New Setra double-decker coach premieres in Germany

The new Setra S 531 DT double-decker coach made its world premiere at the Fernsehturm Stuttgart (Stuttgart TV tower) today. With over 2,300 units sold since its launch in 2003, the predceding model is the market leader in the double-decker coach segment. Customers include many long-haul bus operators in Europe.

"The Setra double-decker is the biggest and most comfortable touring coach from Daimler Buses. No other coach is as fuel-efficient, flexible and safe as the new two-decker premium touring coach from our EvoBus plant in Neu-Ulm. I am certain that our new double decker will build directly on the success of its predecessor," said Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses.

Developed for busy long-haul routes
In recent years the touring coach sector has experienced highly positive developments, not least thanks to the continuing long-haul bus boom, with over 25 million passengers a year in Germany alone and an ever-expanding route network in Europe.

Further growth is forecasted for 2017. A slight increase to over 26 million passengers is expected - with a two percent increase on German routes and an increase of up to seven percent on international routes. In Germany the route network is already well developed, with particularly high capacity utilisation on main routes between larger cities.

With over 80 seats, the new Setra double-decker coach is the biggest touring coach from Daimler Buses, making it ideal for busy long-haul bus routes. Nowhere more passengers can be transported by just one driver than in a double-decker coach.

The company says young people – read millennials – in particular tend to see the touring coach from a whole new perspective in terms of the high level of comfort and the cutting-edge internet and media services on board. In 2016 over 60 percent of Setra double-decker coaches were sold in Germany, France, Italy and Austria.

High on safety
The new double decker sees the world premiere of two new safety and assistance systems for buses. In addition to the previously available functions – maximum full-stop braking in response to stationary objects and obstacles moving ahead of the vehicle – the emergency brake system Active Brake Assist 4 (ABA 4) now also incorporates pedestrian recognition with automatic braking.

The Sideguard Assist uses radar sensors to monitor the lane to the right of the coach along the vehicle's entire length. It helps the driver with the blind spot, and warns of pedestrians, cyclists or stationary obstacles while turning.

On the highway, it additionally serves as a lane-changing assistant. The new double-decker from Setra also comes as standard with long-life LED headlights which are kind on the eyes.

Efficiency also stems from top-notch aerodynamics
Despite its size, the new double-decker coach has a highly aerodynamic design. At the front, strongly curved windscreens with and large edge radii allow the air to flow around the vehicle, while at the rear recesses and airflow break-away edges guide the airflow.

Setra says the development engineers have attended to the most minute details: the windscreen wiper on the upper deck is vertical in its rest position, for example – a feature adopted from motorsport. This results in a drag coefficient of C_d = 0.35 – a new benchmark in this segment. The aerodynamic design helps ensure that fuel consumption is up to 10 percent lower than that of the previous model, depending on use.