MAN Lion`s Coach - Best tourist bus 2022

Traveling under the sign of Leo

Andrey Filippov, photo by the author

Still, “conveyor” tests, when journalists take turns driving one after another, are not my format. Five minutes to understand the car and a kilometer lap on a sports track is negligible! You have just begun to get used to the dimensions, the controls, have more or less adapted to your workplace, and they are already pushing you to the exit, they say, you have taken a ride yourself - let someone else drive too. But we are talking about a new product that you, in principle, see for the first time! And if this is also the bus you love so much, then it’s a disaster...

On the other hand, in such a short period you don’t have time to get used to the car, and the whole impression is formed only on the primary emotions “like - don’t like”, “comfortable - not convenient”. The assessment turns out to be more honest - certainly objective - doubtful. Rather, this is a chance to understand whether the new model is even worthy of being given so much attention? Looking ahead - if we are talking about the new MAN Lions Coach, then it is more than worthy.

Update? New!

In fact, our regular readers are already familiar with the new passenger “Lion” - the pre-premiere show took place last summer, which we talked about on the pages of the magazine. Now it’s time to test live the modifications intended for the Russian market.

Let's start with the fact that MAN Truck and Bus RUS LLC completely immersed journalists in the atmosphere of intercity transportation, providing, as part of the “Journey under the Sign of the Lion” press tour, the opportunity to ride on the Moscow – St. Petersburg route in a MAN Lions Coach R07 as passengers . Yes, the cabin was not 100% full, but the desire to communicate with colleagues somehow naturally made it possible to completely simulate a real trip on a long-leg route, including arguments with violent gestures and chaotic movement around the cabin.

As a passenger, I will immediately note the excellent noise and vibration insulation. All communication takes place in a calm voice, and if you don’t want someone sitting two rows away to hear you, you’ll have to switch to a whisper. At the same time, nothing rattles or itches either at idle, or during intense acceleration, or on a broken road. Perhaps this is the first time in my memory when I do not make any allowance for the fact that the interior is half empty and there is “semi-asphalt” under the wheels.

In general, there are no complaints about the new product in the cabin. The bus was presented with a 49-seat layout, with a toilet and a kitchen. With this arrangement, there is enough knee room in all rows, including the gallery. Even my favorite “lean back, squeeze the neighbor” test was passed without any questions. The luggage racks are convenient, and the air conditioning system cooled the cabin very quickly.

But there are comments to the designers, and on two points at once.

Firstly, those who sit in the first row have a wide opaque strip running right through the center of the glass - it’s stylish on the outside, but on the inside... A tourist bus you say?..

Secondly, as it turned out experimentally, the curves of the engine compartment lid, which is painted black for the sake of beauty (possibly painted in body color), refract bright sunlight so much that they literally blind those driving behind. Beautiful, but not very safe. We can only hope that our road dirt will quickly reduce the reflection to nothing.

Of course, there are changes in the driver's seat as well. For example, it is now useless to stomp on the floor in search of the steering column adjustment button - it has been replaced by a key with clear symbols on the left “window sill”. Directly below it is a mini-joystick for controlling the mirrors (bravo to ergonomists!), because in reality these are two actions that are connected by one chain when setting up behind the wheel.

In addition, the ergonomics of the front panel as a whole has changed for the better. And the number of different containers for small items and cup holders has increased significantly. In real life, such bonuses are valued much more than the tactile sensations of new plastic or seat upholstery.

But what I didn’t really like was the layout of the sleeping compartment. It is quite narrow and only widens where the driver's head would be. Although there are no complaints about its equipment, there are even three hooks for clothes.

MAN LION'S COACH IS EFFICIENT ON THE ROAD

Do you want to implement your business idea without high costs and need equipment that is not only cutting-edge, but also maximally functional and cost-effective? In this case, the technically and visually improved MAN Lion's Coach will become a respectable and absolutely reliable solution for your fleet. A high-performance coach that shows strength and power to everyone, but is also economical and environmentally friendly.

When Profitability Can Be Amazing

Designed to meet our customers' daily challenges, the MAN Lion's Coach embodies efficiency down to the last detail. The success of the bus in everyday work is based on the fact that entrepreneurs, drivers and passengers alike admire it. For fleet managers, a high degree of efficiency is important due to maximum availability; drivers and passengers value first-class comfort.

Everyday affairs

Traditional question: “What have you improved for the Russian market?” – does not cause confusion among MAN representatives. The features of “our” configuration are primarily and secondarily related to insulation, because where else can you find routes in which you can leave the city with a temperature of +2 °C and arrive at –27 °C 12 hours later? We bend our fingers: a heated windshield and mirrors, a heated Separ filter and a fine fuel filter, a heated driver's seat and an additional heater for it. In addition, a more powerful climate control system was installed and the luggage compartment was insulated.

Taking into account the fact that the MAN Lions Coach is positioned (by the way, quite deservedly) not only as an intercity coach, but also as a tourist one, extended service intervals have been provided for it. Now a bus can travel 140,000 km without an oil change, and the particulate filter is designed for 850,000 km - this is true for Euro 6 engines (in Europe, such intervals are used. In Russia, due to low fuel quality, the parameters are reduced). Taking into account that we are not always able to drive a balloon to the service center, such an offer looks a lot like a gift - a nice gift...

It is worth noting the air suspension with the ability to change the level of ground clearance. Anyone who has experienced our railway crossings in the outback and pontoon crossings with incredible changes in height will appreciate this function.

THE REAL MAN. NEW LION'S COACH.

Attention, MAN fans! The MAN Lion's Coach, a coach and long-distance coach, now comes in a super-current design.

Its new, even more impressive appearance exudes strength and efficiency.
Technical innovations also attract attention. Optimized transmission and innovative auxiliary systems guarantee even more engine power with lower consumption. The new 13-metre variant completes the MAN Lion's Coach range to improve the efficiency of your fleet. You can rely on this lion. Thanks to MAN's extensive experience in the production of commercial vehicles and a wide range of services, the Lion's Coach is characterized by maximum availability and thus optimal load factors.

See for yourself the perfect combination of time-tested and innovative elements in the bus concept.

Even more powerful and economical in the new version

In response to the requirements of the new rollover protection standard, MAN has set itself the goal of improving its well-proven solutions. The result speaks for itself. Thanks to patented MAN technology, the new frame can now absorb 50% more tipping energy. This significantly increases the level of protection for the driver and passengers. A look into the engine bay also shows that efficiency is king here. An optimized transmission coupled with fuel-efficient auxiliary systems increases the power and efficiency of the Lion's Coach while on the road.

Lion's Coach's all-LED headlights enhance active safety

The new headlights are an immediate eye-catcher - they are now made entirely of LED technology, as are the rear lights. The low and high beam headlights now shine further and are 50% brighter. Safety levels are increased and operating costs are reduced. The newly developed, extremely lightweight engine compartment hatch also demonstrates the combination of innovative design and efficiency. Its black lacquered surface not only visually extends the rear window downwards, but is also ideal for advertising. By eliminating steel, corrosion is no longer a problem.

And silence…

Time, time, time! Adaptation in the driver’s seat takes place in the “here’s a drop-off bus for you, fly or you’ll be late” mode. The situation is familiar to everyone who works on the routes, so additional explanations are unnecessary here.

I plop down into a chair with the back upright, move towards the steering wheel and... hang. Hmm, is the engine running or does it need to be started? Not a tremor, not a sound - complete silence. Looks like “encapsulation” really works! It’s good that at least the raised tachometer needle gives a hint that the engine is running and you can drive.

But then the most interesting thing began, because the sensations from the buses turned out to be different, from the word “completely”. The first lap on the “three-axle” went like clockwork, i.e. It’s as if I go on flights on it every day, year after year, - everything is so predictable both in terms of dynamics and the feeling of dimensions. The car writes curves as if with a compass, allowing you to control the process using the side mirrors: you directly physically feel how the rear wheels are running along the very edge of the asphalt, you glance in the mirror - everything is accurate. Diesel locomotive acceleration, coasting, confident braking with the ZF intarder almost to a complete stop.

Depending on the version, the front optics can be lensed or LED

I switch to a “two-axle” and... where is the noticeable increase in dynamics, does the 12-meter seem to be lighter? However, on a real track, when you go out to overtake, you will certainly feel the difference - this is not a track. But the deceleration of “R07” seemed to me simply “nothing” against the background of “R08”, i.e. you seem to click the intarder lever, but the bus flew and flies, and then, when you frantically turn on the maximum deceleration, it suddenly starts abruptly settle down. Different settings? It seemed?

I had to make a couple of runs, concentrating only on braking, and also change to a three-wheel drive again to test my sensations. By the end of the fifth drive of the route, the pointlessness of the process became clear - I adapted, and both buses began to slow down where needed, and in the way needed.

I’m telling you: short-term visits do not give the right picture - ask for additional time!

Otherwise, the MAN Lions Coach is great. Comfortable, clear and incredibly quiet. Even with intense acceleration, the engine is practically inaudible, and when stopping, you periodically glance at the tachometer - has it stalled?

After all, silence... By leaps and bounds

It would seem that not even a year has passed since the premiere of the new MAN Lions Coach, and the bus is already collecting prizes with all its might. In 2022, the intercity car won the Busworld Awards Competition, winning the Grand Coach Award, as well as receiving awards in the Comfort and Design categories. And on March 9, 2022, the liner won the iF Design Award, one of the most prestigious at the international design forum iF International Forum Design in the “Cars/Vehicles/Motorcycles” category. To understand: 63 (!) experts in the field of design were chosen from 6402 declared participants, representing 54 countries. This is the scale!

And MAN Lions Coach is one of the nominees for the “Best Commercial Vehicle of the Year in Russia” competition in the “Tourist/intercity bus” category. Of course, for now the full list of candidates for the prestigious award is kept secret, but as far as I can remember, there are no serious competitors that really fit the essence of the nomination this year...

Technical characteristics of MAN Lion`s Coach R07 and MAN Lion`s Coach R08 buses

* Without WC and extras. fuel tanks.

Star and Lion: new MAN Lion's Coach shown in Poland

Star, as is known, is a “star”. And lion means “lion”. So I went to the Polish plant, which used to be called Star: there was a presentation of the next generation MAN Lion's Coach airliner. And already in September he will come to Russia !

On the lawn of the Polish city of Starachowice in front of the plant where we were brought, there is a three-axle Star military truck from socialist times. These were once assembled here, but the enterprise has long been owned by the German concern MAN, and they make buses, not trucks, here. The Germans demolished some of the workshops, upgraded the remaining ones to European standards, equipped them with modern equipment and produce here about one and a half thousand city and suburban buses a year.

I came here to get acquainted with the “tourist” MAN Lion's Coach of the new generation: it, like the previous one, will be made in Ankara, Turkey, and will be shown to the European public at the October Busworld exhibition in Kortrijk, Belgium. But even earlier, in early September, the bus will arrive at the Moscow Comtrans showroom! In the meantime, the screening was preliminary: the cars were locked tightly, and we had to limit ourselves to the presentation on the screen.

Apparently, the body as a whole remained the same - but the design was thoroughly updated, and the filling was shoveled. In addition to the three length options that existed before, another one has appeared, 13 meters long and biaxial - it, by the way, has the largest luggage compartments (14.3 m³). And the longest version—14 meters and three-axles—can accommodate the most passengers (up to 61 people).

The traditional Manovsky diesel engine of the D26 series has been slightly “twisted” (it develops up to 500 hp), the “robot” gearbox (on powerful versions it comes as standard) shifts even more accurately, and the final drive ratio has been reduced from 3.15 up to 2.73 - which allows not only to reduce fuel consumption, but to further suppress noise and vibration.

The cabin features individual lighting and ventilation with new stepless adjustments, personal USB ports and even tablet holders for convenient viewing of movies on the go. The driver also became more comfortable: he received modern safety assistants.

More profound changes are hidden in the frame: elements made of high-strength steel are integrated there, and the roll bars at the rear and in the area of ​​​​the B-pillar are made of the “pipe-in-pipe” type. This is a consequence of a new EU directive that requires greater energy intensity. Finally, the bus received LED headlights (they are twice as bright as halogen ones) and tail lights.

Naturally, the price is not reported, but, for example, for the 12-meter Lion's Coach of the previous generation in Germany they asked for 245 thousand euros.

Does it look like Moscow? But this is Warsaw, and the “Stalin skyscraper” is the local palace of culture and science. In front of him is a line of Neoplan Tourliner buses, on which journalists from all over Europe were transported to the presentation

And here’s what’s interesting: judging by what we saw, the new “lion” came very close to its brother - the Neoplan Tourliner bus (the luxury Neoplan brand also belongs to the MAN concern, and the journalists were brought from Warsaw to Starachowice on Tourliners). Of course, differences between brands remain - for example, Neoplan is tailored for individual designs - but the aggregate base is identical, the design center is the same, and so is the manufacturing plant.

Neoplan Tourliner at the Polish Lukoil gas station

Following the “lion liner”, the Manovites are preparing an update to the urban model Lion's City - this is exactly what they are doing in Starachowice. Judging by the sketches, it promises to be very impressive!

As for the Lion's Coach, we will offer versions with a 440-horsepower Euro-5 engine and an AS Tronic robot. The predecessor was in demand in Russia: since 2010, 199 two-axle Lion's Coach vehicles and 153 three-axle ones have been sold. We mainly sell four-star options, but there are also three- and five-star ones (they account for 25%). True, in recent years deliveries have decreased, and this year only five three-axle vehicles were sold. But the urban Lion's City has practically no chance in our market, and not even because of the high price: the purchase of imported buses for municipal needs is prohibited.