EUROPEAN
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Neoplan steps up range
ST MONTH'S opening of a 4eoplan bus plant in West 1 (the German maker's manufacturing facility), iriants of a new midibus were revealed.
t conceived as a low-floor. porter for handicapped ngers (CM, July 5, 1980) ow Neoplan N906-Unibus already comprises coach, Feederbus, two difunits with rear-kneel feas well as 'chassis only' ver
vehicles are being built in /ell-equipped new factory utside the Berlin suburb of lau where capacity has reen provided to include a )r double-deck bus produc lin once had three builders Duble-deck bodywork to y the city operator's needs )-150 vehicles per annum. itein & Koppel stopped psv iction late last year and pan-Union (a Thyssen ) company) then became ole supplier to meet the policy requirements for a locally built product.
The Unibus programme which has now inaugurated Neoplan activities in Berlin is based on a space-frame design with a Mercedes-Benz front-wheel-drive power pack in which the 0M617 five-cylinder diesel engine of 65kW (the turbocharged 97kW version is an option) drives through a four-speed ZF 4 DS 18 gearbox.
This is the only unit available to allow drive shafts to be taken straight into the front wheels which have air suspension and disc brakes.
The electrically welded vehicle structure of square section steel tube was developed using finite element analysis. Assembly jigs were specially designed to Neoplan requirements and are long enough for full-size 1 2m vehicles.
Overall length of the Unibus in each case is 6.45m, but wheelbases vary from 3.28m for the bus and coach versions to 4,41m in the wheelchair transporter which has the rear axle placed as far back as possible to use the air suspension for the kneeling ground-level loading facility.
One of the most interesting models is the N906C midi-coach with 21 seats and a maximum speed of 116km/h when fitted with the 65kW engine. Maximum laden weight is 5,900kg with axle loads evenly distributed when carrying afull complement of passengers.
Single step height — as on all Unibus variants — is 32cm. Even so, there are underbody lockers — beneath the seating platforms — and a rear luggage compartment for small items. Neoplan quotes a price of DM92,750 (E20,500) for the basic version although items such as a driver's side door, double glazing, sleeper seats and so on are extras.
This is considered a very competitive price in Germany where until recently there was little choice for users of this size of coach.