猛獅 18.320 MAN 18.320

猛獅 18.320 MAN 18.320

編號 Class：11，12，14-20

踏入二零一零年，配Northern Counties車身的丹尼士飛鏢隨著車齡漸高，已經出現疲態，加上載客量低及單門車身設計，新香港巴士於是乎決定購入大型低地台單層巴士，接替這批落馬洲過境穿梭巴士的開國功臣在車隊內的角色。而擔此重任便落在猛獅18.320身上，是批訂單合共有九架新車，成為繼NL263之後車隊第二款猛獅巴士。

跟隊中的NL263不同是，雖然18.320都是低地台巴士，但底盤設計跟富豪B7RLE相似，低地台區域只到中門前，然後乘客便需拾級而上。雖然如此，但藉著低地台區域被用作企位，令到猛獅18.230可以運載合共八十五位乘客，成為繼配馬來西亞順豐車身的NL263之後，另一款運載能力最高的新車。同樣地，這批18.320亦是繼三架於二零零六年購入的NL263後，另一批由順豐裝配的巴士，外觀上跟新加坡新捷運購入的Scania K230UB相似。全數新車動力來源自原廠歐盟五型引擎，配合福伊特全自動波箱及日本電裝空調，為旅客提供一個舒適的車程。首架新車於二零一零年十二月抵港，於二零一一年三月出牌及其他相關手續完成後，隨於初夏前全數投入服務。

The pioneer of the Lok Ma Chau cross border service, Dennis Dart with Northern Counties bodywork, was aging and limited with their single doorway design, NHKB decided to replace them with full-sized single decker in 2010. Total 9 MAN 18.320 was ordered and they are the second MAN product in the fleet.

MAN 18.320 is not in a full low floor design as NL263 with the low floor area ended at the centre exit. However, it is still one of the highest carrying capacity bus type in the fleet, with 85 passengers as a result of the large standing area offered within the low floor area. All of the 18.230 chassis were sent to Gemilang in Malaysia for assembling their bodywork and their outlook similar to the Scania K230UB in SBS Transit. The mechanical specification of the MAN 18.320 is a MAN Euro 5 standard engine with a Voith fully automatic transmission, powerful enough for driving the Nippon Denso air conditioning unit.

The first of the batch was delivered in Dec., 2010 and gradually entered service before the early summer in 2011 after registration and completed all essential procedures.

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