Evobus Romania has commenced the delivery of a number of 30 Mercedes-Benz Conecto G complete low-floor articulated buses to RATT, the public authority of Timisoara, the largest western city in Romania. The bidding process started in 2008 and it was finally completed in 2009, with Evobus being declared winner. Apart from this new Conecto G buses, RATT also operates 55 Mercedes-Benz Conecto solo buses of the first generation. These examples were brought back in 2005 and 2006 and are equipped with air-conditioning system.
The new articulated Conectos were assembled at the Mercedes-Benz Türk A.S. Hosdere - Istanbul facility in Turkey and are powered by the OM 457 6-cylinder inline BlueTEC 5 engine, which sports a total cc displacement of 12.0 liters and reaches a peak output of 354 hp (260 kW). The maximum torque of 1600 Nm is entirely available at 1100 rpm. Power is sent to the two rear axles via an automatic 6-speed automatic gearbox, produced by ZF. Among the key safety features of the new Conecto G we can list the complex braking system with discs on all 6 wheels, the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and the EBS (Electronic Braking System), all of them offered as standard equipment. Engineers have also installed the integrated FPS (Freely Programmable Control System) management unit, gathering together no less than 5 electronic modules which make possible the proper functioning of all the bus components (from heating, ventilation, instrument cluster up to passenger-dedicated IBIS - Issue-Based Information System).
The ease of access inside the bus is further improved by the intelligent pneumatic suspension (the driver can vary the height depending on the conditions), working in perfect conjunction with the full low floor architecture.
The KTL method (body immersion in dyebath + cataphoresis or E-coat) prevents the exterior paint finish from rusting, for the whole life cycle of the bus. As in the case of the other 55 Conecto solo models owned by RATT, the new articulated buses boast a special and distinctive exterior colour scheme: white and mild purple.
The Conecto G models to enter in operation in Timisoara are also equipped with Konvecta air conditioning units, a black box that records the events taking place during an accident, a 3D-sensor passenger counting system, a real-time surveillance system with 7 video cameras placed inside and outside the bus and a set of two interior LCD display where passengers will be able to read various information concerning the route. GSM, GPRS, Wi-Fi and WLAN antennas ensure a smooth data transfer and allow the detection of the exact location of the bus.
As a conclusion, the new Mercedes-Benz Conecto G is, by far, the best alternative in its segment, with an unbeatable price/quality ratio (being targeted specially to the Central and Eastern European countries) and a very attractive friendliness in everyday usage. Moreover, this buses, as well as other Mercedes-Benz and SETRA buses and coaches, benefit from an extensive network of dedicated, professional service centers across Europe provided by Evobus, a member of the Daimler AG Group.
<< Official details provided courtesy of Mr. Deniz Kuluhan, Sales Manager Evobus Romania, and Mrs. Dorina Barac, Marketing/PR Officer Evobus Romania >>
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