Nowhere is that old adage about best things and small packages more applicable, it seems, than in the world of bus engineering at present. TransBus International certainly thinks so, judging by the Enviro 200 low-floor midibus unveiled at last month's Birmingham coach and bus show. "We set out with a blank sheet of paper to see what we could construct with an optimal arrangement for passengers," says sales and marketing director David Quainton. An innovative powertrain layout including purpose-designed axle and gearbox means not only that the maximum number of passengers for a given vehicle length has been stepped up, but also that passengers can get on and off the bus more quickly. TransBus bosses know full well that acceptance of the new design by UK bus operators cannot be taken for granted, if only because of the act it has to follow. The Enviro 200 is intended eventually to replace the top-selling Dart midibus, now in its fourteenth year in production. The last thing TransBus wants to be accused of is killing off the Dart prematurely. Last month's Birmingham Coach & Bus show was judged too good an Enviro 200 marketing opportunity to miss, but production is not scheduled to start before next July and in the meantime a further six months of "validation trials" have yet to be completed. At first there will be only two Enviro 200 lengths: 10.4 metres and 10.9 metres. The Dart is available in six lengths, from 8.5m to 11.3m. The middle of the midi-range is the centre of Enviro 200 attention because it is favoured by London operators who turn up their noses at long wheelbases and long overhangs. TransBus unashamedly admits that these are the operators the Enviro 200 was designed to please. "It is the most sophisticated end of the market and this is a sophisticated design," says Mr Quainton.
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