Toyota South Africa has launched its 23-seater Coaster bus to the local market.
“The Coaster fills the gap in the line-up left between the LWB Quantum – a 16-seater – and Hino 300-based bus conversions,” said Toyota.
The first Coaster hit the roads back in 1969, as a single-deck mini-bus – and could seat 17 people.
The second and third generations followed in 1982 and 1993, respectively, while the current fourth-generation model went on sale in 2017.
Power
Toyota has fitted a 4.0-litre, inline-four, turbo-diesel engine to the Coaster bus.
This unit delivers 100kW at 3,000rpm and 353Nm at 1,600rpm, said the company.
It added that the engine is a Hino-sourced motor, and is paired with a five-speed manual transmission which drives the rear wheels.
23 seats
The standout feature of the Toyota Coaster is its 23-seater configuration – which allows for one driver and 22 passengers.
This seating set-up consists of six single-file seats on the passenger side, six double-seats on the driver side, and a four-seater bench in the rear.
Unconfirmed rumours doing the rounds have stated that only the coolest of passengers will be allowed to sit on the bench at the back of the bus.
Covering the seats and the floor is a highly-durable PVC.
Features
Features in the Coaster include a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, multi-information display, and a Toyota audio system with aux and USB functionality.
“The Toyota Connect in-car telematics and Wi-Fi system is naturally part of the product offering,” said Toyota.
Safety items then include ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, and driver and passenger airbags.
Pricing
The Toyota Coaster 4.0D 5MT LWB has a South African price of R899,900.
Each model is sold with a 6-services/60,000km service plan – with service intervals set at 10,000km.
A 3-year/100,00km warranty is also included as standard.
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