The new EVM Cityline Low-Floor, which is based on the new generation of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, is now commencing delivery. Richard Sharman visited EVM Direct at Crawley, West Sussex to take the very first UK press test drive of the new model
The initial delay of getting the new generation of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter to vehicle converters now seems to be coming to an end, and the minibus sector is now seeing a number of new options appear.
A model which is geared more towards airport transfers, community transport, service work and on-demand services is the EVM Cityline Low-Floor. The previous generation Cityline was successful in this market, but the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has given EVM the opportunity to improve the model further.
Meeting me at EVM Direct was Peter Flynn, Sales and Marketing Director. Peter has overseen the Cityline Low-Floor model since its inception.
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Providing for the community transport sector
One of the key target markets for the Cityline Low-Floor is the community transport sector. I asked Peter how the journey begins at EVM for the customer: “Sitting down to discuss options with our customers normally involves discussing the application of the vehicle, and how we can help build the right specification for their needs.
“We have a specification that is designed to meet the needs of the community transport sector called the Community 16. This vehicle has all seats facing forward, with 13 in the upper saloon and three in the lower, two of those being full-sized tip-up seats opposite the wheelchair bay. All seats have three-point belts fitted.
“We can include specific specification requirements where needed. For example, one customer required a collapsible luggage cage for the Tuesday shopper service. The unit fits in the vehicle tracking and folds completely flat when not in use, being stored behind the rear seats. We have also fitted fixed luggage racking for airport transfer shuttle buses. We are very flexible in helping build specifications to the exacting requirements of our customers.”
Supplying the big groups
Another major source of sales for EVM are the big groups. They have turned to the Cityline Low-Floor to take care of their on-demand bus service requirements.
Peter continued: “The ArrivaClick project was an exciting one. I had always wanted to build an accessible DDA-compliant mini coach, and the ArrivaClick requirement for something special was the opportunity to do this. This project was interesting as we had to meet the needs of many stakeholders. After the initial non-low-floor batch, we wanted to put the low-floor model on the table and say that we can achieve the luxury look and feel they required but include easy access for all. This is where executive transport and accessibility intersect.
“We told Arriva that we could make this vehicle look and feel special, so whilst the decision process was still ongoing, we built one to show what was possible. We have high confidence in our engineering and design teams, and the process. We showed the vehicle to all the stakeholders, the drivers’ union, procurement team, marketing and of course the ArrivaClick team. This was a great point in the project; you could touch and feel the ideas that had been built into this model.
“We made a number of changes to the standard Cityline Low-Floor to make these vehicles special. We increased the size of the front destination display screen for clarity; we then used contrasting elements inside. Arriva did not want yellow hand poles when the vehicle was fitted with plush dark leather seats, so we achieved a high contrast metallic grab rail with a contrasting insert. Arriva also required a driver protection screen; we designed a nice-looking curved protection screen that suits the interior of the vehicle.
“Last year Arriva took 35 units for its ArrivaClick operation. They are split between Leicester and Liverpool. We also previously delivered the original batch to Kent, although these were not low-floor. We have also worked with the Oxford Bus Company on its PickMeUp service, initially providing them with two high-specification vehicles, with further vehicles being delivered this month. We hope to do more with them in the future.”
Lower overall costs
One key advantage to the size of the vehicle is the fuel and workshop savings that can be achieved, as Peter explained: “We regularly receive reports from operators that this vehicle is achieving upwards of 27-28 mpg. Savings can also be made on servicing, with intervals up to 36,000 km. The low-floor element only has an additional inspection at 60,000 km.
“Whilst the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter adds increased fuel economy to the Cityline Low-Floor, it also adds other features such as a much more comfortable driver’s seat and electric steering rather than hydraulic, which makes for a more car-like driving experience. The steering wheel control features are identical to those seen in Mercedes-Benz car models and are very intuitive.
“The Masats rapid sliding entry door has also proved extremely reliable in this model; there is little to go wrong with it, as it is not as complex as the plug door twin leaf type of system. A Masats manual ramp is also fitted, but we can provide an electric option, as some vehicle tenders require that.
“You will also notice the entry step is much lower than the OEM version. This is because our body comes down as a straight panel rather than being curved. It also makes a difference that we use a single leaf ramp rather than the cantilever type. There is 200mm of ground clearance with our Sprinter body, and we have never had one ground out. The step height is only 270mm, much lower than the OEM version, making this vehicle easily accessible for all.”
First impressions
This was to be my first encounter with the new-generation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and I was looking forward to seeing how it had been improved. My initial thoughts on the styling redesign were that in basic form, with no body coloured bumpers, it does look just that – the previous generation had more about it. But then I saw the EVM Cityline Low-Floor demonstrator: the fully colour-coded bumpers and grille completely change its appearance, and it becomes the futuristic-looking vehicle Mercedes-Benz intended it to be.
EVM has also achieved a look that anyone would think is an OEM product – it just looks right. The dark-tinted deep panoramic windows seem to transform its look, and the subtle body kit and wide entry doors also assist in giving it its big bus looks.
The vehicle was parked in the EVM workshop as, unfortunately, my visit had coincided with Storm Miguel. So I had a good chance to examine it prior to the road test.
Exterior styling
As I touched on above, the EVM Cityline Low-Floor is a stylish-looking vehicle. The new generation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has further enhanced that.
Each side of the vehicle has three large double-glazed panoramic dark-tinted windows, none of which open as air-conditioning is fitted. What would have been the passenger entry door is half retained and the standard window replaced with a double-glazed unit. The entry area also benefits from a Labcraft LED light above the entry door.
The subtle body kit is not just for show. The lower spoiler hides the exhaust, which is angled to come out just behind the nearside front wheel. On the OEM version of the previous generation Sprinter, that exhaust is on view, which is fine when new but that area can quickly get dirty. The spoiler also meets the bottom of the Masats rapid sliding door, giving a more complete look to the vehicle.
The Cityline Low-Floor retains its OEM rear doors and windows, along with the factory fitted reversing camera which is mounted just above the high-level brake light.
Surprisingly, in this era of LED technology, Mercedes-Benz has opted to retain standard bulb illumination in the rear clusters. A partial LED rear cluster is an option, but only when you opt for the LED headlights, which adds £1,425 to the purchase price of the base vehicle. As I have said, this vehicle looks like an OEM product; the only thing I think could be improved on is the rear destination number display. This unit is mounted on a bar in the nearside rear door, ideal for visibility but I think it would look more complete if this area had black masking around it so you are unable to see the bar and the gap either side. This could be done around the inside of the window.
High standard of interior
It was noticeable just how low the step onto the vehicle was when compared to a City 45 that I boarded a few weeks ago. The single leaf Masats ramp was wide and would allow a wheelchair passenger plenty of room to manoeuvre into the wheelchair bay. The ramp is rated at 375kg.
As soon as I boarded the vehicle I felt that the build quality was high, the wood effect flooring and two-tone ELeather seats being the first two things to give this feeling off.
Despite the vehicle having double glazing, it still had large window ledges above the side panels. This feature allows the vehicle to maintain a big bus feel. The roof continues this theme with LED strip lighting to each side of the vehicle, air vents for the air-conditioning built into the roof coving, radio speakers and an opening skylight.
There were only three hand poles in the saloon but every seat from the rear seats forward had a large hand grab loop, so moving around the vehicle for all ages would be easy. The two steps up to the rear saloon were shallow and should not cause an issue for the elderly.
The Kiel seating was trimmed in black ELeather with a grey centre panel and piping, and all seats except the three tip-down seats had three-point seatbelts. USB charging points were mounted to the side wall, providing every seat with access to charging facilities.
Cab area
The cab area is well-designed and features a luggage pen over the nearside front wheel, deep enough to carry at least 15 full-sized bags of shopping. But in this case, as the vehicle will be on demonstration all over the country, it contained the spare wheel. This shows how deep the luggage pen is. A ticket machine stand is provided next to the luggage pen, which is fully adjustable for height and rake.
The driver benefits from a privacy screen behind the driver’s seat, although a full-sized driver protection screen has already been developed for use on the ArrivaClick vehicles.
The original Mercedes-Benz bulkhead roof panelling above the cab is retained but re-trimmed in velour to match the rest of the roof panels in the saloon. This has been done to a very high standard, with high-quality stitching at the edges. Above this area is the Mercedes-Benz digital tachograph and an EVM fitted digital clock.
The multi-function unit in the centre of the roof panelling contains reading lights and an SOS button that will contact emergency services in the event of an accident. There is also a button that puts you through to the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Centre in the event of a breakdown.
To allow these functions Mercedes-Benz installs the Communication Module as standard; it has an in-built LTE SIM card which offers rapid data transmission between the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, drivers and vehicle managers. Highlights of this system include Eco Monitoring, allowing real-time fuel consumption data to be reviewed.
As the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has been much enhanced for this facelift, the driver benefits from many new and improved functions. The new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) in-dash head unit features a seven-inch touchscreen, a radio, satellite navigation, Bluetooth hands-free calling and is connected to the reversing camera. It can also be controlled by voice command and steering wheel controls. This amounts to a very safe communication system, without the driver having to touch the screen or go near their phone. The MBUX system debuted on the Sprinter and the A-Class car.
EVM has done a good job of fitting their own switches into the dash. They all look OEM and are all grouped together to the left of the driver’s knee. Switches here include all body-related features such as lighting, door control, air conditioning, and the destination controller.
In terms of storage, the updated dashboard has various storage compartments and cup holders built into it. The centre one, which has a lid, contains two USB charging ports and a standard 12V charging point.
Out on the roads of West Sussex
Storm Miguel was continuing to provide torrential rain at the point of departure from EVM, so it was going to be an interesting test drive. Peter joined me for the test drive.
Getting comfortable in the driver’s seat, the first thing to do was find somewhere to put the vehicle keys as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is keyless. The Masats rapid sliding door, impressively, also has a remote-control fob.
Keys safely stored, it was then time to get familiar with the new layout of the dashboard. It is one of the most intuitive dashboards in its class. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it is all geared for the driver to keep their hands firmly on the wheel. The small multi-function steering wheel has the ability to control the radio, hand free calling, cruise control, and the in-dash computer.
There is no gearstick as gears are selected from a stalk on the right of the steering column; pressing this up or down selects the gear and pressing the button on the end of the stalk immediately selects park. You also have the option to change gear manually using the paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel.
The engine start button is to the left of the steering wheel, and once the engine was running it was very quiet on idle. Resetting the trip computer prior to departure so I could record the MPG, I also turned on the interior lighting and the 14 kW Autoclima air-conditioning to simulate how the vehicle may be run in service. Setting off from the industrial estate and heading through Crawley town to a housing estate, the first thing I noticed was the electric steering; it was pinpoint accurate with a good turning circle.
Gear changes from the 7G-Tronic gearbox were seamless, with the engine remaining refined. The gears do change up quickly around town to increase fuel economy, but acceleration is instant if required. The 2.1-litre four-cylinder engine has a two-stage turbocharger which helps deliver an improved response.
Coming up to the housing estate a number of small roundabouts and speed humps were encountered. Having driven the previous generation Sprinter only a few weeks earlier I can confirm that the suspension certainly seems improved, with a smoother ride over speed humps. Fifteen minutes in and it was clear that the EVM Cityline Low-Floor is well put together – there was not a single rattle from the saloon.
The EVM Cityline Low-Floor comes into its own around the housing estate. A number of narrow roads were tried and even awkwardly parked cars could not stop my progress. A standard-width minibus, such as an Optare Solo, would have got stuck.
Leaving the housing estate and progressing towards the M23 North, it was time to see how it performed on the motorway. By this point, the weather had deteriorated further, with heavier rain and the wipers on full speed. One thing that would have been handy at this point would have been heated mirrors, which Mercedes-Benz does list as a £165 option.
Joining the M23 North, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter did not hang around and was soon running on the 100km/h speed limiter. I was impressed there was no wind noise coming from the Masats rapid sliding door system. Despite the rain, all-round visibility was very good. The mirrors were well-placed, with the lower mirror allowing me to see what was happening in lane three.
This progress was not to last though, as there had been an accident ahead of us. We ended up waiting around 15 minutes for this to be cleared. Once we got moving again it was time to exit the M23 and head back towards Crawley. One change that I was glad to experience was that the braking system has been improved. There now seems to be much more feel in the pedal, the brakes proving very effective even in the wet conditions.
On return to EVM, I felt that there was nothing that could really be improved on with the EVM Cityline Low-Floor, other than the rear destination masking and maybe opting for the heated mirrors when buying the stock units. The evolution of this model is well thought out and executed. The demonstrator had returned 25.7mpg for the hour’s drive, very respectable indeed.
In terms of the purchase price, a similar specification to the model tested but with a smaller air-conditioning unit would come in between £84,000 and £85,000 +VAT, making this a cheaper option than the OEM offering.
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