Elegant, dynamic and independent
- 500 model series: the right bus for every application
- The current model series was launched seven years ago
- ComfortClass 500 with flow-optimised shape
- TopClass 500 embodies luxury at the highest level
- The S 531 flagship sets unique benchmarks within the model series
For 70 years, the Setra name has stood for pure travel pleasure. The vehicles of the Setra 500 model series were launched on the market in 2012 in the form of the ComfortClass. In the Mediterranean, on route to southern Spain, driving around the Carpathian Mountains or up to the Northern Cape, for seven years, these premium buses have been transporting travellers from all over Europe to their favourite holiday destinations. The impressive proof that a Setra bus can even be used to travel around the entire world can be seen at the Freiburg-based Avanti company. In 2013, they drove with an S 515 HD ComfortClass bus from Germany to China, before heading across all of Latin and South America down as far as Tierra del Fuego. To date, this is the longest bus journey ever made in the world – and it was made by a Setra!
Versatile applications
Besides comfort, technical know-how and hand-crafted robustness, flexibility has always been a core component of the Setra brand identity. The vehicles are as if pre-destined to be used for highly individual and varied operations. Setra buses aren't just used as team buses for driving sportsmen and women of well-known European first-league clubs to their fixtures. They are also used, for example by companies like Allgäu Akademie Wild GmbH, whose S 515 HDH bus is used as a driver training bus in a league of its own. BAZ Berufskraftfahrerausbildungszentrum Kepp in North Rhine Westfalia's Bergkamen teach trainee drivers in buses from the Setra ComfortClass and MultiClass range.
The S 531 DT forges links
Just like the market leader Flixbus, the Setra S 531 DT double decker models connect people – these comfortable and fast buses connect numerous towns and important traffic nodes in Germany and Europe with one another. Meanwhile, Geldhauser Linien- und Reiseverkehr GmbH & Co. KG has had six S 531 DT models in operation since 2020 for a very unique reason. The Setra buses are the very first double-decker buses to be used on routes operated by Munich's transport operator, Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund (MVV). The rapid buses which transit along Germany's A8 motorway between Dasing and Pasing are the first to link together Augsburg's AVV and MVV transport services, thereby connecting the two regions with one another.
Comfort for fleets
The leader when it comes regional transport applications is the S 415 LE business low-entry bus, which serves to strengthen a good many inter-city regular-service bus fleets in various towns and districts all over Germany, as well as bus routes for the personnel at Frankfurt's airport.
Even during the corona virus pandemic, you can really fully on Setra. The brand took just a few weeks to develop Covid-19 test and vaccination buses based on the low-floor vehicles. Since May this year, the German Red Cross in Ulm-Heidenheim has been using an S 415 LE business converted into a high-capacity transport vehicle with four intensive care beds for transferring patients suffering from the corona virus.
ComfortClass 500: a completely new touring coach concept
With the advent of the ComfortClass 500 in 2012, Setra presented the world's first touring coach concept to comply with the requirements of Euro VI. In line with this, the dynamic sixth touring coach generation achieves the best figures for economy, value appeal, comfort and safety. The new premium touring coaches impress with their flow-optimised shape which was developed as part of a comprehensive process in the wind tunnel. They achieve a Cd value of 0.33 which was previously thought unattainable in the touring coach sector.
Premiere of environmentally friendly Euro VI engines
As a result of the legal requirement for environmentally friendly Euro VI engines, the brand from Ulm has made massive investments over the past four years in order to develop an economical vehicle concept. Among other things, the high performance of the engines, an extension of the maintenance interval from 90,000 to 120,000 kilometres, measures for increasing passive safety, optimised corrosion protection, reduced road noise and the timeless design are decisive when it comes to maintaining a high re-sale price. What's more, a hybrid lightweight construction concept as well as an intelligent consumption and energy management system, coupled with precise manufacturing technology make the Setra touring coaches attractive vehicles which offer added value and thus allow you to remain one step ahead of the competition.
More than 300 kilogrammes lighter
The new 330-kg-lighter ComfortClass 500 is powered by engines from the new Mercedes-Benz "BlueEfficiency Power" engine generation.
The high-tech S 515 HD, S 516 HD, S 516 HD/2 and S 517 HD vehicles are among the safest buses in their class. Already at the start of series production in the autumn of 2012, these vehicles were equipped in accordance with the Euro VI emissions standard that was due to come into force in 2014 for new vehicles, not to mention a range of other upcoming safety requirements and legal obligations. Among these requirements was the additional requirement from 2015 to feature driver assistance systems, as well as compliance with the ECE-R 66/01 guidelines due to come into force two years later which sees the need for increased roll-over rigidity in touring coaches.
Pleasant yet powerful design
The ComfortClass 500 impresses with its flowing side line which first rises slightly before falling again at the rear. At the B-pillar, the sideline also features a decorative element. Meanwhile, a soft movement line runs along the entire length of this newly developed vehicle. The frontal area has a pleasant yet powerful face. With the extended rounding of the roof at the front and the much greater curvature of the windscreen which stretches down as far as the front logo panel bearing the 3D Setra lettering, all eyes will be on the new Setra. The new modular design of the headlamp and turn signal segments with unmistakeable Setra trim elements underline the value appeal, safety and reliability of the bus.
As much as eight percent less fuel
The Setra ComfortClass 500 protects the environment. To do this, a proven reduction in fuel consumption of up to eight percent compared to the predecessor 400 model series with Euro V. With a total of six models in the range – including the compact S 511 HD club bus and the S 519 HD – the ground-breaking vehicle generation is now complete. Forming the basis of the versatile product line-up is the proven modular construction principle, from which the developers can create various lengths and heights. With the system comprising underfloor, longitudinal and body modules, it is possible to derive tailor-made vehicle concepts for the individual business models of our customers.
TopClass: luxury and functionality
With the premium three-axle buses of the Setra TopClass, the brand presented a new travel feeling which combined luxury and functionality at the highest level. The S 515 HDH, the S 516 HDH and the S 517 HDH embody the aspects of design, value appeal and safety in a very unique way. Longer axle spacings ensure 0.6 m3 more space in the luggage compartments of all three variants. In the interior, passengers benefit from pleasant passenger seats, a wider TopSky glass roof, more homogeneous climate control and a new lighting concept, all of which bring the touring coach experience up to another level.
A safe workhorse
The aerodynamic shape of the Setra TopClass 500 was developed in the wind tunnel and is a decisive element in ensuring that the modern luxury buses are also economic and powerful products suited to exclusive fleets. The TopClass 500 isn't just a graceful, but also a safe workhorse which actively and passively assists the driver thanks to a plethora of proven and further-developed driver assistance systems. Besides Active Brake Assist, Attention Assist and the electronic tyre pressure monitoring system, the TopClass 500 comes as standard with start-off assist to prevent the bus from rolling forwards or backwards on hills.
S 513 DT: a double-decker with optimised aerodynamics
Presented in 2017, the Setra S 531 DT is the new flagship among the Setra touring coach range. And thanks to its assistance systems, it also sets new benchmarks: it is optionally equipped with the Sideguard Assist turning assistant and with the emergency braking assistance system Active Brake Assist 4 with person recognition as standard – an enormous step forward for the protection of the most vulnerable road users. As standard, there are the new LED main headlamps and a fire extinguishing system in the engine compartment.
With an air drag coefficient of Cd = 0.35, the Setra S 531 DT occupies the top position in its category. This is achieved by a whole host of aerodynamic optimisations. And also, due to its perfectly tuned powertrain, the new double-decker bus is quiet and economical on the road. The centrepiece is its powerful 12.8-litre OM 471 engine with an output of 375 kW (510 hp).
Distinctive exterior and interior
Within the TopClass 500 model series, the exterior of the new S 531 DT is a truly novel highlight, among other things thanks to the seamless merging of its two windscreens as well as due to the further-developed, brand-typical "La Linea" aluminium strip. The interior has also been designed to reflect Setra's brand claim, "Sign of Excellence", down to the very smallest detail.
Also new are the washroom and the fragrancing system. Plus, bus companies really appreciate the variability of the double-decker. Its lower deck can be equipped for use both as a coach for longer tours and in bus services on shorter inter-urban routes.