LAUNCH NEWS
Mercedes’s OF 1723 engineered for tough conditions in the commuter bus sector
Mark Smyth put the new Mercedes OF 1723 commuter bus chassis to the test at its launch
Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles has bolstered its commuter bus offering with the launch of its OF 1723 bus chassis. The timing is perfect with a number of transport operators, particularly municipalities, looking at upgrading fleets in the coming years. Not that the offering is a big upgrade, at least not by international standards. We drove the chassis, yes the actual chassis, at the launch of the vehicle in Johannesburg and it is extremely easy to drive. Without a body on it, the Mercedes-Benz chassis was surprisingly quick and demonstrated superb braking ability. We also drove a version with a bus body on it and that too proved to be nimble around a series of cones and traffic signs with easy gear changes through the manual box and a good turning circle. The chassis is equipped with Mercedes’ OM 906LA engine. It offers power of 175kW (235hp) and 850Nm pushed through a G85 six-speed manual transmission. The gearbox uses a cable-shift mechanism and includes an overdrive gear to r...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.