Volvo Launches New 9600 Platform Buses In India

Volvo buses India has launched the new 9600 platform in India with a pair of new buses. The 9600 series buses are available in two sizes – 13.5 metres in 4x2 specification and 15 metres in 6x2 specification - as either seater or sleeper coaches from the factory. Powering the buses is an 8.0-litre diesel engine developing 349 bhp at 2200rpm and 1,350 Nm at 1200-1600rpm. The unit is paired to an automated manual gearbox and drives the rear wheels (only one axle on the 6x2 model).

The buses also come equipped with safety systems such as hill start assist and electronic stability control as standard.

Volvo says that the 13.5m 9600 bus can seat up to 47 passengers in seater configuration or up to 36 occupants in sleeper coach configuration. The larger 6x2 15 metre 9600 meanwhile can seat up to 55 passengers with the sleeper configuration offering bunk space for up to 40 occupants.

Akash Passey, President, Bus Division, VECV, said, “The Volvo 9600 platform merges award-winning bus design, technology and manufacturing processes with our successful ‘Make-In-India’ journey. As the bus industry recovers from a very tough period, Bus Operators continue to count on us to deliver solutions that address the aspirations of inter-city passengers for safe, luxurious, and globally contemporary coaches.”

The luggage storage capacity also varies depending on the coach’s cabin configuration with the seater offering a higher storage capacity of up to 15.1 cubic metres (15,100 litres approx.) and 13.6 cubic metres (13,600 litres approx.) for the 15 metre and 13.5 metre models respectively. In sleeper configuration, this space is reduced to 9.2 cubic metres (9,200 litres approx.) and 8.1 cubic metres (8,100 litres) respectively.

The new coaches will be manufactured at VE Commercial Vehicle’s Hosakote plant in Karnataka.