Lowdown on a Lance
Page 10
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• Dennis Specialist Vehicles has launched a Super Low Floor Bus chassis, based on the Lance. The first chassis are being bodied by Wrights of Northern Ireland and are destined to join the London Buses fleet.
A shallow-profile skeletal frame forward of the rear axle is matched with a independent front suspension to give an entrance height of 320mm. Wheelchair and pushchair access is helped by a kneeling facility in the air suspension.
The chassis will also accommodate a boarding ramp on the front entrance and a boarding ramp can be fitted to mid-door versions.
The ZE front suspension incorporates disc brakes; a first for a UK bus chassis. Stainless-steel stressed wheelarches provide the suspension strut mountings and compact lower wishbones are housed within the depth of the chassis. Dennis claims approach and departure angles of 8°, despite the low floor height.
Like the Dart, power comes from an &3-litre Cummins CSeries engine developing 157kW (211hp) at 2,400rpm and 795Nm (5601bft) at 1.500rpm.
The rear-mounted engine drives the rear wheels through a a 4HP500 automatic gearbox with integral retarder.