10 | REPORT
10
Test Drive Report
New VOLVO B11R 9700 PSVAR
One of the first bus and coach manufacturers venturing out to display new vehicles and meet customers after the worst of the Covid disruption and lockdowns was Volvo Buses. According to Diarmaid Thompson, Volvo Buses’ Irish based Sales Manager (Volvo UK & Ireland), the late Summer was the right time to call to see customers, particularly with something new to show, such as the Volvo B11R 9700 PSVAR. With a totally new design, featuring styling similar to the award-winning 9900, and coming with a 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty of up to 600,000 km, Volvo Buses has a winner here. Fleet Bus & Coach took the opportunity to drive the new coach during the brand’s Road Show around Ireland. On a bright warm and sunny
FLEETBUS&COACH | WINTER 2021
morning, the new coach was taken from Dennison’s Volvo Dealership in Ballyclare to Irish Commercials at Santry in Dublin. Driving a Volvo brings some expectations, the base line in terms of drivability, comfort and design always being high. In the first few miles it was looking like previous expectations would be easily exceeded. Leaving Ballyclare, despite the first part of the journey taking place on a narrow roads, the coach enabled the driver to easily have everything under safe control. From the driver’s seat there is a lot of familiarity here from the brand’s other products, from the market leading I-Shift transmission to the dynamic steering, plus the new design and layout of the drivers’ area. Two secure lockers positioned overhead and within easy reach provide practical storage space for the driver. A nice feature of the driver’s seat is the ‘revolving’ function, for convenient exiting, or for the driver to re-position when greeting passengers as they enter and exit the coach. The fully adjustable steering wheel is available in two sizes, 450mm or 500mm. Two large mirrors are complemented by a lower mirror on the driver’s side, and the overall vision is good, thanks
to the well designed narrow A pillars which reduce blind spots, while the windscreen is angled and swept back a little. On the test vehicle there was also a ‘péage’ toll booth paying window. One distinguishing feature of all Volvo
coaches is the way the engine and transmission are matched. The new 9700 is no different, providing seamless automated gear changes with none of the heavy thump that sometimes occurs with other coaches. The positioning of the auxiliary brake makes it easy to use and while some drivers are not as enthusiastic as others about using it, it’s best to leave it in the first position which gives some retardation when decelerating. Again, this is a method that some drivers favour, and is made easy with the Volvo 9700. Fitted with the Volvo D11K 10.8-litre (430hp) with I-Shift and an integrated retarder, other options in engine displacement are available. This 430hp engine can also run on bio-diesel. In the engine bay there is a fire suppression system fitted. Access to the engine area is good and some additional panels can be removed easily to improve the speed
