MAN Lion’s City
More efficient and environmentally-friendly than ever
- Customised transport solutions to meet urban demands
- City bus consistently product-optimised
- A wealth of new features for increased safety, efficiency
and sustainability
MAN has a wide-ranging city bus portfolio that covers the mobility requirements of different cities. This includes the transport capacity aspect such as vehicle length and vehicle concepts (number of doors, internal design, low-floor, low-entry) as well as different drive types. Thanks to the option of running almost all Lion’s City models on biodiesel, MAN offers a full product range with alternative drive systems, alongside the tried and tested Lion’s City Hybrid. This is complemented by a wide range of gas-powered buses capable of running on biogas. MAN is the market leader for natural-gas drive technology buses, having sold over 8,000 units since 2000 (buses, chassis, engines). In total, this represents a wide range of mature, sustainable and CO2 efficient as well as economical, forward-looking technology.
MAN city buses – safe, efficient, comfortable
The motto of Busworld 2015 in Kortrijk, “Sustainable Mobility”, is reflected particularly well by the evolution of the city bus MAN Lion´s City. Over the past three years, the Lion’s City has been consistently product-optimised in order to offer customers top quality and maximum benefit. The key measures implemented: weight optimisation, improved serviceability, greater passenger capacity as well as significantly lower fuel consumption. Particular attention has been paid to efficiency and optimisation of fuel consumption. In addition to various weight-reducing measures and Euro 6 exhaust technology, there are also features such as Idle Shutdown and improved automatic transmission software as well as power-saving interior lighting and LED displays. Other features, such as ZF EcoLife Step 3 (software update), the two-stage air compressor with an auto-idle fuel system and the optimised cowl flap, help to reduce fuel consumption. The optimised cowl flap results in improved air flow characteristics, meaning that the engine cooling system has less work to do, thus reducing the amount of energy required. All in all, this can cut fuel consumption by as much as 0.3 l per 100 km, if cleaned regularly.
Also, various steps have been taken to make the vehicle lighter (by approximately 200 kg for the 12-metre bus): weight-optimised air-conditioning (Spheros), the new lightweight and ergonomic City Light seat generation as well as various changes to the frame and chassis. The new type 4 CNG storage system (available from 2016) also significantly reduces the weight of MAN gas buses.
As of the spring of 2016, the Lion’s City will also be available with DIWA6 from Voith. Customers not only benefit from a marked reduction in fuel consumption, but also from lower noise emissions, achieved by optimum integration of the gearbox in the MAN drivetrain.
Altogether, the consumption of the new, more efficient Euro 6 city bus has been reduced by about 10 % compared to the EEV. Overall, the weight-saving measures increase the maximum passenger capacity by three.
In addition to efficiency-boosting measures, MAN has also extensively developed its city bus portfolio in terms of comfort and safety. As regards safety, the Lion’s City really scores thanks to its torsion-resistant frame, ESP, EBS, engine start lock, emergency brake signal, rain/light sensor and automatically closing skylights. When the vehicle moves off from a standstill with forebody and afterbody at a fairly tight angle, the electric articulation control system for articulated buses prevents pushing over the central axle. This ensures that the driver has sufficient torque to manoeuvre the vehicle safely and comfortably in any situation.
In terms of comfort, MAN is one of the first manufacturers of city buses to offer the new ISRI NTS2 generation of driver’s seats as standard, with MAN placing particular emphasis on comfort and ergonomics in the cockpit, the driver’s workplace. Key features here are lumbar support (specially formed backrest), the 3D adjustable seat, adjustable armrests as well as seat air conditioning. The convenient low-floor axle also contributes significantly to increased comfort, as does the new City Light generation of seats and the more efficient range of air conditioners.
MAN has taken the growing importance of life-cycle costs (LCC) into account by making a wide range of improvements in the area of serviceability. Segmented side walls significantly reduce downtime and repair expenses in the event of damage.
Another highlight at the fair are MAN’s new city bus doors. With the completely new development of a city bus door available as an interior swing door (IST) or an exterior swing door (AST), MAN caters for the need for a durably reliable, robust and maintenance-free solution for tough everyday conditions. The new MAN doors will initially be available in single and double-leaf versions, as an AST with either pneumatic or electric drive as well as in a double-leaf version as an IST (pneumatic/electric drive). A variety of technical innovations has resulted in significant quality improvements and thus to a reduction in susceptibility to failure in comparison to the solutions currently on the market.
The door motion is more harmonious, faster and quieter and no lubrication or adjustment is required. The innovative, fully encased drive unit is sturdier and better protected against dirt than existing systems. The new MAN doors are a technical innovation thanks to their reduced complexity (strain-free mounting in every door position) and the use of wear-free components as well as through optimised sensing and cable routing. For further information, just talk to one of the MAN experts at the fair.
The Lion’s City is characterised by new design elements and improved passenger comfort. The exterior features a black middle front flap, giving all of MAN’s models a uniform appearance. Then there are the LED daytime lights, which not only improve the appearance of the buses, but also increase safety. Traffic safety studies have proven that the use of daytime lights increases road traffic safety. According to TÜV, vehicles with daytime lights are seen more easily and quickly, especially when turning left. This is particularly the case in poor visibility conditions. Safety is also improved when driving along tree-lined avenues, between blocks of houses, when the sun is low in the sky and on country roads with frequently changing light conditions. In addition, daytime lights make it easier to estimate distances more accurately, thus reducing reaction times.
In the interior, the LED lighting provides a pleasant atmosphere. Exclusive, high-quality upholstery fabrics in sophisticated, elegant colours complete the feel-good ambience for passengers. The modern interior concept is rounded off by USB charging sockets on selected seats and the technical preconditions for fitting a WLAN router. A point of particular note is the glazed side wall of the standing platform, which matches the interior fittings perfectly.
MAN’s leadership of the city bus market with the Lion’s City is emphasised by it having won the “Bus of the Year 2015” award. This is where the Lion’s City GL CNG managed to beat off its competitors Mercedes-Benz Citaro G, Iveco Urbanway Hybrid, Scania Citywide LF CNG and VDL Citea SLFA-180.
