Prevost has reimagined the motorcoach in grand style. Owned by Volvo since 1995, the Canadian outfit rolled out a thoroughly redesigned H3-45 with up to 12 percent greater fuel efficiency than its predecessor, 50 percent less driver area noise, and 40 percent brighter LED headlights.
“That’s a little boring” might spring to mind, and their point of view is completely right. This industry doesn’t have the glamor of the super sports car segment, but on the other hand, motorcoaches are very different by design. Can your 2024 model year Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray seat 56 in relative comfort? Does it pack 1,700 pound-feet (2,300 Nm) of torque at 1,100 revolutions per minute? Does it feature 70 percent better wiper coverage than the previous-generation Chevrolet Corvette? Ha!
Jokes aside, motorcoach novelties are boring to those who can’t picture themselves in the driver and passenger seats of a motorcoach.
6 percent cleaner than the Environmental Protection Agency’s current requirements, the H3-45 further boasts a full-color instrument cluster flanked by traditional gauges. The driver’s area was understandably designed with utmost focus on ergonomics and adjustability because driving so many souls for so many long hours isn’t exactly an easy job.
As far as passengers are concerned, the redesigned stair is joined by an updated handrail, a curved entranceway, and brighter lighting. The redesigned window layout and Cloud One seating are highlights in their own right, as is the 13-percent-wider access door on the driver’s side. Compared to the outgoing H3-45, the newly added front access panel provides easy access to key components, assuring excellent uptime.
45 feet (13.7 meters) long, the 2023 model year Prevost H3-45 further sweetens the deal with 460 cubic feet (13,026 liters) of underfloor capacity. The Mazda MX-5 Miata, by comparison, makes do with 4.6 cubic feet (130 liters) in the trunk. It’s also quite a bit lighter, with Prevost quoting a wet weight of 39,468 pounds (17,940 kilograms) as standard.
The Volvo-designed D13 engine is a straight-six torque monster, as you already know from a few paragraphs ago. It also puts out 435 horsepower with relative ease, for it doesn’t need to rev its heart out to develop peak horsepower. The standard transmission comes in the guise of a six-speed Allison torque-converter unit. General Motors, by comparison, misleads prospective customers with the Allison in the Silverado 2500 and 3500. Only the medium-duty Silverado comes with a true Allison, whereas the 2500 and 3500 series feature GM transmissions with Allison branding.
Prevost also waxes lyrical about eMirrors, which increases the driver’s field of vision to minimize blind spots. Updated PCU controls, Wi-Fi for Internet browsing, and a quieter HVAC system need to be mentioned as well. Last but certainly not least, take a look at the front bumper. That’s a three-piece unit that makes partial replacement a breeze in case of isolated damage, further improving uptime and cost efficiencies for operators.
Motorcoaches aren’t all that boring after all, right? Right?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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