MAN FE Bus seen testing in Pune, yet again

Our regular readers would remember the earlier spy shot of the front-engined bus from MAN that we spotted in Pune way back in July last year. Thanks to our regular reader Guru, here is yet another one, which is probably the closest shot yet of the bus that is expected to take on Tata and Ashok Leyland head-on. Let us not forget the fact here that Tata and Ashok Leyland are still the dominant players in the front-engined intercity bus segment while Volvo and Mercedes-Benz are fighting it out in the high-end rear-engine segment. MAN has decided that the only way to gain volumes and market share in India is to take on the local players directly and hit them where it hurts.

MAN's foray into buses therefore would be with a front-engined, air-conditioned bus based on the Explorer coach that will be competing for glory with Tata's LP series and Ashok Leyland's 12M chassis. The advantage that MAN will be having is that its bus will be fully-built while most of the competition has bodies built over bare chassis. MAN is trying to play smart here as it knows that competing with Volvo and Mercedes-Benz in the rear-engine segment would be tough as those brands command a very high image. With the joint-venture between MAN and Force Motors coming to a premature end with the latter selling its stake in the company recently, MAN would be hoping that this bus will help the company gain a strong foothold in India.