- Presentation of new Mercedes-Benz motorcoach at the UMA Motorcoach Expo
- Premium motorcoach operator “A Yankee Line” signs major order
- Three-axle vehicle was designed specifically for North America
- Tourrider is offered in two versions, Business and Premium
Stuttgart / Long Beach. Premiere for the new Mercedes-Benz Tourrider; a motorcoach specifically designed for the North American Market. Daimler Coaches North America is presenting two versions at the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Motorcoach Expo in Long Beach, California. At the Long Beach Convention Center from 23 to 26 February 2022, the spotlight will be on the upmarket Tourrider Business and the Tourrider Premium, a luxury motorcoach for the first-class segment.
Boston-based, long-established motorcoach operator places first order
At the official presentation at the UMA Expo in Long Beach, California, the new Mercedes‑Benz motorcoach got off to a fantastic start very quickly impressing experts in the North American motorcoach industry. Boston based “A Yankee Line”, was quick to become the first customer to commit to a major multi-year order. In placing the order, Yankee Line management expressed confidence in the new product: “We are looking forward to providing our passengers with enhanced and sophisticated comfort along with new technology safety equipment that truly raises the bar. Additionally, the ability and opportunity to customize this completely new Mercedes‑Benz product to our exacting standards as a premium motorcoach operator allows us to continue our legacy of impressing every single passenger that boards one of our coaches.”
All new Mercedes-Benz Tourrider coaches come equipped with a host of new technology safety features including ABA 5, Sideguard Assist, Attention Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise control and more. Yankee Line is also including the new Mercedes‑Benz exclusive wheelchair lift solution above the rear axle on each coach.
Yankee Line has been a synonym for exclusive charter and tour solutions with luxuriously equipped motorcoaches up and down the US’s Northeast Corridor for over 40 years. Yankee Line is now looking forward to this new “Mercedes-Benz driven” chapter as it continues its legacy of growth and success.
Industry leading safety features
Designed specifically for the North American market, the 13.72-meter (45-ft) three-axle vehicles with a chrome-plated central star set new standards for design, comfort, technology and individuality in the US and Canada. The motorcoaches are also top of the line in terms of efficiency. They feature an optimized aerodynamic shape and low fuel consumption. The air-conditioning system from Eberspächer/Sütrak is also really cool. With an output of 35 kW, it cools the passenger area pleasantly at all times, even when it’s hot outside. The drivers can also keep a cool head at all times with separate 9 kW air conditioning for the driver’s cockpit.
Two versions – two cockpits
Speaking of the cockpit: The Tourrider Business offers the best conditions for pleasant and safe driving with the dynamic and functional Basic Plus cockpit. The Tourrider Premium impresses with the luxuriously functional Comfort Plus cockpit. Both cockpits are ergonomically designed and offer a wide range of practical and innovative functions.
Glass roof and ambient lighting
The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider Premium is available with a panoramic TopSky glass roof and ambient lighting for night trips. LED strips along the luggage racks and underneath the window sills create a pleasant atmosphere and offer greater safety for passengers. The passengers can also enjoy a spacious interior, which is six centimeters (2.36 inches) higher in the Premium version than in the Tourrider Business. Both versions are also optionally available with two wheelchair spaces. The unique lift solution, installed above the drive axle, is easy to operate.
World’s first advanced emergency braking system ABA 5
Safety also plays an important role. The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider is the first motorcoach to be equipped with the standard Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5) system with pedestrian detection. As the world’s first system for buses and coaches, it will brake automatically to a full stop if stationary or moving obstacles, including people, are detected. A radar-assisted adaptive cruise control system also maintains a safe distance at cruise speed.
An eye on pedestrians and drivers at all times
The new safety features of the Tourrider also include the optional Sideguard Assist with pedestrian detection. This system warns the driver if, for example, pedestrians or cyclists appear in the surveillance zone on the curb side of the coach.
The optional Attention Assist (ATAS) keeps an eye on the driver at all times. It provides a visual and audible warning if it detects typical signs of fatigue or inattentiveness. As another safety feature, the Tourrider is to always stay in its lane. The lane departure warning system, a camera system behind the windshield, detects if the vehicle unintentionally strays from the marked lane and alerts the driver.
Crash elements protect drivers
Passive safety was also a design focus. The Front Collision Guard (FCG) offers unique protection for drivers and tour escorts. The system consists of a cross-profile that serves as an underride guard in the event of an accident. The structure behind it consists of crash elements that will absorb energy in a targeted way in the event of an impact. The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider is also equipped with integrated energy absorbing bumpers in the front and the rear of the vehicle.
Powerful technology package
From the Daimler Truck global engine family the Mercedes-Benz OM 471 in-line six-cylinder engine provides dynamic drive power. The engine delivers 336 kW (450 hp) from a displacement of 12.8 l and achieves a maximum torque of 1,550 ft lb (2,102 Nm). It impresses with a powerful technology package consisting of common-rail direct injection with flexible X-Pulse high-pressure injection, charge air cooling, exhaust gas recirculation and SCR technology. The Allison WTB 500R torque converter automatic transmission, which has proven itself in North America over many years, is responsible for power transmission.
Efficient service network
No touring coach is 100% free from breakdowns. Not even the Mercedes-Benz Tourrider. But help will be on its way quickly when needed. Across the whole of the US and Canada, Daimler Coaches North America has an efficient and comprehensive service network. In alignment with Daimler Truck North America’s service and parts distribution networks, operators can rely on more than 700 Detroit Diesel service locations and 18 full coach service centers.