Van Hool’s revised EX has finally turned a wheel on British soil – now in right-hand drive trim. Peter Jackson finds out if it has what it takes to succeed in the UK
First unveiled at Busworld Europe back in October 2017 (CBW1314), Van Hool’s facelifted EX series is, by all accounts, an important machine for the Belgian manufacturer. The entry level model’s slightly lower price point puts it up against some tough competition – so it has to truly shine to make an impact in this segment.
Arriva Bus & Coach (ABC) is confident it will do just that, having secured exclusive UK distribution rights for the model you see here: the EX16M.
Hoping to kick-start UK sales, the West Yorkshire-based dealership embarked on what it called the EX16M Grand Tour – a four-day jaunt broadly encompassing the M1 and M6 motorway corridors, stopping off at a number of coach operators large and small.
According to Andrew Cullen, Commercial Director at ABC: “The purpose of this really is to relaunch it. We want to get it out there so people can see what it is and how it feels. The feedback so far has been really good; everyone likes the facelift, but how it drives has been the biggest complement.
“We were all talking about what we should do. We thought about holding an event at a hotel somewhere, but everyone does that – we like to do things a bit differently. We wanted people to actually drive it, and the best way to do that is to take it to them.”[wlm_nonmember][…]
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Design & engineering
The 16M is a key model in the EX range, a two-axle designed to offer 57 seats at an attractive price. At 13.3m, it sits in between the entry-level 12.5m-long EX15M and the 65-seat, 14.2m EX17H.
Up front, the EX’s clean, clutter-free design gives it a timeless look; dark-tinted and double-glazed side windows are accentuated by a chrome stripe – a familiar Van Hool design cue. The rear end is smartly styled too, with LED light strips giving the EX a more athletic, svelte look than some of its rivals. However, it’s what hides behind the bodywork which really counts.
DAF’s proven Euro 6-compliant MX-11 six-cylinder is mated to a choice of ZF Ecolife or AS-Tronic transmissions – this example utilising the former, an automatic unit. The 10.8-litre power unit puts out 435hp and 2100Nm of torque.
Van Hool’s description of a ‘modern, streamlined interior’ is an accurate one. The EX’s airy cabin offers plenty of head and leg room, and is well equipped too. In addition to a seven-inch, dash-mounted Bosch multimedia display, passengers can enjoy video on two fixed 19-inch LCD monitors.
In a move to cut costs, the EX is being screwed together at a brand new production facility in Skopje, Macedonia – the first Van Hool to be built outside of Belgium. Fear not, though; the EX appears to be extremely well put together. It may be cheaper to build than the TX, but it seems that no corners have been cut in its design and production. The interior feels remarkably sturdy, with quality materials and great attention to detail: everything you’d expect from a coach of this calibre.
Build quality aside, the EX does lack the customisability of the TX range. Streamlining the production process in such a way should allow the company to reduce manufacturing costs and waiting times, at the expense of the tailor-made service offered on the existing TX.
Behind the wheel
The nature of the Grand Tour meant operators could inspect, ride in and drive the vehicle on their home turf. We caught up with the EX at Fowlers Travel of Holbeach Drove, Lincolnshire, where company director Andrew Fowler had a chance to test drive the new machine. Sharing his first impressions, Andrew told CBW: “It’s a coach that’ll do all jobs really. It’s well finished and like all coaches today, it does everything it should. It goes well, it’s smooth, you can’t tell it changes gear and when you want it to stop, it stops. It had quite a solid, heavy feel to it on the road – it was faultless really. The body’s very good: there were no rattles whatsoever, and we went down some rough roads. It would do a good job, I’m sure.”
CBW’s Editor also got behind the wheel of the refreshed EX: “Having driven the EX16H back in early 2016 and the EX15H in the Summer of 2017, I was no stranger to Van Hool’s Macedonian-built range. I was delighted to see the facelifted EX and indeed, the new EX16M at the Busworld Europe show in Autumn 2017. However, I didn’t really have time to look at it as I had a lot of ground to cover in a matter of hours that day.
“Therefore, I was pleased to be invited to take a closer look at the coach – the latest addition to ABC’s range – while it was in the midst of its whistle stop tour.
“Glorious blue sky provided excellent light for photographs, but the low winter sun was not so friendly to my eyes whilst behind the wheel driving towards it. I was told the sun visor could not come down any lower due to type approval regulations. Note to self – take sun glasses in future.
“As with the previous generation of EX, the coach rode extremely well. On our circular route, which took us from Fowlers’ Holbeach Drove depot to Crowland, Thorney, the EX was glued to the notoriously undulating Fenland roads. Steering was effortless – and the absence of rattles was notable.
“While I was told this coach is a pre-production vehicle, I noticed it did not appear to be so quick off the mark when pulling out onto the busy A47 dual-carriageway at Thorney. This was in stark contrast to the performance of the EX15H, which sprinted effortlessly up the bank from ABC’s premises to Birkenshaw.
“Overall, I found the EX16M was nicely finished, boasting contemporary style features inside, with comfortable seats and decent legroom.”
The future
This particular coach is the first of its kind to reach the UK, having already spent a short while in Ireland before setting off on the Grand Tour. ABC is hopeful that many more right hand-drive examples will find their way over here though, and the team is on track with its initial plan of first quarter 2018 deliveries.
Steve Fletcher, Head of Product at ABC, commented: “This one’s got to go back to the factory to be finished, and will then return to Ireland. We’ve got two more coming in the next month – which will be fully certified – and we’ve got some more ordered for us to sell. We’ll have six stock vehicles to start with, but we’ve got interest in a couple of orders as well. At the moment, we’re not planning to put an EX16M into our rental fleet, but it’s not a problem if the demand is there.”
Asked about pricing, Steve replied: “This EX16M would come in at just under £260,000. The EX15 would be just over £250,000. However, for multiple vehicle orders and for straight deals, we’ll be able to do it at a more attractive price.”
The TX range is priced from £290,000, meaning the EX slots in only slightly below – a smaller price gulf than perhaps many expected.
Andrew added: “The plan is to get some for stock, spec them up and try to sell them. If someone wanted one for rental, we would absolutely do that. We want people to see it for where it really is in the market, which is just below the TX. It’s designed to come in underneath the TX in price, but not in quality.”
Early indications are that the EX is a solid, well thought-out coach. Van Hool’s latest certainly seems to deliver when it comes to build quality and engineering. Only time will tell whether it can stand out enough to convince British buyers.[/wlm_ismember]
