- Bus brand of Daimler AG at UMA Expo 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada
- US variant of touring coach with over 30 new features
Holger Suffel: “Consolidating our leading position in the premium segment”
Las Vegas/Neu-Ulm – Following the comprehensive facelift for the new Setra TopClass 400 in Europe, the Setra brand is presenting the revised US version – the Setra TopClass S 417 – at this year’s UMA Motorcoach Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 23 to 27 February 2010. Close cooperation between the areas of sales, after-sales, development, design and production has enabled Daimler AG’s bus brand to incorporate a wealth of innovation covering over 30 new features while keeping visible changes to a minimum.
For Holger Suffel, head of Sales, Marketing, Service and Parts at Daimler Buses, further enhancing the brand values is one of the most important aspects of this comprehensive facelift. “With the enhanced Setra TopClass S 417 we are once again playing a trailblazing role in the areas of technology, comfort and safety, further consolidating and building on our leading position in the premium segment in the USA and Canada,” Mr Suffel observes.
Safety also top priority in the USA
The primary emphasis in the development concept was on safety, which the new Setra TopClass S 417 raises to standards previously unknown in North America. In future, the 13.67 metre long vehicle will be fitted with a Front Collision Guard (FCG) as a passive safety element, for example. Active safety elements have also been improved. One example here is a new light element in the front section which illuminates the area of the crossing ahead during cornering of the vehicle.
The three-axle vehicle is now also additionally equipped with light and rain sensors. The newly integrated cornering light function and the raised approach angle are instrumental in lending the front section of the Setra TopClass S 417 with integrated licence plate panel an even “friendlier” expression. On the sides of the Setra TopClass S 417, new “docking lights” provide for improved illumination of the surrounding area. By means of a redesigned flap system with a weight-optimised structure, the engineers have managed to reduce the overall weight of the touring coach by up to 70 kilograms in the course of the facelift.
Setra TopClass S 417 complies with exhaust gas standard EPA 10
The Setra TopClass S 417 meets American exhaust gas standard EPA 10 for nitrogen oxides and soot particles. The vehicle is equipped with an Allison automatic transmission, model WTB 500.
The automated 12-speed ZF-AS tronic transmission is optionally available.
Inside, the exhibition vehicle at the show in Nevada is fitted out with 56 seats and a host of new features for even more convenient and comfortable travelling. The comprehensive facelift also offers major benefits for drivers, with a number of exclusive new developments designed to provide them with an even more pleasant workplace in the Setra TopClass S 417. These include a leather multifunction steering wheel with integrated button functions and the new instrument cluster in clearly organised 3D look with multifunction display.
Setra S 417: around 890 built since 2003
The American version of the European TopClass 400 touring-coach generation – the S 417 – was presented at an American trade show for the first time in 2003, at the UMA Expo 2003 in Orlando, Florida.
The vehicle was developed from the European concept for the TopClass 400, adapting it to the needs of the North American market at a width of around 2.60 m and a length of approx. 13.7 m. Other typical characteristics are the single entrance at the front and five position lights over the split windscreen.
Since its successful market launch, around 890 units of the luxury touring coach have been built for the USA, Canada and Mexico. This represents a market share of around 30 percent in the premium segment. Setra buses are marketed in North America along with the Orion and Dodge Sprinter brands under the umbrella of Daimler Buses North America (DBNA). The company is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina.
