INDIA After its entry into the longdistance inter-city bus segment, Mercedes-Benz announced the launch of its city bus. The 37-seater, low-entry bus is priced starting at nine million Rupees (£113,938). The company launched the intercity bus in 2008 and it sold 150 vehicles last year.
Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses, said: “India is seeing a rapid urbanisation, which is increasing the demand for mobility. Demand of customers is shifting towards more comfortable and attractive means of transport. We will participate in the growth of the Indian market by expanding our bus business. By 2020, India will comprise 20% of the world’s market and we will be ready for that.”
The 7200cc, 252hp buses are air-conditioned with automatic transmission, air suspension and disk brakes. The company has tested the bus in seven Indian cities over the last year.
MCV will build the bodies of the bus over Mercedes Benz chassis at the new integrated body-building facility located next to the Mercedes Benz plant at Chakan near Pune.
Since 1995, MCV has built over 15,000 buses for Mercedes-Benz. The Jalandhar-based Sutlej Motors builds the bodies of the inter-city buses of Mercedes Benz for India and that arrangement is set to continue.
Most parts of the bus are sourced locally, but the company aims to increase the local composition over the next six months.
