Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, December 11, 2013 – Operators of urban public transportation services in some of Brazil's major cities have approved the new bus chassis Agrale MA 17.0, which began to be sold in August. Operators such as Viação Bom Retiro in the city of Belo Horizonte, Visate in Caxias do Sul and Pelicano in Porto Alegre/Guaíba began operating the vehicles and have obtained above-expectation performance.

According to Magnus Isse, director of Viação Pelicano, the new Agrale MA 17.0 chassis surpassed his expectations for performance, robustness and low operating costs. "We conducted an extensive testing program before acquiring the Agrale bus and the results were excellent in day-to-day applications on our routes," said Isse. According to him, the tests conducted in the first half of this year were fundamental in their opting for the Agrale model, which has proven to be very robust and extremely reliable. "The vehicle has been operating on one of the municipal lines in Guaíba and always on the routes with the highest passenger flows," added Isse.

The most robust model in its category and designed for urban applications, the new MA 17.0 is the model with the highest cargo capacity ever made by Agrale. The chassis expands the company's options in the main market segment of urban buses, which accounts for 40% of all chassis sales in Brazil and is marked by intense competition among manufacturers.

According to Alvonir Anderle, vehicle sales director at Agrale, the new chassis represents the natural evolution of the brand's family of models. "For the last 15 years, we've been the national leader in light chassis production. This expertise played a critical role in supporting our entry into the segment of chassis with 17-ton GVWR, which is the best-selling segment. Going forward, this will allow us to enjoy an even greater presence and reinforces our position as one of the leading brands in the Brazilian market," explained Anderle.

Agrale has a diversified range of chassis with GVWR from 8 to 17 tons. The family offers rear-engine, low-floor chassis options with air suspension and automatic transmission that comprise the models MA 8.7, MA 9.2, MA 10.0, MA 12.0, MA15.0, MT 12 LE, MT 15 LE and MA 17.0. The products meet the demand in the market for more economical and compact models, especially in the urban and charter segment.

With local technology developed for passenger transportation applications and its already-recognized characteristics of versatility, safety, comfort and efficiency, the Agrale chassis line offers savings on operational costs and a wide range of wheel base options to meet the many different needs in the market.

Agrale MA 17.0 Chassis

The bus chassis MA 17.0 is the latest solution for passenger transportation developed by Agrale. The main features are its robustness and the excellent reputation of its mechanics in the Brazilian market. It can handle bus bodies as long as 12,500 mm and was designed to meet the most severe conditions created by intense city traffic and full loads. The chassis is equipped with a 6-cylinder MWM engine that generates 225 hp, allowing roll-on acceleration at low RPMs, which is ideal for use in city traffic. The model also comes with an Eaton six-speed manual transmission, front and rear leaf spring suspension, power steering, a 5,950-mm wheelbase on the standard version and gross vehicle weight rating (technical) of 17,000 kg.

Photo credit: Júlio Soares