SETRA IMPROVES THE TOPCLASS 400
One of the highlight at this year’s “Busworld” trade fair in Kortrijk, Belgium, was the premiere of the new TopClass 400 with its now even more attractive look and incorporating a host of new technical solutions and further developments. One such an interesting new detail is a module which, in the event of a head-on collision, displaces the entire driver’s area towards the rear.
Integrated in it as an absorber structure, the interaction of these two systems was optimised based on the findings of countless crash simulations. The result is a significant increase of passive safety for driver and accompanying personnel. The effectiveness of this safety system has also been demonstrated in many crash tests. Both the displaceable driver area and the absorber structure are elements of the new Front Collision Guard (FCG) system, which additionally offers an underride guard in accordance with ECE-R 93 for the protection of other parties involved in a collision. Thus, these three letters: FCG will in future stand for the highest degree of protection for driver and passengers of Setra touring coaches.
Innovations in the area of active safety are among others a new light elements. At speeds below 40 km/h, the turn indicator or the steering automatically activate the front foglamps, which thus become cornering lamps. Both front upper (corner) marker lights are now LEDs, with a significantly longer useful life.
In addition, TopClass 400 vehicles are now equipped with light and rain sensors, which also react automatically to prevailing weather and ambient conditions, and if necessary activate the headlamps and/or the windscreen wipers. A new windscreen wiper control system ensures that when the windscreen wipers are operating at the highest level, their speed is reduced just before reaching the reversal point: this produces a noticeable noise reduction of the system.
Beneath the newly-designed engine flap (which is no longer a lifting flap, but rather a swivelling flap, integrated at the vehicle rear and protecting against rainwater ingress) are found the engines which are considerably more powerful. The Setra thus offers the S 415 HD, the S 415 HDH, the S 416 HDH and the S 417 HDH models, equipped with the OM 457 LA 6-cylinder in line engines, developing 315 kW/428 hp and 2100 Nm, or 335 kW/455 hp and 2200 Nm. Optionally, the HDH type models can be equipped with the V8 OM 502 LA engine, with an output of 360 kW/503 hp and 2300 Nm. This engine is standard in the double-decker S 431 DT touring coach. The S 411 HD compact touring coach is fitted with the V6 OM 501 LA engine with an output of 300 kW/408 hp / 1900 Nm. New, too, is the 8-speed GO 240-8 PowerShift automated manual transmission, which is available in addition to the ZF-AS Tronic. All the engines are Euro 4 compliant. Optionally, they can also meet the Euro 5 standard.
The new generation TopClass
400 has the front-end length extended with 200 mm, offering the coach driver even more seat adjustment possibilities, while an increase of seven centimetres for the accompanying person, means he or she now enjoys the same legroom as that offered by a four-star seat.
The wheelbase of the S 415 HDH has been extended by 100 mm, so that the total vehicle length of this three-axle coach has increased to 12.30 metres. Boarding and getting off through the rear door has been made more comfortable by adding an additional step.
The reworked Setra TopClass 400 coaches are reduced in weight, the new TopClass 400 generation includes the 10.16 metre S 411 HD Club Bus, the 12.2 metre S 415 HD, the 3-axle, 12.3 metre S 415 HDH super high decker with three-axles, 13.19 metre S 416 HDH and the 14.05 metre S 417 HDH super high decker. The flagship of this Setra premium programme is the 13.89 metre S 431 DT double-decker coach.
