The turquoise-colored Citaro buses delivered to Japan are right-hand drive vehicles, but the company says their equipment is similar to that used by mass transit companies in Europe.
The ten Citaro buses are powered by the proven Mercedes-Benz OM 457 hLA inline six-cylinder engine in a horizontal arrangement. The low-emission engines comply with the Euro 5 emissions limit.
The power unit fitted in the buses output 260 kW and a maximum torque of 1,600 Nm at 1,100 rpm, which means they are still able to accelerate at a rapid pace even when it is fully occupied with 43 sitting and 85 standing passengers.
The Japanese company also highly appreciates the safety features of the bus, such as CCTV to help the driver monitor the area around the doors as well as the passenger compartment. Additional standard equipment features include the antilock braking system and acceleration skid control, whereby the latter can be turned off.
The Citaro was also chosen due to its low life cycle costs, high reliability, and continuous enhancement, Keisei Bus representatives say.
Yesterday, Daimler Buses released a statement posting sales figures for 2009 and revealing future plans, including their goal is to grow twice as much as the global bus market. The new contract with Keisei Bus seems to place the company on the right track in fulfilling its ambitions for 2010.
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