Alma Motors Pvt. Ltd., an MG
Group Company has unveiled the company’s first luxury coach Mammoth. The coach
was showcased at Busworld 2015 in Mumbai. Present on the occasion was Mohan V.
Kamat, Founder & Chairman - MG Group, Vijay R. Kamat, Managing Director –
Alma Motors and Anil M. Kamat, Executive Director –MG Group.
The Mammoth has been developed
and conceptualised by MG Group, in a strategic partnership between Alma Motors
and MAN Trucks India. The vehicle has
been built on a MAN chassis. To enhance the riding experience, the chassis is
made of rugged high strength steel, which caters to the Indian operating
conditions with increased driving safety, while significantly reducing body
movements for best ride comforts, said a press release issued by MS Group.
Anil Kamat said the Mammoth is
a landmark achievement for MG Group in India. “The introduction of this luxury
coach is even more special as it is designed and developed in India and has
global technology. The coach has been developed keeping in mind the evolving
customer, passenger and driver needs in India. Mammoth offers a range of
features to help improve fuel efficiency, drive comfort and overall passenger
experience,” he said.
On the safety front, the fuel
tank is safely positioned in the centre and mounted on the chassis. The central
position of the fuel tank improves passenger safety during a crash while also
providing additional luggage space. The coach also addresses the problem of
uneven load distribution by adjusting the air pressure in the bellows, thereby
achieving uniform load distribution, which leads to better handling, good road
stability and increased tyre life.
The MAN chassis offers one of
the safest and most effective braking systems on the road, consisting of
service brakes with ABS, MAN patented Engine Exhaust Valve Brake coupled with
Hydrodynamic Retarder for smooth and safer braking, increased tyre life, fuel
saving, long brake liner life, low heat generation and a fatigue free journey.
Keeping in mind the road
conditions in India, a 2nd Ride Height System has been installed, which raises
the chassis height by 50 mm for increased ground clearance. In addition to the
regular Cruise Control, the coach is equipped with Downhill Cruise Control that
maintains constant speed while driving downhill, without using service breaks
or downshifting gears, which ultimately minimises driver fatigue and increases
passenger safety.
The Mammoth is powered by the
electronic controlled 6 cylinder MAN diesel engine, with optimised Power and
flat Torque Curve over a wide engine rpm. The configured driveline allows the
driver to cruise at higher speeds at lower engine revs for high efficiency. It
has significantly low noise levels inside the cabin, and the wider radial
tubeless 295/80R22.5 tyre offer better standards of road stability and fuel
efficiency and increased tyre life.
The product offers fully
air-suspended rugged and torsionally rigid chassis, designed for highly stable
driving and excellent ride comfort.
Its full driver partition
gives passengers a private, saloon like experience. It comes with opulent push
back seats and cushiony padding alongside the window rail providing a
comfortable armrest for passengers. Each of the lavish seats comes attached
with personalised reading lamps, as well as mobile and USB charging ports. A
centre head rack console provides an equal and well distributed flow of cool
air for all passengers, while a pillar less head rack allows easy access to the
spacious head luggage compartment above.
The coach is fully bus code
compliant and comes equipped with an on-board safety instruction card for each
passenger. A total of eight emergency exits including EM-Secure (Emergency
Management – Secure) makes evacuation safe and panic free, in case of an
emergency situation. Other safety measures include no sharp corners, seat belts
for every passenger, and the full driver partition acts as an additional
barricade in case of any frontal impact.