional passenger comfort on long journeys.

Seats are fitted with three-point belts, aisle arm rests, magazine nets, adjustable footrests, handles at the top, and a useful peg for jackets or bags. The aisle seats also move sideways.

On this vehicle the seat back table folds down and extends. On production vehicles the tables will be of the simpler fold-down variety.

Recognising the importance of connectivity, Volvo has placed a USB socket in the seat back, or where there is no seat in front, between the seats. The passenger in the middle rear seat will have to share!

The raked seating does present one oddity. The seating gently rises as you move towards the rear of the coach, until you reach the five rear seats, which are slightly lower than the row in front. This is due mainly to the design of the rear of the passenger saloon. Placing the five rear seats to continue the rise of the rake would significantly affect headroom.

Forward visibility from the back row is therefore compromised (apart from the middle seat of course) but with good side visibility and a non-tinted rear window, there’s no feeling of claustrophobia.

A Eureka moment

The 9900 presents me with a Eureka moment. The seats and window pillars align! It’s really pleasing to see and will prove to be a real boon to an operator needing to reassure ‘Mrs Smith’ that her seat on tour will offer good visibility.

Seat pitch is also good, ranging from 24cm to 30cm depending on location with most offering around the 26cm mark.

But what about the ‘Z’ line? Does this compromise the experience for passengers sitting in the rows alongside the ‘Alpine peak’? Well, yes and no. The window line for the seats by the ‘peak’ is higher compared to the seats behind (by the ‘valley’ perhaps!). But not significantly so. However, operators may need to examine these seats closely and take a view as to whether a customer might comment on the differences.

The decency screens for the front seats and for the first offside row behind the emergency exit are good, and have a small gap at the base through which passengers can poke their feet. The screen behind the driver has a small lip at the base to protect anything, especially spilt liquids, falling into the driver’s cab area. But strangely, there are no lips on the other decency screens. The courier could be in for an unwelcome surprise.

Above each seat, the all-new passenger service unit (PSU) contains the ubiquitous ‘STOP’ button, courier call button, individual reading lights, speaker and ventilation.

The tinted, double-glazed windows, including the rear window (which isn’t tinted), have full draw curtains, fastened back at the pillar with a press stud.

Blue LEDs provide the ‘mood’ lighting, which in the 9900 not only extends along the roof and aisle line, but also emanates from under the aisle edge of the luggage racks, and around the edges of the PSU. It’s a nice touch. White lighting can be adjusted to suit operating requirements, with a higher intensity automatically set when the front door is opened.

The offside emergency exit has five steps to the pavement. Unlike many coach designs, the top of the stairwell doesn’t intrude into the aisle. This reduces the likelihood of accidentally falling into the stairwell from the aisle, but it does mean the emergency exit steps are steeper and higher (29cm) as a result.

The demountable toilet is compact. The user sits facing backwards. The driver can lock the toilet out of use if required.

Volvo says that its research has shown that it is better to offer a servery/boiler unit as an option rather than standard. This ensures that operators get exactly what they need, depending on the work the coach is likely to do. Indeed, the 9900 can be specified with a rear servery area if required. A small fridge is built into the front binnacle opposite the courier seat.

Another nice touch is the appearance of stitched leather on the front binnacle and in the overhead luggage rack infill panels. The luggage racks themselves have doors, but no internal dividers.

A 32kW air-conditioning unit is fitted together with perimeter radiators located at ankle height. A Webasto auxiliary heater allows the driver to pre-set the desired temperature to ensure a cosy cabin to welcome passengers on a cold day.

The driver’s workplace

The Isringhausen seat is fully adjustable and offers a 45 degree swivel to make access easier. The driver binnacle and dashboard has been redesigned in a wraparound style to make it easier to access the familiar Volvo switchgear. Saloon switches are to the left and vehicle switches to the right. A one-piece powered windscreen blind combines a solid blind with a moderately see-through gauze that ensures passengers have some forward vision.

A kerb window in the front door aids visibility, although this is mostly obscured when the courier seat is in use. A peage window will be fitted on production vehicles.

The steering wheel is adjusted via a floor-mounted pedal near the driver’s left foot. The steering wheel itself is refreshingly clear of buttons, with the horn the only one showing at the moment.

The main dashboard display is heavily recessed meaning everything can be easily seen, regardless of the position of the steering wheel. A central display screen sits between the tachometer and speedometer and can be personalised with a driver’s or operator’s favourites.

The Volvo I-Shift gear selector is easy to use with the handbrake handily located to the right of the driver’s knee. A small pocket for storage sits to the right of the driver and there’s room behind the seat for a briefcase. There’s an additional lockable storage space within the top of the dashboard binnacle.

One final point. On this vehicle there were two fans, one above the driver and the other above the courier seat. On a warm day, they proved to be most welcome.

The courier’s workplace

The courier seat, a Volvo Superior Comfort seat, is of the ‘lift up and into position’ variety. The floor moulding, three-point belt and arm rests offer a very comfortable position.

A lockable cupboard located on the floor between the seat and the front door provides some storage space, with a hidden, lockable safe that will be popular with both driver and courier. The courier has a microphone on a lead that extends from the front binnacle, and a reading/map light.

An overhead locker located above the front nearside row of seats provides additional storage, although in this demonstration vehicle the space is largely taken up with a piece of kit that controls some of the electrical systems of the coach.

And that’s it! There is no other lockable storage within the coach. Does this matter? Well, yes it does if the operator chooses to have any on-board catering. There is no specific area for storing cups, tea, coffee, biscuits etc.

It’s a small point perhaps, but for a touring coach, an important one. The solution might be to convert the first offside overhead locker into a lockable one. With the driver’s bunk area being removed on production vehicles, the existing access from the emergency stairs could become access to a storage area.

On the road

With Dave Porter behind the wheel we leave Coventry and make good progress along the A45 towards the M1. There has been much talk about how smooth and quiet the 9900 will be, so, perhaps more than usual, there’s an element of anticipation. The 9900 meets that anticipation. This is a smooth vehicle, and sitting in various parts of the passenger cabin, it’s clear this is also a quiet vehicle.

We stop in a layby before reaching the M1 and I slip into the driving seat. This is a truly pleasant vehicle to drive. The reduced A-pillars and mirrors offer excellent visibility. Entering roundabouts and turning right at junctions requires leaning forward to see past the B-pillar to check for oncoming traffic, but it’s no better or worse than many vehicles.

On the M1 the coach remains stable, with enough engine clout to easily pull out and pass HGVs. At 80kph (50mph) the electronic suspension system lowers the coach. This imperceptible process aids stability and fuel economy.

We take a route through the centre of Daventry, negotiating sharp turns in the historic centre and a plethora of mini roundabouts. The rear-steer axle does its job very well. The 9900 might be 13.9 metres, but on urban roads, negotiating roundabouts and junctions, you wouldn’t know it. The 12-speed gearbox ensures a smooth progression, behaving in a stately manner that will ensure passengers have a very pleasant journey.

Such is the pleasure in driving the 9900, I’m really rather sad when we finally return to Coventry.

Verdict

The 9900 is a magnificent vehicle. The combination of cutting edge design and technology has resulted in something special. It’s easy to see why Dave, Ricky and all the Volvo team are so proud of this all-new addition to their family. Volvo says that it is expecting delivery of customer-named orders imminently and that this will continue through 2019.

So does it tick all the boxes as a premium touring vehicle? For many operators the answer will be a resounding yes. For those looking to ensure it provides the necessary environment for a driver and courier to work together on a longer tour, the issue of additional, lockable storage needs addressing. But overall, that’s a small point that shouldn’t detract from the appeal of the 9900.

Operators should make sure they get themselves in the Volvo diary to have a look at the 9900 for themselves.
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