UD Trucks has re-entered the commuter bus market with the all-new Croner bus, which comes in two variants - a commuter bus (PKE 280) and a rural bus (LKE 210).

With the launch in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, the bus will provide much-needed solutions to the African market as it seeks to improve commuter experience, the company posits.

“The growing demand for sustainable and comfortable travel options has been a significant development over the past few years. The Croner bus is the perfect answer to Africa's need for an economical, sustainable ride that will reduce carbon footprint,” says UD Trucks International Sales senior VP Jacques Michel.

In Southern Africa, UD Trucks has manufactured trucks for more than 60 years, through the company’s manufacturing plant located in Rosslyn. In addition to truck manufacturing, UD Trucks has made buses since the 1970s with the first CB20 model. This was followed by the CB30 in the 1980s and the UD60 and UD100 models in the 1990s.

“It is an exciting time for our organisation, a new chapter. We are proud to extend our Croner product line into the bus market while still maintaining the same quality, architectural design, and reliability,” says UD Trucks Southern African MD says Filip van den Heede.

The Croner bus connects rural communities with economic hubs, workers with the workplace, in summary, commuters with their destinations, enhancing people's lives, the company highlights. Moreover, the Croner bus features USB ports on all seats.

Both the PKE 280 and LKE 210 buses are based on the same architecture as the South African medium duty leader, UD Trucks Croner. As such, they are engineered to ensure quality, durability and fuel efficiency, the company says.

The Croner bus PKE 280 can comfortably seat 65 and ten standing passengers, offering reliable, economical and comfortable urban transportation both to remote rural areas and to urban centres throughout Africa.

This variant is powered by a D8A280 engine that meets Euro III and Euro V emissions standards while also noted to be fuel-efficient and equipped with high capacity.

Croner bus LKE 210 and LKE 240 can accommodate 40 passengers in seating and 12 standing. The D5A210 and D5A240 Euro V engines in this variety deliver good torque even at low speeds, the company notes.

The expansion of UD Trucks transportation solutions into the African market, in particular, is expected to improve efficiency and accessibility and, at the same time, reduce environmental, social and economic costs for commuters. With Euro 5 and selective catalyst reduction, it addresses safer environmental challenges while meeting current market demands.

Croner bus design prioritises passenger safety and comfort among other critical features. For improved safety and visibility, bus entrances are illuminated to enhance commuter safety.

Providing support for standing passengers and preventing them from falling while the bus is in motion with full-length handrails enhances the ergonomic features and safety of the bus. As well as the driver's seat belt, each unprotected seat has a lap-type safety belt to protect against sudden stops or collision.

The PKE 280 buses come with an electronically controlled air suspension system that is designed to improve driving comfort, contributing to better vehicle ergonomics. On the move, the system automatically controls chassis height and compensates for uneven weight distribution to ensure the bus is balanced.

Based on a Croner chassis with a high front and rear axle rating, the PKE 280 is a lightweight but durable vehicle. Because of the reduction in chassis and bus weight, the bus can carry high loads of luggage inside and outside the coach. The increased carrying capacity of the bus enables the customer to carry more load thus maximising productivity, the company outlines.  

As part of its vehicle health monitoring feature, UD Telematics has been implemented, which comprises customer and dealer telematics and displays all critical alerts from our buses. In this manner, the vehicle is brought to the workshop in time to ensure maximum customer uptime.