German version

Following the successful première of the new NEOPLAN Cityliner at the IAA for commercial vehicles in autumn 2006 and the successful start-up of the range, NEOPLAN is now also presenting a three-axle version of the latest Cityliner generation which recently won the international design price “red dot: best of the best“. The 12.99 metre variant with three axles and the NEOPLAN compact rear is now already available. Thanks to the 75 centimetres extra length and the third axle the Cityliner HDC (C stands for comfort) is considerably more spacious and offers additional payload reserves. Unlike the two-axle variant the new three-axle coach will be offered exclusively with a height of 3.72 metres, since an air conditioner for hot countries is installed as a series feature.

When it was presented at the IAA the new NEOPLAN Cityliner was already a show stopper with its straightforward elegance and dynamic lines. In the longer version the proportions of the sweeping, self-contained glass and paintwork surfaces show to even greater advantage. The high-class chrome applications at the front and rear with the integrated NEOPLAN logo with its long tradition have now found a permanent place and proudly display the brand name on the roads of Europe. As already in the Cityliner HD, tried-and-tested components from the NEOPLAN Starliner such as the front apron, rear panel, panel grips or side windows provide for a high series quality. Beneath the shell the Cityliner HDC also benefits from the modular design of the NEOPLAN bus family. The rear of the longer Cityliner is supported by an electro-hydraulic trailing steering axle (EHLA),which has been a well-established standard feature in NEOPLAN buses for years. Beside a tight clearance circle, this also guarantees very easy manoeuvring with very little tyre wear. Further proven components from the NEOMAN modular system are also used in the running gear, e.g. the individual wheel suspension at the front and the hypoid axle with multiple control arms. On request the running gear can be fitted with the electronically controlled damper system CDS (Comfort Drive Suspension), which substantially increases both the comfort and safety and can be engaged in two steps.

The new NEOPLAN Cityliner HDC is powered by the 400 or 440 hp in-line six-cylinder turbodiesel MAN D 2066 LOH 03/04 Common Rail with a capacity of 10.5 litres. The 480 hp MAN D 2676 LOH 02 CR with a capacity of 12.4 litres, which also celebrated its première at the IAA in 2006, is available on request. Both engines operate with the latest MAN PUREdiesel technology which still also runs without the work-intensive and complicated use of urea. With the patented MAN PM-KAT® the coach even has an open particulate filter as a standard feature. The engines are currently offered for the Euro 4 standard, but, from the end of 2008 Euro 5 engines without extra additives will also be available with a basic technology which is already available today in MAN city buses.

Robust, well-matched six-speed manual gearboxes are standard features. The comfortable cable shifting is pneumatically assisted. If desired the automated twelve-speed manual gearbox MAN TipMatic offers the driver and his passengers the ultimate comfort. The D26 engine with 480 hp is exclusively available with the MAN TipMatic gearbox which has also been highly praised owing to its sensitive manoeuvring mode and the moving-off aid EasyStart.

The new Cityliner HDC has a number of electronic aids which together with the solid body design and the user-friendly cockpit make a considerable contribution to safety. Beside the EBS stability programme, the Cityliner HDC is equipped with a standard brake assistant and a maximum speed limiter. The brake assistant already recognises an emergency stop right at the beginning and immediately builds upt the greatest possible brake pressure. The maximum speed limiter (MSC, Maximum Speed Control) is part of the integrated speed control system and prevents the vehicle exceeding the maximum speed even on downhillss by means of brake or retarder intervention.

In addition the latest driver assistance systems such as the adaptive cruise control system ACC or the lane guard system are available as options in the new NEOPLAN Cityliner HDC. A further safety factor is the innovative light concept of the Cityliner, which, as the first coach in its class, is fitted with a cornering light which considerably improves vision in tight bends and when turning off with its enlarged light cone. If desired the modular headlights can also be fitted with Bi-Xenon lights. As yet another aspect of its all-round safety policy NEOPLAN also supplies the electronic damper system CDS, which even under normal driving conditions always ensures optimal contact with the road and body stability.

Photos and text:
MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG