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First "microbus" unveiled - but it's a "Johnny No Mates"


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Posted
9 hours ago, CGW said:

Doubt many will be able to sit at the back of the bus! they will be catapulted out of there seats with every minor bump due to configuration and the antique leaf springs fitted as "suspension" :ph34r:

Why would they be so likely to catapult passengers out of their seats when Toyota Commuters don't do that and they have exactly the same rear suspension?

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Posted
9 hours ago, Thian said:

If 2 buses make a frontal collision, one is the MB and the other is that playmobil bus...in which one would you like to sit??? Is that worth the 10? baht extra?

Can you link to the safety tests that you must have read that compare these two vehicles and condemn the Chinese one as not as safe as the Merc?

Posted
7 hours ago, nong38 said:

I would like to see the crash test results and especially what it looks like when it rolls over, it does not look very strong to me.

Is it that well known that the strength and safety of a vehicle can be accurately judged by looking at it?

Posted
7 hours ago, lvr181 said:

Along with no brains!

 

Why was there no space for luggage below the floor/seating area thus lowering the centre of gravity (which helps prevent them from tipping over)?

 

Oh, I forgot, safety is not a big concern (or safety is of no concern) :post-4641-1156693976:  Cretins.

Perhaps there is luggage space there, who (apart from you) said there wasn't any?  If there isn't why should the bus need it's CoG lowering, do you know where the CoG is by looking at it or that that aspect wasn't take into account in the design?  Have you ever looked at a London bus...where is it's CoG, do you know how hard it is to tip over one of those that is twice the height of these microbuses?

 

 

Posted
4 hours ago, Thian said:

I bet in china, they look so underdeveloped. I guess it's the chassis of another vehicle on which they put a larger cabin.

You guess such garbage.

Posted
2 hours ago, Thian said:

Why did they buy only 1 actually?

 

And why such a stupid chinese? one?

 

I would like to know how much fuel it uses and how long the engine will last...compare that to a new MB and we'll see again how cheap this thing was.

 

And when will BKK get new buses? It's almost a year since the openingparty of the other chinese crap-ones, and i guess nothing has been done yet...only loose more face.

 

 

"Why did they buy only 1 actually?"

The OP explained that.

 

Why are these buses in your expert eyes "stupid Chinese ones"?

 

"...and how long the engine will last...compare that to a new MB..."

How long does a MB engine last?

 

Now, according to you, these buses are "crap", how do you rationally come to that conclusion?

 

The only people who have lost face regarding the illegally imported buses impounded by the Customs Dept are the owners of the import company who got caught in a fraudulent transaction.

Posted
38 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

 

You do notice that the German bus has a much longer wheelbase than the Chinese knock off, don't you?

How can you tell with the perspective of that front-on photo and what is the engine configuration of both the buses?

 

What makes the Chinese bus a "knock-off", did Mercedes invent the bus and patent it?

Posted
4 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"Why did they buy only 1 actually?"

The OP explained that.

 

Why are these buses in your expert eyes "stupid Chinese ones"?

 

"...and how long the engine will last...compare that to a new MB..."

How long does a MB engine last?

New engines last for 800.000 km easy, and needs maintenance every 60.000 or 120.000 km. 

 

Now, according to you, these buses are "crap", how do you rationally come to that conclusion?

Because they are Chinese i bet. Can you name me ANY good chinese carbrand?? Why don't we have them in Europe? Right, because they are crap and unsafe.

4 hours ago, Just Weird said:

 

The only people who have lost face regarding the illegally imported buses impounded by the Customs Dept are the owners of the import company who got caught in a fraudulent transaction.

And the big General lost even more face with his article 44 to speed things up. Now it's a year later and BKK still has the same old 40 year old buses.

Posted
12 hours ago, Thian said:

I bet in china, they look so underdeveloped. I guess it's the chassis of another vehicle on which they put a larger cabin.

 

Look up Toyota Coaster.  Then look up where Toyota is from.  They're all over Japan.  Then they transferred the technology to China so they'll be all over the world... 

 

 

Posted
26 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Look up Toyota Coaster.  Then look up where Toyota is from.  They're all over Japan.  Then they transferred the technology to China so they'll be all over the world... 

 

 

Toyota coasters are longer than this one...i can't find one with the rear-axle almost in the middle like the Thai version has.

 

Can you drag and drop a pic of the same model to this thread?

 

https://www.google.co.th/search?biw=1536&bih=734&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=toyota+coaster+2017&oq=Toyota+Coaster+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0l2j0i30k1l2.451354.452284.0.455125.2.2.0.0.0.0.212.387.0j1j1.2.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.383...0i67k1.0.OhaGOt8hEAQ#imgrc=CxyqIyAjwQVBGM:

Posted
3 hours ago, Thian said:

Can you name me ANY good chinese carbrand?? Why don't we have them in Europe? Right, because they are crap and unsafe.

 

Volvo...  And yes, I'm taking the piss.

Posted
2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Volvo...

Since when is Volvo a chinese brand?? I haven't heard about that and if so than did they sack all the Swedes??

Posted
Just now, impulse said:

 

Since their parent company is Geely?  (That's the car part of Volvo, BTW)  Who also owns the London Taxi Company.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geely

Volvo is still engineered by Europeans i bet. Chinese can't develop cars like that with all same safetyfeatures.

 

And where is the pic of the Toyota coaster which looks like that new thai bus?

Posted
8 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Why would they be so likely to catapult passengers out of their seats when Toyota Commuters don't do that and they have exactly the same rear suspension?

Commuters don't have the rear-axle in the middle of the van....

Man i understand your handle now....pffffff

Posted
5 minutes ago, Thian said:

Volvo is still engineered by Europeans i bet. Chinese can't develop cars like that with all same safetyfeatures.

 

And where is the pic of the Toyota coaster which looks like that new thai bus?

 

 It's a new (and scary) world, my friend.  I don't know where Volvo's are engineered or built any more...  But they were very prominent in the Chinese car show I went to last week.  BTW, Geely and BYD are both car companies to look out for in the near future...

 

You can Google up that photo easier than I can.  I'm in China where Google's blocked.  And my VPN is a little slow...

 

Posted
3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

It's a new (and scary) world, my friend.

 

You can use Google better than I can.  I'm in China where it's blocked.

 

It's not scary, as long as Europeans design the vehicles they will be safe or they will quit their jobs and start a new carcompany.

 

There is no Toyota Coaster with the rear-axle in the middle like the Thai bus...or it must be a very old model.

 

So i still think it's a chinese bus...why won't they publish the brand of it?? In the past we had good reporters who wrote important info like that....

Posted
2 minutes ago, Thian said:

So i still think it's a chinese bus...why won't they publish the brand of it?? In the past we had good reporters who wrote important info like that....

 

Have a look at the badge by the door of the photo in the OP and linked article.  It's a Yutong.

 

Posted
7 minutes ago, Thian said:

It's not scary, as long as Europeans design the vehicles they will be safe or they will quit their jobs and start a new carcompany.

 

Forgetting guys building one-offs in their garage, what is the newest European car company?  I'll bet it's been decades since a new mass market car company has been started in (western) Europe.  Meanwhile in China, there are something like 250 car companies duking it out to see who will be left standing after the shakeout and consolidation.  

Posted
9 minutes ago, Thian said:

Yup that must be it i guess, but those things are (far too) expensive.

 

https://yutongbus.en.alibaba.com/product/60119384504-213216045/Yutong_ZK6608D_shuttle_bus_and_small_bus.html

 

60-100.000 us$ for one....i bet a MB costs about the same and is a much better alternativ...

 

Ya can't trust the numbers on Alibaba.  Those prices are like the guys who sell at street markets- just a starting point for negotiations.  (Though a lot of suckers will pay it, so why not start high?)  I can often buy stuff on TaoBao at retail for less than the quoted wholesale price on Alibaba. 

 

BTW, a lot of the big tour buses between BKK and Pattaya that we all gripe about are Yutong brand. And I challenge you to find a full size bus on an MB chassis for less than the $170K Yutong Alibaba price. Closer to $500K to $1 Million for a new one...

 

Posted
Just now, impulse said:

 

Ya can't trust the numbers on Alibaba.  Those prices are like the guys who sell at street markets- just a starting point for negotiations.  (Though a lot of suckers will pay it, so why not start high?)  I can often buy stuff on TaoBao at retail for less than the quoted wholesale price on Alibaba. 

And that's exactly why the Thai government bought these silly chinese buses...and it was the same story for the 3300 new buses which Bangkok ordered last year.

 

They should just lease the buses and pay by km...years ago i was in the truckbusiness and we had contracts like lease a big truck for 10 eurocent a km for 1.000.000 km ....After that the truck is sold and customer can start a new contract with new truck. They were MAN trucks, very good brand.

 

 

 

 

Posted
Just now, Thian said:

And that's exactly why the Thai government bought these silly chinese buses...and it was the same story for the 3300 new buses which Bangkok ordered last year.

 

They should just lease the buses and pay by km...years ago i was in the truckbusiness and we had contracts like lease a big truck for 10 eurocent a km for 1.000.000 km ....After that the truck is sold and customer can start a new contract with new truck. They were MAN trucks, very good brand.

 

You can buy a Chinese bus built on a Man chassis.  There's really nothing stopping Thai companies from building an economical bus on a Man or MB chassis, but I've seen the build quality on their party buses.  More like an RV than a public transport bus- flimsy and crazy dangerous.

 

Posted
Just now, impulse said:

 

You can buy a Chinese bus built on a Man chassis.  There's really nothing stopping Thai companies from building an economical bus on a Man or MB chassis, but I've seen the build quality on their party buses.  More like an RV than a public transport bus- flimsy and crazy dangerous.

 

Thai can't build anything properly...period.

 

They should just lease the minibuses from a top-brand....ask them all for their price and pick one....all maintenance will be done by the dealer and the price per km is fixed...perfect.

 

So no more failing brakes or door's which won't open....everything will work as new ALL the time....or the dealer will fix it for free....

Posted
2 minutes ago, Thian said:

Thai can't build anything properly...period.

 

Not true.  The Thais that work for us offshore and in fabrication onshore are excellent craftsmen.  But, like everywhere in the world, companies only build to the quality and safety that's required to meet the specification.  It's the rotten system and lack of enforcement that allows them to put flimsy crap on the road.  Try to build a better bus, and nobody will pay for the extra steel, welding and engineering that takes.

Posted
16 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

55555555 perhaps the author might check to se what the acronym ABS means. ABS means Anti-lock Braking System. And in the US has been mandatory on all vehicles for well over 20 years. 

utter nonsense, ABS and stability control were not mandated in the US until september of 2013.

Posted
30 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Not true.  The Thais that work for us offshore and in fabrication onshore are excellent craftsmen.  But, like everywhere in the world, companies only build to the quality and safety that's required to meet the specification.  It's the rotten system and lack of enforcement that allows them to put flimsy crap on the road.  Try to build a better bus, and nobody will pay for the extra steel, welding and engineering that takes.

And what do they do for you offshore? Welding maybe ?

 

Engineering is something the Thai can't do cause it takes admitting something is wrong and has to be changed. They'll never admit their faults and try to change it. 

 

Germans and Japanese make good quality, the topbrands do so at least. Especially Japanese will rather not build instead of building low quality. It's an honour thing to them. 

I admit that Honda lately is not same quality as some years ago and German cars have computerissues but they are still the countries for the highest quality on earth.

 

And it's not only about high quality but good afterservice is just as important. That's why  leasing is so popular now these days.

 

 

Posted
23 minutes ago, HooHaa said:

utter nonsense, ABS and stability control were not mandated in the US until september of 2013.

I stand corrected about mandatory, however all manufacturers included ABS on vehicles since 1980, I remember the 1989 Ford E5000 I drove had ABS on the air brakes, but the control module was disconnected

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