Record UK diesel prices should put operational costs at the forefront of every coach operator’s new vehicle purchasing decisions.
Irizar (UK)’s sales director Julie Hartley warns that focussing on front-end price while ignoring running costs and residual value could be a mistake when Irizar’s premium i6S Efficient coach can offer considerable savings in fuel and downtime over its service life.
“There are some coaches that are priced less than an Irizar i6S Efficient,” she admits, “but taken over the vehicle’s life, this may not translate into a saving at all: in fact, it could be the reverse.
“The latest i6S Efficient model has proven in service to be 15% more fuel-efficient than its predecessors, which were already at least as good as the competition,” she contends.
Irizar has achieved this by paying attention to every aspect of the vehicle’s design, fine tuning its aerodynamics, structure and, most recently, driveline.
“Irizar led the market by being the first coach manufacturer to specify DAF’s MY22 generation of fuel-efficient engines,” Julie says.
Introduced to the i6S Efficient last year, the latest iterations of DAF’s MX11 and MX13 engines offer outputs from 362 to 523 hp. Fuel-saving changes include new turbochargers and fuel injection, coupled with revisions to compressors and coolant pumps to reduce parasitic drag. The DAF engines also have multifuel capability, so can run on low-carbon or fossil-free fuels such as HVO.
Even on standard fuel, the engines’ efficiency serves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: every litre of diesel saved represents a reduction of 2.68kg of CO2 emitted.
The new engines drive through the latest versions of ZF’s Ecolife Coachline automatic or Traxon automated manual transmissions with fuel-saving features including Eco Mode, Eco Roll, and Power on Demand.
“Furthermore, the Efficient model has a fuel-saving body,” Julie explains. 
“The windscreen is more aerodynamic, and it blends into a reshaped body with a streamlined roof profile, door, and front windows. Even the rear of the coach has been sharpened up to better manage airflow.
“There are slimmer and more efficient Hispacold air conditioning units which reduce drag over the vehicle’s roof, and at higher speeds the suspension lowers the body slightly to manage underfloor airflow.
“Finally, the old-fashioned drag-inducing conventional rear-view mirrors have been replaced by cameras in aerodynamic pods. Overall, the aerodynamic co-efficient has improved by 30 per cent.”
Weight is another factor. Reducing weight saves fuel particularly when the vehicle is operating at lower speeds, is in traffic or climbing hills.
“Irizar’s engineers have taken over 900 kg out of the vehicle without compromising its integrity by optimising the profiles of structural components,” she says.
Beyond fuel consumption, there are two further factors that reduce the TCO (total cost of ownership) of an Irizar coach. The first is that the new DAF engines benefit from extended service intervals, meaning fewer workshop visits, less downtime, and reduced cost.
The second is Irizar’s residual values. As a body manufacturer which has been established in the UK luxury coach market since 1993, Irizar’s products are well sought-after, with a full range offering
from the i4 high-capacity coach to the i8 luxury tourer and corporate transporter all supported by a highly professional and integrated sales and support organisation which is heavily invested in the UK.
Whether purchasing a new or second hand vehicle, Irizar buyers can be confident in a proven product using premium components and supported by a fully International company.
Julie Hartley points out: “The true price of a vehicle can really only be calculated by subtracting its value on disposal from the purchase price, and a relatively small saving at the front end often translates to a disappointing loss at sale.”
She concludes by offering British coach operators both a challenge and an opportunity. “There is an i6S Efficient demonstrator vehicle just arrived in the UK. We want operators to see what it is like on the road for themselves and particularly to benchmark its fuel performance against the best coaches currently on their fleets. You can use the link code below to register your interest in the demo.”
Register your interest in our new i6S Efficient demonstrator