Oct 16, 2010 10:52 PM
33421 Views
I regularly take the KSRTC Volvo between Chennai and Bangalore for the many trips on official travel. This time it was time to test the Mercedes bus introduced by KSRTC a few weeks ago. The expectations were that it would be equal if not better than the Volvo service.
The booking was done a week before the travel, but the bus was well booked compared to Volvo buses around it and it was obvious that there were many others wanting to try it out. The preferred seat for me is the front row and even on the Merc I booked seat no 4. The fare was same as the Volvo(Rs 636 for online booking).
I went to Chennai bus stand at 10pm(for the 10:24 bus) and saw a fresh clean and fantastic smelling bus waiting for me. The first thing that I noticed is how similar the bus is to a Volvo, a little narrow ofcourse. To start with the good things,
The legroom I think is slightly better than the Volvo, but not by much. The LCD TV position and sound quality is fantastic and the TV can be just folded towards the roof. The dash is clean, simple and very functional and the driver position is very close to the steering wheel. Our driver was driving the bus like a small SUV! The pick-up is truly amazing and you almost feel the rush through your body. The large digital clock is very helpful. Electrical plug points both 2 and 3pin are provided near the seats and this is very helpful for mobile/laptop charging. The individual light and music control are very efficient An emergency door open knob is provided near the front door, which I do not quite remember on the Volvo.
Now for things I did not appreciate,
The seat width and quality are similar to Volvo, but the narrow width of the bus results in narrow pathway. No problem for walking through, but a struggle with a decent size luggage. The overhead storage space is limited and does not have sufficient dept. Medium size baggage all go to the under body storage. The AC(which is very effective) vents do not allow you to change the direction of airflow. You are shut them off, but not change direction The Merc is a rear engine vehicle and noise in the front row should be minimal, but the engine is noisy. You can also hear very clearly the AC compressor sound and engine noise, this even after 30minutes of running. The ride comfort is 50% of a Volvo. The potholes and speed breakers, which were dismissed by the Volvo, become a roller coaster ride on the Merc. A very big disappointment.
To sum-up, yes the bus did get stares from people around and also many of them “checked it out”, but overall I am disappointed. The Merc promised a lot and disappointed even more. The look and feel of the bus is similar to the Volvo, but it is more a next level to Ashok Leyland/ Tata bus and not a competitor to Volvo. The price for what it offers is staggering.
As far as I am concerned, it is the Volvo for me. The newer ones, the twin axle ones, are truly amazing, but till those are introduced between Bangalore – Chennai, I will happily take the regular Airavat Volvo.
