The MultiClass 400 buses are ready to board. Starting from Berlin Tegel Airport, the test route extends through the Havelland and Ruppin Land – two picturesque areas in Brandenburg, North-east Germany – to Mecklenburg’s Lake District, and back to Berlin via the towns of Fürstenberg/Havel and Oranienburg. On day one, the destination is the Maritim Hafenhotel Rheinsberg overlooking the Rheinsberg Lake.
The journey from Rheinsberg to Wesenberg in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania takes in some 25 kilometres of the “German Avenue Road”. This scenic route that runs the length of the country is ideal for the efficient and economical vehicles in the latest generation of interurban regular-service buses from the Setra brand. From the ten metre raised-floor bus suitable for regular-service use and excursions alike to the 14 metre long low entry bus, they fulfil every requirement of private and public bus operators throughout Europe. First unveiled in 2005, the MultiClass now includes a total of 13 models.
The test vehicle is the twelve metre long S 415 H. Featuring large luggage compartments, it is the perfect shuttle bus and can accommodate 53 passengers on weekend excursions. This raised-floor vehicle is powered by a 265 kW (360 hp) OM 470 in-line six-cylinder engine from the Euro VI BlueEfficiency Power generation.
The S 415 UL has the dynamic angular front of a touring coach and can seat 55 passengers. This twelve metre long vehicle is equipped with the OM 936 engine delivering 220 kW (299 hp) in conjunction with a ZF EcoLife automatic transmission.
Uprated to 260 kW (354 PS), this engine also serves as the power source in the S 415 UL business combined with a GO 190 six-speed manual transmission. This vehicle can accommodate 49 passengers. Featuring the straight front of an interurban bus, the twelve metre long bus is ready to board.
The fourth in the group is the latest MultiClass 400 model. At over 14 metres, the S 418 LE business low-entry interurban regular-service bus comes with an OM 470 engine generating 290 kW (394 hp) in conjunction with a ZF EcoLife six-speed automatic transmission.
Also available for test drives: a vintage S 125
Setra is providing a look back at the past in Rheinsberg in the shape of the S 125 dating from 1966, a vehicle which is packed with pioneering bus-related developments. The S 125 city bus is considered to be the precursor to the Setra 100 model series. In the early 1960s, it made a lasting impression on the development of regular-service buses in Germany. This vintage vehicle is available for drives on a circular route through the town centre from Rheinsberg’s harbour.
