Proven under extreme conditions: Testing the next generation of TopClass and ComfortClass

• ndurance tests conducted under extreme conditions in summer and winter, even in gravel pits
• Colourful paintwork and imaginative names: no camouflage is the best camouflage
• Crossing all of Europe for Active Drive Assist testing

As the poet Friedrich Schiller once said, "So test therefore, who join forever", ("Drum prüfe, wer sich ewig bindet"). While 'forever' might be an exaggeration when it comes to a coach, a Setra coach is certainly a suitable for an intense long-term relationship. In addition to meticulous development, design, and production at Neu-Ulm, the testing department of Daimler Buses carries out rigorous endurance tests. Those who pass these tests can handle the everyday challenges of bus and coach operation.

Endurance tests under extreme conditions in summer and winter, even in the gravel pit

Many road users have seen these buses, but not everyone has consciously registered seeing them: More recently, half a dozen test vehicles from Setra have been making their rounds in Europe and beyond. Sometimes empty and sometimes loaded with crash test dummies and ballast bags instead of passengers and luggage, with test engineers and measuring instruments also on board. You could find the HD and HDH models in the icy Finnish winter. Climbing uphill and downhill and at an angle on steep roads in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain, the highest mountain range in Europe accessible to heavy vehicles. Similarly, in the humid heat of Gibraltar, on race tracks in Europe, and during endurance tests in Turkey, even in a dusty gravel pit: The predecessors of the next generation of TopClass and ComfortClass were on the road everywhere.

Colourful paintwork and imaginative names: no camouflage is the best camouflage

In recent times, half a dozen test vehicles from Setra have been making their rounds in Europe and beyond: The HD and HDH models only featured low-key camouflage film, some with colourful paintwork and decals with funky names like Cera, Cleo, Cyan Leyla and Lima– the names were inspired by the chosen colours.

Testing took place in temperatures of between minus 40 and plus 40 degrees Celsius. It was all about innovative assistive systems and how they worked together, new components, extreme humidity, and even more extreme terrains. For sure, all of this is already simulated on computers and extensively tested on test benches. The testing department at Daimler Buses always thoroughly checks the results in real-life scenarios. With the next generation of Setra coaches, the test engineers speak about a comprehensive testing phase, as is always the case with fundamental innovations. As they say in football: the truth is on the pitch. For Setra coaches, this testing phase takes place on the roads of Europe and beyond.

Crossed the whole of Europe for Active Drive Assist testing

The Active Drive Assist 2, a big step towards self-driving, was put to the test by a Setra bus that traversed all the Western and Central European countries, from the Baltics through Scandinavia and down to the south. The focus was not only on checking the function of each individual system but also on how they all worked together. Test engineers even simulated errors by cutting individual cables or testing the behaviour in case of a system failure, for example. They examined everything from the start and exhaust behaviour to driving with the  Electronic Stability Program (ESP) interventions, carrying ski gear, using different tyre configurations, and dealing with unfavourable payloads. Test engineers subjected the next generation of Setra ComfortClass and TopClass buses to rigorous testing under the toughest conditions, leaving no stone unturned. A coach that proves itself under these extreme conditions will also excel in its everyday life.