IN FOCUS
MARCOPOLO AUDACE 1050
MARCOPOLO LAUNCHES NEW AUDACE 1050 COACH IN AUSTRALIA Volgren parent company Marcopolo has launched a new Audace coach series for the Australian bus market – the Audace 1050 – aimed at the school, charter and long-distance coach sector, the company announced recently.
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vailable in either 57 fixed or 53 reclining seat models – and available to order in Australia from February 2021 – both buses feature high levels of customisation and flexibility with options for toilets and wheel-chair lifts installed, explains Marcopolo. Available to order exclusively by Australian operators from February 2021, the updated model continues the momentum for the popular vehicles since first launching in Australia in 2013, it states. As a point of note for local bus fans, Marcopolo has brought a total of 200 Audaces into the country through its Australian operation, Volgren. The changes range from major design to bodywork adjustments to wholesale seating
modifications, says Volgren’s national sales manager Yuri Tessari. “The Marcopolo Audace is a proven performer with more than 450 units sold globally each year. It’s a high-quality, flexible bus on a top-class European chassis, and it offers plenty of passenger comfort while being competitively priced,” Tessari explained. “It’s also an incredibly versatile bus that can be used in a range of applications from school runs, charter, mining and long-distance trips. “The changes we’ve made are mostly design refinements and body improvements, apart from one major shift: we are now offering a version of the Audace 1050 with reclining seats and retractable armrests, aimed at long-distance operators
who want to offer passengers extra comfort,” he stated. Tessari says the changes are a result of operator feedback and the company’s global insistence on continual improvement in design and engineering – backed up by arguably the most successful bus body builder in the world. “Since we first launched this bus in Australia we’ve made strong progress in standardising the way we build buses all over the world,” he said. “We call our manufacturing method – it’s actually about our entire workplace culture – the Marcopolo Way, and as we work towards it we improve our buses in every one of our facilities. You can see that improvement in this bus.”
BORDER HOPES The launch comes after a difficult period for operators impacted by Covid-19 and Tessari says that as Australian state borders open again he hopes the Audace launch will help ensure operator confidence in the sector. “We know better than most that the travel and tourism industry, which includes school, charter and coach operators, has been badly affected over the last 10 or 11 months,” he stated. “All operators will be looking at 2021 with a renewed sense of optimism and perhaps with a fresh start in mind, so we think the new Audace enters the market 28
ABC February 2021 busnews.com.au
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16/02/2021 11:00:10 AM
