DAIMLER BUSES AND SUTLEJ MOTORS HANDED-OVER THE FIRST NEW MERCEDES-BENZ INTERCITY LUXURY COACH
On September 1 Daimler Buses entered the luxury bus segment in India by launching it’s new Mercedes-Benz Intercity Luxury Coach. This coach features the versatile O 500 R / RF chassis from Mercedes-Benz while its body is build by Jalandhar based Sutlej Motors. At the official launch event in Pune, Mr. Harald Landmann, Head of Daimler Buses, presented along with Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, CEO and Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz India, the keys to the first customers Sharma Transports from Bangalore, Neeta Tours and Travels from Mumbai and Konduskar Travels from Kolhapur.
The Mercedes-Benz O 500 R / RF chassis has been proven across markets all over the world and is known for its legendary suspension, reliability and safety. The chassis has it’s origins in the Brazil production of Mercedes-Benz.
For Mercedes-Benz India the footprint in the Commercial Vehicles segment now widens with the introduction of Mercedes-Benz buses. First customers are M/S Sharma Transports from Bangalore, M/S Neeta Tours and Travels from Mumbai and M/S Konduskar Travels from Kolhapur who will start with pre-selected routes in Western and Southern India.
The bus market in India is witnessing a tremendous change – a revolution aided by government driven infrastructure projects which are dedicated to redefine the mass transportation industry in India. Large scale projects like the NSEW corridor and the Golden Quadrilateral are already underway and close to completion. As links between far-flung places strengthen, there is an increased demand for mass transit systems to move people with solutions which are reliabile, robust and passenger oriented. It is this need that the Mercedes-Benz buses will fulfill. The Indian bus-market for buses over 8t GVW grew in 2007 by 34 percent up to 38.700 vehicles (28.800 buses in 2006).
Daimler Buses claims to be the world´s leading manufacturer of buses and coaches. It has around 17,200 employees worldwide and sold over 39,000 buses and coaches in 2007.
The collaboration of Daimler and Sutlej Motors encompasses the development, production, marketing, sales and after sales of luxury rear engine coaches. The Mercedes-Benz chassis will be manufactured by Mercedes-Benz India, the body will be built up by Sutlej Motors. Mercedes-Benz India then will handle Sales and After-Sales of the coaches.