Belgian manufacturer Van Hool will be presenting the EX, a brand-new line of touring coaches for the European market, at the International Motor Show IAA Commercial Vehicles (September 25 to October 2, 2014).
The EX line will initially be marketed in two heights and three lengths. The model palette is composed of more standardised two or three-axle vehicles which, depending on the configuration, can be used for the transport of tourists, scheduled services or intercity work.
As of the fourth quarter of 2014, the EX will be built in the Van Hool plant in Skopje, Macedonia, first appearing on European roads in the first quarter of 2015. A further extension of the EX range is planned, but no details have been released yet.
CEO Filip Van Hool explained: “With the EX, Van Hool also wants to reach new customers throughout Europe and break into new markets. The EX is the entry-level model for primarily touring coach companies and scheduled service operators who know the values of the Van Hool line: great reliability of the vehicle combined with a high level of finishing.
“Moreover, the standardised EX range will be marketed at very competitive prices because the option list is being kept rather limited. This is because the vehicle – like similar vehicles from competitors – is being built in a country (Macedonia) where the overall production costs are lower than in Western Europe.
“The Van Hool plant in Skopje, Macedonia, has the capacity to build this new line, and in the meantime the local employees also have the experience to take the new EX into production starting in the fourth quarter.”
The EX was wholly designed and developed in Van Hool´s parent company, established in Koningshooikt, Belgium. All EX models are equipped with engines from the PACCAR MX11 – Euro 6 range and have a manual-shift gearbox standard. ZF AS-Tronic and ZF Ecolife automatic gearboxes are available as options.
