Mumbai: Mercedes-Benz Minibus GmbH will launch the modified version of its flagship Sprinter City 65 urban minibus at the 2008 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover from 25 September to 2 October 2008.

The new range with an alluring dolphin blue paint finish features a large low-floor platform, rear air suspension, a suspension seat for the driver and a ticket-counter unit.

An electrically operated roof hatch, a destination indicator with an LED matrix, classification to EU Directive 2001 / 85 Class 1 and a whole host of further details underline the impeccable credentials of the compact urban minibus for up to 30 passengers.The counter unit also houses the fire extinguisher, breakdown kit and the driver's bag.

Its manually operated wheelchair ramp has been optimised in terms of both looks and ease of use. Mercedes engineers have designed and enlarged the low-floor zone between the axles by around 10 per cent. The first seat row is now in the low-floor area to ensure barrier-free access. The higher floor at the rear is reached via a single step.

The new generation of Mercedes-Benz minibuses based on the Sprinter platform made its debut at the 2006 International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover . Since then, the new range has become firmly established, with the inclusion of more models - Sprinter Transfer, Sprinter Travel, Sprinter City and Sprinter Mobility, the range now comprises a total of twelve base models with numerous variants. The first of the model year 2009 mini­buses is the upgraded flagship model in the urban range: the Sprinter City 65.

The Sprinter City low-floor models are Western Europe's best-selling and market-leading urban regular-service minibuses. Whereas the compact Sprinter City 35 (length 6.9 m, with up to 22 passenger seats) is based on a panel van, the second model - the larger Sprinter City 65 (length 7.7 m, with a maximum of 30 passenger seats) - is instantly recognisable by its unique body with a self-supporting bus skeleton structure and panoramic windows.

The urban bus is powered by Euro 4 four-cylinder turbodiesel engines with a standard output of 80 kW (109 hp) in the case of the Sprinter City 35 and 110 kW (150 hp) in the case of the Sprinter City 65. All the diesel units in the minibus range are fitted with particulate filters.

The Sprinter Transfer is ideal for rural-service routes, for use as a shuttle or for day trips. With five base models, there is a choice of four different lengths from 5.9m to 7.7m in four different weights. The minibus range is topped out by the Sprinter Travel models, which offer a high level of comfort for excursions, touring and shuttle services. The Sprinter Mobility models are tailor-made for transporting passengers with restricted mobility.

The Sprinter range of mimi buses are powerful, economical diesel engines with outputs ranging from 65 kW (88 hp) to 135 kW (184 hp) are paired with a six-speed manual transmission with a joystick gearshift or a five-speed automatic transmission with a torque converter. Their appeal is further enhanced by the standard-fit particulate filter and long service intervals.

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