Higer KLQ6129GHEV3 – hybrid electric city bus

KLQ6129GHEV3

Chinese Higer KLQ6129GHEV3 Hybrid Electric City Bus manufactured by King Long United Automotive Industry (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (an automobile plant in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China; produces a variety of vehicles, including hybrid electric city buses King Long , Higer); The hybrid electric city bus is based on the KLQ6128GHEV3 chassis. Curb weight of the Chinese hybrid electric bus is 12400 kg, gross weight 18000 kg, engine SC8DK215Q3, total seats 86/24-42 (including driver), wheelbase 6100 mm, max. speed 80 km/h.

Technical Specifications of China Higer Hybrid Electric Bus

general information

Engine of Chinese hybrid electric bus Higer KLQ6129GHEV3

Dimensions and weight of Chinese hybrid electric bus Higer KLQ6129GHEV3

Wheels and tires

Other technical characteristics

Additional Information

The model allows approved for sale in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Dalian, Changchun, Wuhan, Nanchang, Kunming, Jinan, Changsha, Chongqing, Hefei, Tianjin, Haikou, Zhengzhou, Xiamen, Suzhou, Tangshan, Nanjing and Guangzhou. (Note: There may be inaccuracies)

HIGER KLQ6129Q

The carrier from whom I have been ordering buses for the last five years has always purchased used Neoplans in Europe, but, unfortunately, high customs duties took their toll, and at his own risk, he decided to buy a new Chinese Higer KLQ6129Q bus a year and a half ago. “And what is this bus like?” – those who are just looking closely at such technology have asked more than once. Anticipating widespread interest, I decided to share my impressions of the car with the readers of Truck Press magazine. Externally, the Higer stands out among other buses from China and has some similarities with the Spanish Irizar Century. The bus body is made on a tubular frame, which provides a high level of rigidity and strength. Its steel casing is coated with anti-corrosion coating, trunk lids are made of aluminum alloy, and the front and rear walls are made of plastic. The body is painted with DUPONT paint. During operation there were no complaints about the body. The rigidity declared by the manufacturer fully justified itself. At present, it has not become loose at all and, one might say, has remained the same as it was at the time of acquisition. Inexperienced Russian passengers are satisfied with the interior of the bus. The salon is very cozy. The colors are chosen so that it seems light and spacious. The chairs have comfortable folding armrests and foot rests. The seats have tilt adjustments and the outer ones extend into the aisle, but it takes some effort to recline the backrest. And the seat cushions are very hard. Compared to the Neoplans I’m used to, the seats on the Higer seem worse. But this is how they were two years ago, now, it seems, they are installing different, more comfortable seats. Inspecting the interior, you can find that there are no traumatic protrusions, and all elements are made aesthetically and quite competently. The lighting in the cabin is evenly distributed thanks to practical daytime running lamps, which are located under plastic covers at the edge of the roof racks. Thus, the light source stretches along the entire length of the cabin in two bright parallel lines. There is a dim “night light” in the roof vent. As expected in a bus of this class, each seat is equipped with a reading lamp and air supply adjustment. There is a speaker above each pair of seats. The flat monitor folds up to the ceiling very conveniently. Before a trip on other buses, in order to make a roll call of passengers according to the list, I stand higher near the cabin in front of the cabin and always hit my head on the TV attached to the ceiling. There is no such problem here. Thanks to the strong heating system (liquid from the engine cooling system) and the operation of the autonomous heater, the cabin is very warm in winter. It happens that passengers even demand to turn off the heating, it is too hot from the operation of these devices. It’s just that the heaters themselves look unsightly; in a stylish interior they don’t look very good. Just a metal box screwed into the floor. To prevent heat from escaping in winter, I had to seal the ventilation grilles above the luggage racks with tape, since in winter a little cold air blows through them. But this is the only source of cold; there are no cracks at the doors or anywhere else in the body. Sound insulation is excellent. At maximum engine speed you can talk without straining. The silence is broken only by the hum of the gearbox. The aggregate base of the bus is made up of various components, like cubes. Our example does not have the most powerful 300-horsepower Cummins diesel engine made in China. During operation, the engine showed itself only on the good side. The six-speed manual synchronized gearbox is also Chinese, manufactured using ZF technology. The gear shift pattern used is unusual - backwards, which, of course, creates inconvenience for those who get behind the wheel after using domestic vehicles. The clutch is single-disc, hydraulically driven. In this configuration of the engine and gearbox, the bus overcomes all long climbs easily. Fuel consumption is quite modest - 25–26 l/100 km. The bus suspension is pneumatic from Neway with hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers and anti-roll bar. There are four air springs at the rear, which ensures a smooth ride. But the front suspension is a bit harsh, apparently due to the semi-springs. Drum brakes with separate circuits for front and rear wheels with Wabco anti-lock braking system. Drivers praise the braking system, saying that they have never seen anything better. As soon as your foot is on the pedal, the brake is already applied. The parking brake system is driven by spring energy accumulators. There is a Telma retarder, the benefits of which any truck driver knows. Its skillful use extends the life of the linings, and at the moment they look like new. The handling of the bus is at the highest level. There is no unnecessary effort on the steering wheel or pedals. The driver's commands on all controls are processed perfectly. However, due to the tires installed at the factory, the bus’s “tail” skidded somewhat. When the tires were changed (Double Coin was installed), everything became as it should. The instrument panel is not cluttered with frills, all controls are located within reach. Everything is done quite simply and functionally. The driver's seat is at an average level in terms of comfort; there have been more comfortable ones, but the comfort is sufficient for work. It is adjustable in all necessary directions, adjustable to any height. It’s a pity that the seat suspension is spring, but I would like it to be pneumatic. Add to this the stiff front suspension. After all, Russian roads are not polished parquet, and you don’t want to feel the potholes. There are no complaints about visibility. Huge glass and mirrors allow you to see the surroundings. The designers also took care of safety. For example, it is impossible to start the engine when the speed is on. To avoid injury to anyone during servicing, it is also impossible to start the engine from the driver's seat while the engine compartment lid is open. For safe reverse parking, a rearview camera is provided, and a monitor for it is installed on the dashboard. There is definitely some benefit from this camera, but the view is not as panoramic as we would like. The basic package includes xenon main headlights, fog lights, two-speed windshield wipers, a windshield washer, electrically heated rear-view mirrors, a DVD player, two 15-inch LCDs -monitor, electronic clock, automatic lubrication system. Additional equipment is available upon request: toilet, refrigerator, boiler. Among the obvious shortcomings, few can be noted. The weak point is the electrical wiring. Agree, it’s unpleasant when some lamp or electrical appliance suddenly stops working during a flight. Another drawback is the noise of the rear axle gearbox. This problem affects almost all buses of this model. All carriers note this unpleasant feature. When the bus was brought to the service center, the specialists could not understand the cause of the hum (otherwise they would have eliminated it long ago). Obviously, this information is for the manufacturer to think about. What can you say about the car in general? The Higer KLQ6129Q bus is a worthy participant in the transportation market and poses serious competition to other bus manufacturers. If you close your eyes to some shortcomings, then perhaps this is the best Chinese bus in its class. However, I would like these shortcomings to be eradicated. The bus survived two winters and one summer, and worked wonderfully in any season. There was no case where some kind of malfunction kept the bus against the wall for a long time. Maybe a year and a half of operation does not make it possible to fully judge what this bus is like in essence, or maybe the carrier came across a “random” good copy. I know firsthand that on many Chinese buses, much larger “sores” are identified in a shorter time. Therefore, Higer gives one more time to think about his superiority over his fellow countrymen.

Manufacturer's Note Higer is the trade name of the bus manufactured by Higer Bus Company Limited. In Russian the name is pronounced "Higer". However, this brand should not be confused with another bus brand from China, which is written HAIGER. This is a different product. Higer buses cover almost all standard sizes (from small to extra large articulated) and for any operating conditions (urban, suburban, intercity transportation, tourism, business trips). For export versions of buses, chassis and units from the world's leading manufacturers are used: Scania, Cummins, Hino, ZF, Wabco. About 300 different models are exported to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, including Qatar, Syria, Angola, Singapore, Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Thailand, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and the Bahamas. At least one coach was sold in the United States (New Orleans). There are right-hand drive versions for Malaysia. In Russia, Higer brand buses are represented.

Secrets of birth If anyone has some idea about the main models of buses from Europe, they will immediately notice that externally the KLQ6129Q is very similar to the Spanish Irizar Century bus. Did you copy it again? However, this is not the case with the Higer model. The fact is that the previous model of the A80 family (KLQ6128QA) was entirely developed with the assistance of specialists from Scania (the main chassis supplier for the Irizar), and the bus was exactly like its Spanish counterpart. Only new optics distinguished the Chinese bus - you have to at least somehow distinguish them. But the model, obviously, turned out to be too expensive for most consumers in poor developing countries, and in Europe, understandably, they were in no hurry to purchase the Chinese version of the Higer-Scania-Irizar. That’s why a cheaper and simpler model appeared – KLQ6129Q.

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Tourist bus Higer. "Premium" in Chinese

Against the backdrop of rapidly rising prices, Russians are increasingly turning their attention to the Chinese automobile industry. But it’s one thing to take an inexpensive car or crossover, and quite another to take a bus that costs more than 6 million rubles. We found out whether the “Chinese” is worth that kind of money

Mikhail Bibichev and Mikhail Ozherelyev
The Higer KLQ6119TQ tourist bus model, well-known on the Russian market, has undergone a radical modernization. Upon closer examination, we found out that compared to its predecessor, the new product has become longer, more spacious, more powerful and more comfortable.

Higer KLQ6119TQ. Overall length: 12.5 m. Start of sales: January 2014 Price: from RUB 6,100,000.

Photos of the authors

The appearance of the machine is similar to the Higer KLQ6129Q model

The Chinese company that produces Higer buses is relatively young - founded in 1998. Despite this, it has gained great popularity and recognition, and is also one of the leaders in the Chinese bus industry. In Russia, Higer buses have been sold for several years and are present in almost all market segments: urban, suburban and tourist.

The new 55-seat tourist Higer KLQ6119TQ received the Russian OTTS at the beginning of 2014, and its first appearance to the general public took place at the World of Buses 2014 festival in Kolomna.

In appearance, the car resembles the previous 47-seater model, sold here since 2008. This is probably why the manufacturer decided to use the same model index, which introduced some confusion into the catalog. However, the distributor has already found a way out of the situation by adding the prefix “Premium” to the designation of the new bus. This is how it is identified by most clients.

So, Higer KLQ6119TQ “Premium” is a completely new bus that has little in common with its predecessor. When creating it, the Chinese manufacturer was guided by the European competitor MAN Lion's Regio. The main features were increased passenger capacity and comfort. The car, which can accommodate 55 passengers and is 12.5 m long, has a wheelbase of 6200 mm. In terms of capacity, the new product surpasses the 6129 model, which until recently was the flagship of the Higer model range. According to sellers, carriers operating on intercity routes find this model more interesting.

The driver's workplace with an air-suspended seat does not cause any complaints, but the gearbox lever somewhat limits access to the seat

The body was also generally borrowed from the 29th model, only the rear overhang was lengthened. According to the description, the body structure is semi-supporting. This means that spars are used as the basis for the load-bearing frame. The body design meets European safety standards. She received increased attention. It should be noted that Higer subjects its buses to actual (not calculated) rollover rigidity tests. All elements of the power frame are subjected to cataphoresis treatment (Higer launched the cataphoresis line in 2012). The sides of the body are sheathed with galvanized sheets, the hatches are made of aluminum, and the front and rear masks are made of plastic. Adaptation for Russian conditions provides for additional thermal insulation of the sides and ceiling (foam) plus tinted double-glazed windows.

The luggage compartments are quite spacious; in addition, they are pass-through and allow luggage to be removed from any side of the car.

You can get inside the cabin through two single-leaf doors, one located in the front overhang, the other in the central part of the body. To prevent ice from accumulating on the steps, so-called door heaters are provided at both doors. The bus interior is spacious, bright and pleasant; the interior is dominated by light gray tones of the side and ceiling panels. The cabin has 55 comfortable seats arranged in 4 rows. In the central rows there is the possibility of transverse displacement towards the aisle. All seats are equipped with seat belts, but there are no folding tables in the backs. Nevertheless, there can be many options for seats (manov ones can also be offered to order), there are also plenty of upholstery options, but velor upholstery of the backrest and cushions for intercity buses is considered the most practical. By the way, this solution was borrowed from the Scania-Higer project. “Now, due to the fact that we began to cooperate with Sca-nia, we began to use velor for seats,” explained the product manager.

On the left in the rear overhang there is an auxiliary heater and a urea tank

As befits “tourists”, in the cabin above the windows there are spacious luggage racks for hand luggage of passengers, equipped with additional luggage securing using a regular elastic band, which, in fact, is enough - simple and original. The driver and passengers have individual lighting and ventilation units at their disposal. Air conditioning and Spheros auxiliary heater are offered as standard. It is also worth noting the absence of a pungent odor in the cabin, which, unfortunately, is inherent in cars produced in the Middle Kingdom.

The layout of the engine compartment is not tight; the power unit itself is equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system

The driver's workplace is not much different from its predecessor. A complete abundance of major and minor appliances. For example, an indicator of malfunction of air suspension cylinders is displayed on the central panel, and a central lubrication control device is located next to it. On the left hand of the driver are the keys for turning on the interior lighting and the air conditioner display. Adjacent to them is a rather archaic dial for the urea level indicator. But there is no tachograph as standard. This equipment will have to be ordered separately. The air-suspended driver's seat with a comfortable backrest and the necessary number of adjustments is quite comfortable. But the passage to it is somewhat limited by the gearbox lever with a handle made to look like wood.

Using this mount you can lower the spare wheel mounted on the front overhang

Continuing the external inspection of the liner, we can safely say that passengers will not have any problems with placing luggage: the luggage compartments are quite spacious, in addition, they are end-to-end and allow luggage to be removed from any side of the car, and are divided across by braces that prevent luggage from moving during sudden braking or overclocking. In addition to luggage compartments, there are also technological compartments on the sides: this is a battery unit, an auxiliary heater, a washer reservoir, a urea tank, etc. The hood of the car is also quite wide and provides free access to engine components and assemblies.

The entire component base is taken from the 6129 model: 340-horsepower Cummins ISLe in Euro-4 version (from 2015 there will be Euro-5), 6-speed gearbox, dependent air suspension, transmission electrodynamic retarder with 4-position switching.

Interestingly, the front suspension uses not ordinary trailing arms or leaf springs as a guiding device, but a beam spring with an air spring placed above the axle beam. For ease of maintenance of the chassis components, a standard centralized lubrication system is provided.

While on the move, the bus pleased me with its driving performance. From the passenger's point of view, the car is quite suitable for its purpose. Comfortable soft armchairs, a spacious and bright interior create a comfortable environment for travel. From the driver's point of view, there are also no particular complaints. Visibility was excellent. Sufficiently convenient mirrors allow you to control the situation around the car quite well. Higer KLQ6119TQ “Premium” behaves wonderfully on the road: confident acceleration, maneuverability, refined reactions to steering wheel turns, excellent brakes and a soft ride. The 6-speed manual gearbox did not surprise us in any way, but there were no complaints about its performance during our acquaintance.

The interior of the bus is quite modern and is made in light gray tones.

To summarize, it is worth saying that the car warranty is 2 years without mileage limitation, and the service interval is 15 thousand km. In addition, there is an 8-year body warranty against perforation corrosion.

Today (distributor of the Higer brand) has its own service in Moscow plus 33 service partners in Russia. The company sells about 400 Higer buses annually. Today, their fleet in Russia numbers about 4.5 thousand units, and the new Higer KLQ6119TQ “Premium” model is designed to consolidate this success.

Unfortunately, the backs of the chairs do not have folding tables, but the middle ones have the possibility of lateral displacement towards the aisle

NOTE

RELIABLE. The bottom of the engine is tightly closed with steel protection.

ORIGINAL. The luggage on the shelf is secured with an elastic band.

pros

A modern interior with comfortable seats, a well-organized driver's workplace with an air-suspended seat, spacious luggage compartments, and a good ride.

Minuses

The gearshift lever somewhat restricts the passage to the driver's seat.

SPECIFICATIONS

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