MCV launches cross-border city-to-city luxury bus

MCV South Africa launched a new cross-border city-to-city luxury bus – the MCV S140 New Generation – at the Saboa Conference. Colin Windell reports that the new bus is ideal for African operating conditions.

The decision to launch a new cross-border city-to-city luxury bus sends a positive signal to a market still recovering from the massively damaging Covid lockdown, a stagnant economy, and high interest rates. The introduction of the MCV S140 New Generation (NG) at the Saboa Conference in Randburg was hence a welcome message of confidence that there is some revitalisation of the tourist industry.

“In fact, the units we will be building this year are all spoken for and there is already a huge interest in the bus for our build programme for 2025,” says Medhat Mahdy, director of MCV South Africa.

Mahdy adds that the cross-border travel market is definitely showing signs of recovery, and that it is important to be able to provide luxury bus transport for tourists keen to explore South Africa and neighbouring countries. “This new MCV S140 NG is specifically designed to be able to cope with African road conditions: both tar and dirt roads,” he notes. “Even the loadability is adjusted to suit African travel, where passengers often board with large amounts of luggage.”

The S140 NG is built on the Scania F360 HB 6×2 bus chassis fitted with a DC13 108 engine that produces 265kW of power and 1,750Nm of torque driving through an eight-speed gearbox with diff lock as standard. Suspension is via front and rear leaf spring, front and rear anti-roll bar, and front and rear heavy-duty shock absorbers.

Inside, the bus has 70 reclining seats, air-conditioning, saloon heating, a DVD player with three screens, a 40-litre fridge, a front destination board, Wi-Fi, and USB charging points. Driver aids include LED front and rear lights, a rear camera, and electrically adjustable external mirrors.

“What is important to us is the fact that this bus has more than 80% local content – because the company has a philosophy of transferring skills and job creation in South Africa,” emphasises sales manager, Shabeer Mahomed. “Equally, this also means spare parts are readily available 24/7 and are produced in our factory.”

MCV was founded in Egypt and MCV South Africa was established in 2007. This involved the strategic acquisition of De Haan’s bus factory and facility setup in Parow, Cape Town. Merging MCV’s specialised knowledge with De Haan’s market proficiency facilitated a swift expansion, updating production methodologies and product development, as well as enhancing productivity and quality standards.

“The launch of the city vehicle range enabled MCV SA to capture a substantial share of the urban market,” says Mahomed. “We believe the key to thriving in this competitive industry has been offering the right product tailored to market needs. We  have developed an array of commercial vehicles catering to diverse sectors such as tourism (coach buses), cross-border transport (front-engine and rear-engine operations), and inter-city and school transport, along with truck conversions. We pride ourselves on producing buses that are strong, durable, and cost-effective.

“Our products boast a high local content percentage (ranging from 80 to 98%), ensuring they are well-suited to all road conditions – from smooth tar surfaces to challenging off-road gravel and sand paths. This adaptability underpins the reliability and resilience of our vehicles in varied environments.”

By 2011, the semi-luxury bus – originally branded as Challenger Superior – underwent an upgrade to emerge as the S140. Simultaneously, the bus branded as the Destiny received a comprehensive overhaul, re-entering the market as the S125. During this period, MCV also launched the commuter S121, which has since established itself as a durable and cost-effective commuter bus in both the urban and rural markets.