Iveco upgraded its chassis to meet Euro4 emissions. The EuroRider 4x2 chassis with a Coach Design body also received this treatment.
To meet Euro4 standards, Iveco have opted to use AdBlue in all their European chassis fitted with the Iveco engines (the local Cummins powered chassis use EGR).
NBS took the opportunity to take the EuroRider 4×2 Coach Design bodied coach for a run; this was built as a stock unit to a day charter spec.
Meeting up with Iveco’s Cameron Millen in the Victorian town of Monbulk we set of for a jaunt through the Dandenong Ranges (this is a good test to see how the coach handles windy roads and lots of hills).
The Coach Design body was well finished and specced up for day touring and charter work with a wide entry making it perfect for the older passengers to board the coach.
Entering the coach is by four easy steps of 410mm (380mm kneeled), and three steps of 200mm to the drivers area followed by a 230mm step to a shallow ramp that leads to the isle.
Passengers are greeted by 57 Styleride Silhouette ARD68 recliners trimmed in Holdsworth fabric; on-board entertainment consists of a Clarion AE3000 radio with PA, a CD and DVD player, and a large 60cm LCD screen fitted to the front header.
Cooling comes from a Thermo King LRT11 1004 heat cool roof top unit with X430 compressor and standard boost pump.
For the driver the dash has been trimmed in grey vinyl with a wood grain insert, and they sit on an Isri 6860/875 seat with head and arm rests.
Driving the Iveco is a dream the drivers area is well set out with everything in easy reach and all the important gauges and lights in easy sight,
There is plenty of grunt and the six-speed auto handled everything we could throw at it, ZF have improved a big lot over the years and this transmission is a good example of how good an automatic transmission should be.
The steering was light but gave very good road feel and was a joy to drive through the hills and proved to be very maneuverable.
I would have to say this coach is very comfortable to drive and it had no trouble in keeping up with the traffic or climbing hills.
Two stalks on the steering column operate lights, wipers and indicators (left hand side), and the right operates the cruise control, retarder, the heated-electric mirrors also assist the driver as do the electric blinds to the windscreen.
The ZF 6HP604C automatic transmission is a breeze to drive – the integrated retarder allows for safe, fading-free deceleration and protects the brakes.
At the heart of the EuroRider is an Iveco Cursor 8, 8-litre inline six-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled engine developing 243kW (330hp) at 1,600 to 2,100rpm and delivering a massive 1,500Nm of torque between 1,080 to 1,920rpm.
This as mentioned above is coupled to a ZF 6HP604C automatic transmission with an integral retarder – the ratios are: first 3.43, second 2.01, third 1.42, fourth 1.00, fifth 0.83, sixth 0.59 and reverse 4.84.
ZF’s retarder (Intarder) works a treat as the driver can vary the amount of retardation; it is very easy to bring the coach to a complete halt just using the retarder.
Full electronically-controlled air-suspension works well and provides a superb ride with two air-bags, two shock absorbers and a leveling valve in the independent front axle, four air-bags, four shock-absorbers and two leveling valves on the drive axle, two air-bags, two shock-absorbers and a leveling valve on the tag.
The brakes are dual circuits full air system with disc’s all round with ABS and ASR.
A large 500-litre fuel tank has been fitted with a near side fill and a 60-litre AdBlue tank also on the nearside behind the rear axle.
In summing up, the Iveco EuroRider 4×2 is an exceptional coach and I found it very hard to find something wrong with the coach (the only thing would be the window above the driver’s window which needs either a curtain or a blackout so the driver does not cook their head while driving).
Any operator looking for a good quality day charter coach should take a look at the EuroRider – you will be pleasantly surprised.
ABC thanks Iveco’s Cameron Millen for allowing us access to this lovely coach