Private fleets
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Will it be cheaper for private operators to bring in MAN buses CBU from KL instead of importing Japanese chassii and fitting them with 3rd-party bodywork?
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Should be
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yes...but the tax rates will be similar
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May not be cheaper, because of specification differences between German & Japanese buses. Also if you want a MAN bus with an original MAN bodywork imported CKD into Malaysia & assembled there it need not be assumed to be cheaper as the better original bodies tend to be more expensive, not suprising to me as they focus on top-notch quality & of course, tend to be much better than 3rd party bodies from some globally unknown small-fry bodymaker, which there's so many around.
In Singapore there's a few King Long coaches imported here CBU from China but appears to use MAN engine, dashboard instrumentation, mechanical parts.
Even available in Euro-3 but was told they push the cheaper Euro-2 version here instead. I suspect these King Long bodies are built Setra style i.e. of monocoque integral design without any bus-chassi ! Just like the German Setras or Neoplan. But don't know how good the quality of these Chinese copy-cat coachwork so far. But price-wise these Chinese coaches appear competively priced versus coaches with 3rd party local bodies here.Originally posted by iveco:Will it be cheaper for private operators to bring in MAN buses CBU from KL instead of importing Japanese chassii and fitting them with 3rd-party bodywork? -
Well, I remember you ever posted that MAN has its plant in Malaysia where they build their vehicles. It seemed to me a logical answer as to why this brand is so popular north of the Causeway. The only MAN trucks we have are the 5-tonners used by the army while it is not uncommon to find haulage trucks in Malaysia bearing the Lion badge. Also, the only known bus operator with a large number of MAN buses in its fleet is SJE (SBST has just one). Across the Causeway, Handal Indah and RapidKL are heavy users of MAN models.Originally posted by hseochin:May not be cheaper, because of specification differences between German & Japanese buses. Also if you want a MAN bus with an original MAN bodywork imported CKD into Malaysia & assembled there it need not be assumed to be cheaper as the better original bodies tend to be more expensive, not suprising to me as they focus on top-notch quality & of course, tend to be much better than 3rd party bodies from some globally unknown small-fry bodymaker, which there's so many around.
In Singapore there's a few King Long coaches imported here CBU from China but appears to use MAN engine, dashboard instrumentation, mechanical parts.
Even available in Euro-3 but was told they push the cheaper Euro-2 version here instead. I suspect these King Long bodies are built Setra style i.e. of monocoque integral design without any bus-chassi ! Just like the German Setras or Neoplan. But don't know how good the quality of these Chinese copy-cat coachwork so far. But price-wise these Chinese coaches appear competively priced versus coaches with 3rd party local bodies here.
I find MAN buses better to some extent than the Fuso ones. The latter can be rather horrible. -
No, i don't recall posting anything suggesting MAN has plant in Malaysia to build vehicles. I recall reading a post from someone else in this forum which perhaps said that, which i don't know if it's true.
But the most i'll say is HICOM, a Malaysian firm might have assembled the MAN SL252 used by Intrakota via importing the MAN in CKD form. As for making the MAN parts in Malaysia, i don't know if they do that.
I agree with you the MAN's are better than Fuso's overall. The Japanese bus-chassi here tend to have inferior suspension ride comfort with their noisy spring suspensions. Their performance so-so only & dashboard design not so ergonomic as European makes.Originally posted by iveco:Well, I remember you ever posted that MAN has its plant in Malaysia where they build their vehicles. It seemed to me a logical answer as to why this brand is so popular north of the Causeway. The only MAN trucks we have are the 5-tonners used by the army while it is not uncommon to find haulage trucks in Malaysia bearing the Lion badge. Also, the only known bus operator with a large number of MAN buses in its fleet is SJE (SBST has just one). Across the Causeway, Handal Indah and RapidKL are heavy users of MAN models.
I find MAN buses better to some extent than the Fuso ones. The latter can be rather horrible. -
I remember vividly that the Malaysian-Assembled MAN SL252 Hicom bodied are even export to Australia!Originally posted by hseochin:No, i don't recall posting anything suggesting MAN has plant in Malaysia to build vehicles. I recall reading a post from someone else in this forum which perhaps said that, which i don't know if it's true.
But the most i'll say is HICOM, a Malaysian firm might have assembled the MAN SL252 used by Intrakota via importing the MAN in CKD form. As for making the MAN parts in Malaysia, i don't know if they do that.
I agree with you the MAN's are better than Fuso's overall. The Japanese bus-chassi here tend to have inferior suspension ride comfort with their noisy spring suspensions. Their performance so-so only & dashboard design not so ergonomic as European makes. -
So these for Auatralia used drum or disc brakes ?Originally posted by carbikebus:I remember vividly that the Malaysian-Assembled MAN SL252 Hicom bodied are even export to Australia!
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Front Disc brakes if i'm not mistakenOriginally posted by hseochin:So these for Auatralia used drum or disc brakes ?
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fyi, one new MAN 5-ton costs $500k.Originally posted by iveco:Well, I remember you ever posted that MAN has its plant in Malaysia where they build their vehicles. It seemed to me a logical answer as to why this brand is so popular north of the Causeway. The only MAN trucks we have are the 5-tonners used by the army while it is not uncommon to find haulage trucks in Malaysia bearing the Lion badge. Also, the only known bus operator with a large number of MAN buses in its fleet is SJE (SBST has just one). Across the Causeway, Handal Indah and RapidKL are heavy users of MAN models.
I find MAN buses better to some extent than the Fuso ones. The latter can be rather horrible. -
Hey, I think some of them are used by National Bus of Melbourne.Originally posted by carbikebus:I remember vividly that the Malaysian-Assembled MAN SL252 Hicom bodied are even export to Australia! -
Nowadays seems disc brakes becoming more common, seemingly irregardless of whether or not there's strong enough justification for them in a particular case.
M-B O 500 even offers all-round disc or all-round drum brakes, though in HI's fleet i expect the majority to be drums.Originally posted by carbikebus:Front Disc brakes if i'm not mistaken -
These are AWD trucks to military specs i believe, therefore more high end than the commercial specs MAN trucks.
About coaches, i've come across M-B O 404 (with original M-B coachwork) priced ~ S$ 400000 for say 6 year old vehicle. Therefore imagine the brand-new prices ?! No wonder relative few markets globally up to the class to buy them unlike the oil-rich Saudi Arabians, who buy in hundreds instead. I suspect many of the rest sold in cheaper chassi-form only like in Australia.Originally posted by ^tamago^:fyi, one new MAN 5-ton costs $500k. -
hseochin,
Citaro bodies are among the worst I have come across. I would rather a good quality Custom Coaches body on an OC500LE chassis (ie, a chasis similar to the Citaro, but without the integrated body.
iveco,
Please get your facts right. There are only 4 Hicom bodied units in Australia to the best of my knowledge, and none are in Melbourne. -
In what way do you find the Citaro bodywork so unappealing ??
Is it purely on the looks or other more serious shortcomings from a technical viewpoint like design, quality, finishing, fit etc. ?
So far i've not encountered any really lousy bodywork from M-B buses & coaches, although on looks i have to say i don't always like their styling.
Something like the Hispano bodies in Singapore where although [the non-Habit] designs don't exactly look fantastic, the bodywork tend to be very well built with levels of finishing & fit very close to the real original M-B O 405 bodywork but still below it !
Did you ascertain the Citaro bodies which you didn't find appealing were full original versions, not just the front crowl & rear sections, with the middle section coming from dubious 3rd party sources ?? O 405 were also available this way & i know in Hong Kong some O 405 there were build this way, which i'll then of course not expect the overall quality level of the bodywork to be as good as the Mannheim build full-original versions.Originally posted by Windy_hates_B10TLs:hseochin,
Citaro bodies are among the worst I have come across. I would rather a good quality Custom Coaches body on an OC500LE chassis (ie, a chasis similar to the Citaro, but without the integrated body.
iveco,
Please get your facts right. There are only 4 Hicom bodied units in Australia to the best of my knowledge, and none are in Melbourne.