Review of Scania A80 and Scania A80 “Lux”: features, advantages and differences between the models

Daniil Minaev.

This bus, despite all its external similarities, is not a Scania Higer A80, not an updated OmniExpress, and certainly not a “Cruise”. The listed models have in common only the basic chassis, but the constructive approach to creating the final product is completely different. Scania Touring is the subject of today’s conversation, a snow-white airliner aimed at the discerning European, not only a passenger, but also a driver and a mechanic. Russian customers, despite economic difficulties, have recently given preference to the Touring model, although they previously actively purchased the related, but simpler Scania Higer A80.

Snow-white liner

Scania Touring is not so young; the premiere of this bus took place in 2009 at the Busworld exhibition. The body and chassis are designed in Sweden, and production, organized in cooperation with Higer, is located in Shanghai. Touring cars come in different lengths and can have two or three axles. On request, the bus will be additionally equipped with a kitchen, toilet and driver’s berth, but Russian customers today prefer the simplest configurations without these amenities. But even in the basic equipment of the bus there is a lot of useful and interesting equipment, which I will touch on when describing systems and assemblies. For now, I’ll just note some details: automatically opening luggage hatches with pneumatic drive, the luggage compartment itself is ventilated, with a volume of up to 10 m3, depending on the equipment of the bus. The passenger compartment has 19-inch monitors, a video surveillance system, seats with a center offset function and adjustable footrests. There is no need to mention the air conditioning system, convector heating with an additional autonomous liquid heater and individual ceiling lamps - this goes without saying.

The driver's workplace, the parking brake valve is deeply and securely hidden on the left side, apparently, they were afraid of inadequate passengers...

Scania A80

This is a spacious tourist bus designed for intercity transportation. The model is designed for 51 passengers. The guide has a separate seat with armrests, a 3-point seat belt and a microphone.

Glazing . The side and rear windows are tinted double-glazed windows, so that bright sunlight is muffled, and passengers can sleep peacefully at any time of the day. If the sun still bothers you, you can close it with a curtain. Electrically heated windshield.

Interior . For each passenger there is an individual unit with airflow, lighting and a “Stop” button. The cabin has a digital clock and an outside temperature indicator. What else is interesting:

• radio and MP3 player - there are speakers both in the driver’s area and in the passenger compartment, so everyone can enjoy pleasant music;
• CD, DVD - thanks to 17” TFT monitors, you can watch films, cartoons or videos about the places you are going to visit on the road;
• closed-circuit television surveillance system - this option is provided for the safety of passengers and the peaceful resolution of conflict situations;
• Rear view camera - provides good visibility behind the car, making parking and reversing easier for the driver.

Seats . The model is equipped with Vega seats. The seats have the function of moving to the center and adjusting the backrest, so you can sit or lie in the most comfortable position. And for the convenience of passengers, armrests and footrests are provided. There are seat belts: for seats located in open areas, they are 3-point, and for the rest - 2-point.

Heating . In winter, you won’t freeze in this bus: there is an autonomous Webasto Thermo 300 heater, which quickly heats the interior and maintains a comfortable temperature. Thanks to convector heating, all the heat is evenly distributed throughout the bus. The air conditioner is working.

Luggage compartment . For large luggage, there is a separate compartment under the floor with a capacity of 7,500 liters. There are also special shelves for hand luggage in the cabin, just like on an airplane. Small personal items can be stored in the net located behind each seat.

Invisible differences

To most accurately explain the philosophy of Scania Touring, I will give a humorous, not entirely parallel, but quite clear example from our recent history. In the best times for the Soviet automobile industry, many of our brands and models were exported. It was the export versions of our cars that were the pipe dream of a simple Soviet buyer, but with a certain amount of “blat” they could sometimes fall into the hands of a wealthy citizen of a totalitarian empire. The fact is that the export version meant not only significantly better assembly and painting quality, a beautiful color, but also such pleasant little things as an improved interior with a radio, imported lighting equipment and a whole range of high-quality foreign components that are in very short supply. So it is here. The A80 brother bus is built to a greater extent on components localized or simply produced in the Middle Kingdom. In addition to the main units, Touring has completely Swedish electrical wiring with its own special “intelligent” multiplex system, Kiel Avance passenger seats of German-American origin, and the noble origin of all finishing materials.

Thanks to the system of hatches and openable flaps, access to the engine compartment is very convenient

...and if, by opening the locks, we lift the wheel arch linings, then we have excellent access to the front suspension and a whole set of components

The total volume of the luggage compartment is 10 m3

The mirror pillars do not protrude beyond the width of the bus and are equipped with additional spherical mirror elements in the middle of the bracket for better control of blind spots and curbs

Panoramic view and smooth ride

Another feature of Scania Touring is common to many European buses - remote pillars with rear-view mirrors. In Touring, they do not protrude beyond the width of the bus and are equipped with additional spherical mirror elements in the middle of the bracket for better control of blind spots and curbs. The driver has no problems with visibility: a huge panoramic windshield with invisible, but very useful heating threads and thin pillars on the sides. To help the driver, there is a small monitor on the right hand, which broadcasts images from several cameras, thanks to which you can always see overtaking vehicles, minimize blind spots and protect yourself when reversing. In the dark, xenon headlights will help you cope with the road; in daylight, LED running lights will help you recognize the bus from afar. On the right side of the “torpedo” there is a refrigerator for drinks. The chassis confidently endures road adversities, demonstrating a normal smooth ride, lazily swaying with long overhangs. Now is the time to look into the engine compartment.

DC 13 engine (400 hp, 2100 Nm) with separate cylinder heads

Features of the bus version of the engine: a “multi-layer” crankshaft pulley with a separate outlet for a giant air conditioning compressor mounted on an elastic support. For stable operation of the belt drive, an additional stretcher with a threaded coupling is used

The transmission perspective clearly indicates the excellent aerodynamics of the bus

The transmission perspective clearly indicates the excellent aerodynamics of the bus

Engine compartment

The 13-liter, 400-horsepower Scania DC 13 engine of the fifth environmental class is practically inaudible inside: from the driver’s seat, all information about the operation of the power unit can be analyzed only by instruments, no noise, no vibrations.
It’s just that 2100 Nm of torque already from one thousand revolutions per minute does not require much effort, especially without passengers. Similar engines are installed on other Scania vehicles, but the bus version, in addition to adjusting the external speed characteristics, also involves some mechanical differences, mainly in the drive of auxiliary units. Therefore, there are two powerful 150 A generators, a “multi-layer” crankshaft pulley with a separate output to a giant air conditioning compressor mounted on an elastic support. For stable operation of the belt drive, an additional stretcher with a threaded coupling is used. They didn’t forget about the service console in the engine compartment, and about the additional terminals of the pneumatic system, grouped on a separate panel on the right. This engine is paired with the familiar, latest-generation Opticruise GR875 8-speed automatic transmission, without a clutch pedal. Technical characteristics of the Scania Touring K400 IB4x2NB bus

K380IB 4×2 Higer A80 touring

Tourist bus Scania (Scania) Higer A80 K380IB 4×2 - number of seats: 47+1+1 / up to 165 people

• Characteristics
• Cabin
• Chassis/Brakes
• Engine/Gearbox
• Systems and equipment