猛獅 A95 MAN A95

猛獅 A95 MAN A95

SMRT於二零一四年除了破天荒向英國亞歷山大丹尼士訂購二百零一架Enviro500MMC雙層巴士外，同時亦試用了另一廠家提供的樣板車，就是本文的主角，來自德國猛獅的A95雙層巴士，除了成為SMRT第二款雙層巴士外，亦成為全球首個A95營運商。

A95底盤是發展自同廠的A22 (NL323)單層巴士底盤，後者早於二零一一年登陸新加坡，並且取得來自SMRT大量訂單，至於A95本身設計是一台長十二米的三軸低地台巴士底盤，初期只提供右軚駕駛版本，並以亞太區市場作為主要銷售目標。猛獅隨後應香港新巴要求以及照顧杜拜市場，分別推出了十二點八米以及左軚駕駛版本的A95，除此以外，A95亦可以裝配單層巴士車身，以應付不同用家需要。回頭再說SMRT首架猛獅A95樣板車，型號屬ND323F，表示巴士配用了猛獅原廠歐盟五型引擎，最大馬力有三百二十匹，至於傳動系統則是ZF的Ecolife六前速全自動波箱。車身方面則採用了當地極為普遍的馬來西亞順豐車身廠出品，跟同廠的NL323一樣，車身是獲得猛獅授權製作的Lion's City DD款式，空調系統則與Enviro500MMC一樣使用日本電裝的出品。SMRT接收的猛獅A95樣板巴士於二零一四年十月一日作首次登記，獲得SMB5888H作車牌號碼，並且於同年十一月五日首航190線。

猛獅這次選擇新加坡作A95首個推銷市場，可說是做了一個正確決定，SMB5888H滿意表現令到SMRT在贈購雙層巴士時不作他選，向猛獅增購十六架A95新車，基本規格與樣板車無異，但在若干底盤部件例如電池箱及油缸擺放位置，都較樣板車有所不同，車身方面，量產型版本增設了日行燈以及於上層車頭裝配有樹擋。這批量產型新車於二零一五年八月底至十一月底登記出牌，並自九月初開始投入服務，進一步加強SMRT雙層巴士陣容。在往後時間隨著實行政府合約模式，陸路交通管理局再向猛獅發出六十輛A95新車購買合約，並於二零一六年四月到八月作出登記，並同時開始改用SG字頭的車牌號碼。這批六十架A95機械規格與首批量產新車相同，只是車頭再沒有設置樹檔，而這批新車若干成員亦開始披上當局為政府合約模式營運訂下的綠色標準色彩，餘下其他成員則維持SMRT標準銀色為主的車身色彩。另外，最後十架新車更設有USB插頭方便乘客。

踏入二零一七年，陸路交通管理局為進一步擴大車隊規模，以應付政府合約模式營運所需，再次向猛獅購入一百二十二架A95新車，並且配用順豐全新的Lion's City DD Facelift款式車身，當中再可細分兩種版本Facelift車身。這批新車自二零一七年二月到十二月陸續出牌，並安排到所屬營運商投入服務，當中最後一架於二零一七年十二月七日出牌的新車SG2017C，不單是屬於歐盟六型版本的樣板車，同時是新加坡首架符合歐六排放標準的公營巴士。除了上述兩個身份，SG2017C亦是巴士服務優化計劃下投入服務的第一千架新車，當局安排SG2017C行走巴士服務優化計劃中最後一條投入服務，由新捷運營運的71號路線，在投入服務初期更披有特別車身廣告，以紀念整個歷時五年的巴士優化服務計劃完滿結束。

陸路交通管理局隨後向猛獅購買合共四百架符合歐六排放標準的新車，當中二百五十架屬猛獅A95，自二零一八年五月至二零二零年二月分配到不同營運商投入服務。這批歐六版本A95的機械配搭跟樣板車SG2017C無異，原廠引擎透過廢氣再循環技術(EGR)及選擇性催化還原器(SCR)技術達到歐六排放標準，而波箱方面除了SG6029S採用福伊特產品外，其他一律安裝有ZF Ecolife六前速全自動波箱。車身方面繼續由馬來西亞順豐包辦，不過Lion's City DD Facelift款式車身又有新意思，車尾設計又再次有所修改，最為明顯為車尾路線牌箱擺放位置，而自SG5946B開始，車頭更採用大面積的路線牌箱。至於車廂內除了增設有乘客資訊系統，進一步提供乘車資訊予乘客外，輪椅停泊區亦由一個增加至兩個。

目前在新加坡街頭不難發現猛獅A95蹤影，而更多A95新車將會進駐新加坡，陸路交通管理局除了於二零二零年再引進一百一十一架十二米版本新車外，在試驗過一架長十二米八配用順豐三門及雙樓梯版本車身的猛獅A95(SG5999Z)後，落實購買一百架配置三門及雙樓梯的新車，當中五十架為猛獅A95，預料將於二零二零年到二一年間付運新加坡，替新加坡公共交通歷史再次寫下新一頁。

After the intake of it first ever double decker Enviro500MMC from Alexander Dennis in 2014, SMRT also received a MAN A95 demonstrator from local dealer ST Kinetics for evaluation and this was the first A95 in the world.

MAN A95 was a 3-axle super low floor chassis originated from the A22 (NL323) single decker chassis and the latter already saw a strong success in Singapore since 2011. At the early stage, only right-hand drive A95 12m chassis was available and aimed at the Asia-Pacific as the main target market. A further variants like 12.8m lengths and left-hand drive version was introduced as requested by NWFB in Hong Kong and Dubai respectively as well as the single decker version for different operations need. The powertrain of the SMRT A95 demonstrator was a MAN Euro 5 engine with a ZF Ecolife series 6-speed fully automatic gearbox, the maximum power of the engine was 320 hp as denoted in the model name ND323F. Same as the A22, the Lion's City DD bodywork on the A95 chassis was completed by Gemilang of Malaysia under the authorization from MAN and both upper and lower saloon were air conditioned by Nippon Denso unit. This demonstrator first registered on 1 Oct., 2014 with SMB5888H as registration number and made debut on route 190 on 5 Nov., 2014.

The good performance of the demonstrator resulted in a further order of A95 from SMRT with 16 units purchased and delivered between the end of Aug. and Nov., 2015. These production units were entered service since Sep., 2016 and though shared the same mechanical specifications with SMB5888H, some modifications were made like the relocated of the battery box and fuel tank on the chassis. In addition, tree guard were fitted at the top front together with the daytime running lamp. Under BCM, LTA procured another 60 MAN A95 and registered with SG-prefix registration between Apr. and Aug., 2016. Mechanical specification was same as the previous batch and no tree guard was fitted, the standard LTA Lush Green livery was applied on some A95 of the batch while the remaining still carried the the SMRT “pixel” livery. To go one step further, USB chargers was available on the last 10 of the batch.

LTA further ordered a batch of 122 MAN A95 to suit the need of BCM in 2017 and entered service with assigned operators between Feb. and Dec., 2017. The Lion's City DD Facelift bodywork was first seen on this batch of A95 and these can be further divided into two version among the batch. The last of the batch was a MAN A95 Euro 6 prototype and registered at 7 Dec., 2017 with registration number SG2017C, it was also the first Euro 6 public bus in Singapore and 1000th new buses under the BSEP. SG2017C was allocated on the route 71 operated by SSB Transit, the 80th new service to be introduced under BSEP, with an allover advertisement to celebrate the completion of the BSEP since 2012.

MAN was awarded a purchasing order for 400 Euro 6 new buses from LTA and 250 of the batch was MAN A95, they were delivered to different operators between May 2018 and Feb., 2020. The mechanical specification of the batch was same as SG2017C, with the help of both EGR and SCR technology to achieve the Euro 6 emission standard, ZF Ecolife was the choice of transmission except a Voith automatic gearbox was fitted on SG6029S. Further modifications was made on the Lion's City DD Facelift bodywork with the relocation of the rear route display and started from SB5946B, an enlarged version front display was fitted. Passengers information display systems was installed within the compartment and provided latest boarding information to passengers and the wheelchair parking bay was increased from 1 to 2.

It is not too difficult to observe a MAN A95 in Singapore and more will be delivered in 2020 as a batch of 111 MAN A95 12m was ordered by LTA. Moreover, after the successful trial of a 3 doorways with dual staircases MAN A95 12.8m bodied by Gemilang (SG5999Z), a further purchasing order of 50 units was made and expected to be entered service between the end of 2020 and 2021.

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