In awards news, DaimlerChrysler has announced today that the Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE Ü - the luxury brand's low entry rural service bus - has been named "Bus of the Year 2007".

The award was given after a jury comprised of editorial teams from 15 different countries conducted extensive rounds of testing and driving, after which they determined the Citaro LE Ü was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world... at least the bus world.

Reasons the jury specified for their selection of the Mercedes Citaro included its coherent overall design concept, outstanding ride quality, low noise level and innovative styling.  The jury's final verdict of the Citaro LE Ü was that "its creators have managed to professionally combine function and aesthetics."

For those interested, the "Bus of the Year 2007" awards ceremony will be held tomorrow, September 19th, at the International Commercial Vehicle Show 2006's VDA evening for the commercial vehicle press, located at the Convention Center situated on the Hanover International Commercial Vehicle Show site.

To learn more about the Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE Ü  as well as how jurors arrived at their "Bus of the Year 2007" decision, keep reading for the full press release.










OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Citaro LE Ü is “Bus of the Year 2007”

• International jury made up of bus journalists from 15 European countries voted for winner
  
  
• Award ceremony to be held at the Hanover International Commercial Vehicle Show 2006
  

Stuttgart/Hanover, Sep 18, 2006
Launched at the beginning of 2006, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE Ü Low Entry rural-service bus can now proudly claim to be “Bus of the Year 2007”. The international jury, comprising bus editorial teams from 15 European countries, has awarded the Citaro LE Ü its highest accolade for buses in Europe after an exhaustive round of testing and trial drives. In Vienna the jury put the Citaro and two other buses from the line-up of other major European manufacturers through their paces for almost a week in May this year. The buses were tested in service on actual urban and rural regular-service routes in and around Vienna. The award ceremony will take place at the International Commercial Vehicle Show 2006 on September 19, 2006 at the VDA evening for the commercial vehicle press in the Convention Center located on the Hanover International Commercial Vehicle Show site.

The Citaro LE Ü won over the jury particularly with its coherent overall concept, leading them to reach the following verdict: “Its creators have managed to profes-sionally combine function and aesthetics.” This achievement includes its economy-conscious design, which ensures maximum efficiency for the operator, as well as the extremely passenger-friendly design. The successful drive concept with economical Euro 4 engines based on BlueTec diesel technology, ZF automatic transmission and hypoid drive axle was singled out as particularly future-oriented. Additional criteria included its outstanding ride quality, smooth running, low noise level, the innovative styling as well as the high standards of quality and safety thanks to the standard-fit Electronic Braking System (EBS), Voith retarder, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and acceleration skid control (ASR). The excellent heating and air conditioning systems on board came in for special praise. It is also worth noting that the Citaro LE Ü is not a stand-alone product because it is directly descended from the sophisticated Citaro low-floor bus, of which almost 15,000 units have been built to date. The bus shares numerous components such as the doors, electrical/electronic system, destination displays, seats, interior panelling and air conditioning with the Citaro regular-service bus and major assemblies with the Mercedes-Benz Integro rural-service bus. “The Citaro LE developers went for a radical new departure in terms of implementing the Low Entry concept compared with the standard Citaro”, according to the jury. And what is more: “The jury members were equally impressed with the interior’s eye-catching design that greets passengers as soon as they board the vehicle.”

As the term Low Entry suggests, these buses feature a low-floor design from the front section up to and including the centre entrance, with a raised floor behind the centre entrance (door 2). As well as providing a high level of passenger comfort, even for passengers with restricted mobility, this “composite” design also allows the uncomplicated and maintenance-friendly installation of the major assemblies. Low Entry buses also have an extremely neatly arranged passenger compartment by building over the rear wheel housings. In this section all of the seats face towards the front of the vehicle. Demand for the Low Entry design has been particularly high in Scandinavia and the Benelux countries to date. Now, thanks to the new and highly attractive concept at the heart of the new Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE (urban bus version) and Citaro LE Ü (rural-service bus version) Low Entry regular-service buses, demand in this segment is set to rise not just in these countries but also in Central Europe.

Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG