GRAND BAAV AWARD COACH: ZHENGZHONG YUTONG BUS MODEL ZK6122H9
A good example of the big steps forward the Chinese bus industry is currently making, is this Yutong bus. The outside appearance is of an outstanding level, but also the interior hasmeanwhile reached a distinction, which according to the jury can be described as “very good”. It is not perfect yet, there is ample room for improvement left, but the development is going fast.
Unique to this bus is the application of a number of safety systems, which can be considered to be quite new to the Chinese market. For example the use of a sprinkler system in the passenger area, preventing an outburst of flames, the ESP system mounted on this bus to avoid a roll-over, the night vision system for the driver, and a radar sensor signalizing objects and persons in front of the bus. A bit less thrilling, but also very functional, is the camera in the luggage bay.
But there are also some minor details – like a power socket on the driver’s knee height on the dashboard, which can lead to injuries in case of an emergency stop. Or the wrong holes bored in the seat shells, and badly repaired with filler.
On the other hand, this bus is again a joy to drive. Alltogether, however, the positive feelings about this bus prevail, which leads the jury to the recommendation to present this coach with the Grand BAAV Award Coach for 2010.
GRAND BAAV AWARD MIDI/MINI COACH:
Zhongtong Bus Holding LCK6899H SPARKLING
This is a midibus as a midibus should be: being compact and functional, but at the same time offering the same room in the widt as in a full-size bus. With a modern outside appearance and a well-crafted interior this bus is what the name suggests: a sparkling product, which is a joy to travel in.
For the owner this coach is a good product because it is based on mature components, which partly are also used in other Zhongtong products. This leads to a parts commonality that should make maintenance and repair time- and cost-efficient.
Using CAD technology during the development phase of this coach should lead to an improved quality of the body structure.
BAAV INNOVATIONS AWARD COACH:
ZHENGZHOU YUTONG BUS ZK6100EGAA
By far the most innovative vehicle at the Busworld exhibition is this new product by Yutong, combining exiting shapes with an equally exiting new driveline, which is fully electric. Though doubting if this vehicle should be examined as a coach or as a bus , due to the fact that it is meant for inner-city purposes, the jury felt that this vehicle deserves to be awarded for its completely new shape with the unique rounded profile of the roof, which was never seen before on the Chinese market. It is again a proof of Yutong’s ability to combine creative design with good engineering. A very positive sign is the perfect finishing of the interior – as a statement of the fact that the abilities of the Chinese bus and coach industry are also fast growing in this field, and that they are getting to realize what their customers, particularly on export markets, are expecting from them.
BAAV ENVIRONMENT AWARD COACH:
JIANGSU ALFA BUS YS6128EV
One of the growing number of proofs that the Chinese bus industry is far ahead of the rest of the world in the development and production of emission-free vehicles that are able to good performances. The manufacturer claims an action rdius of 260 kilometres for this vehicle per battery load. Due to the weight of the lithium-ion accumulators the capacity of this type o vehicles is still somewhat limited, but as a first step towards a new generation of vehicles they are the signs of an enormous progress, that will be made during the coming years in public transport. Jiangsu Alfa is right at the beginning of it with this vehicle, therefore they deserve this BAAV Environment Award.
BAAV SAFETY AWARD COACH:
ZHENGTONG YUTONG BUS ZK6662DXA9
This vehicle is the result of the growing attention there is in China for safety, and particularly the safety of children in traffic. This bus offers safe transport for the youngest traffic participants, the childers from 3 up to about 9 years. This schoolbus, purpose-designed and –built by Yutong, is a safe way to reach their school and being brought back again to their homes after the school day. Fitted with seats that offer them good comfort and protection. Also is this vehicle remarkably well finished, with no extruding parts in the interior that could be a hazard to the occupants.
BAAV COMFORT AWARD COACH:
BONLUCK BUS & COACH JXK614
Bonluck has strong connections with the Denning family, famous Australian coachbuilders from the past, developing integral buses and coaches for the Pacific market. The current Denning generation decided to co-operate with a Chinese bus manufacturer, the Jiangxi Kama Business Bus Co. as business partners. The result of this co-operation could be seen at the Busworld Asia exhibition during the past years, and is already running in considerable numbers on Australian roads.
Now it also leads to an award at the Asian Coach Week, the company’s JKX6145 coach is awarded with the BAAV Comfort Award for coaches, because it offers space and comfort to its passengers, but also to the driver. Technically, it is a mature vehicle offering good driving abilities. The craftsmanship of the coach interior and exterior is near perfect, hardly any detail is overseen, though it does not always lead to the best result: the switch for opening the front door in case of an emergency is on the level of the lowest entry step. On the other hand: the middle-mounted flatscreen monitor folds away automatically when the door is opened