Australasian Bus & Coach — October 2017

(^42) ABC October 2017 busnews.com.au
DRIVEN CUSTOM SB50
Specs
CHASSIS
Mercedes-Benz OC 500RF 2-axle
ENGINE
Water-cooled 6-cylinder, in-line,
4-valve, turbocharged and
intercooled
POWER AND TORQUE
260kW (354hp)/1600Nm
TRANSMISSION
ZF-EcoLife 6-speed automatic
with torque converter and
integrated hydraulic retarder
EMISSIONS
Euro 5
For full specs go to:
http://www.busnews.com.au
and ZF-EcoLife 6-speed automatic
transmission with torque converter and
integrated hydraulic retarder.
The bus is ¾ tted with a two-way radio,
Mobitec 8 camera CCTV system – which
includes a monitor with a reverse camera –
and an alloy bullbar. Included is a
reversing buzzer (the hazards come on
automatically when reverse is selected),
Isri driver’s seat, an electric driver’s blind,
easy-to-navigate controls, and excellent
directional air vents for the driver. It is
also ¾ tted with a Thermo King KRS
air-conditioning system and Styleride
Solution 3-2 seats.
The underneath storage is bigger than
what’s required for school routes, but
there’s ample room for charter tour luggage
going through from side to side.
The external Cannon mirror arms with
Hasmotek (Metagal) twin glass mirrors are
electronically adjustable with heated mirror
heads. Both are smart-looking externally
but do the job well for the driver. They have
a blind-spot mirror inbuilt at the base that is
ideal for additional safety with children.
For the drive, we left the depot and
we have purchased a vehicle and down
the track spare parts are no longer
available,” he says. “We weren’t interested
in the cheapest alternative; we ¾ nd
Mercedes-Benz are a quality product with
excellent back-up service.”
THE DRIVE
Custom Bus Australia advertises this
model, the SB50 that we are test driving,
as being designed for the demanding
Australian conditions using cutting-edge
technology and the latest automotive
materials to produce a lighter, stronger,
better quality and value school bus for
local operators.
Marshall’s had the 12 new buses lined up
in the yard painted in Marshall’s company
colours with tight-¾ tting alloy bullbars.
From the exterior they were much smarter
looking than what you’d normally expect
from a school bus.
The Mercedes-Benz OC 500RF 2-axle
chassis has a water-cooled 6-cylinder,
in-line, 4-valve, turbocharged and
intercooled engine with Euro 5, 260kW
(354hp) of power and 1600Nm of torque,
We weren’t interested in the cheapest
alternative. We fi nd Mercedes-Benz are a
quality product with excellent service