The MAN Lion's City is a range of
low-floor and
low-entry public buses built by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
truck and bus manufacturer
MAN Truck & Bus
MAN Truck & Bus SE (formerly MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, ) is a German automotive manufacturer and the subsidiary of Traton, one of the leading international providers of commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, MAN Truck & Bus produces v ...
(previously MAN Nutzfahrzeuge) since 1996 primarily for the European market, but is also available in chassis-only variants worldwide. The name ''Lion's City'' has been used since 2006, when
MAN
A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy.
Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...
's
public bus models which had been marketed separately were gathered into one range, when also most models received a facelift. The first models to be introduced were the 12-metre
low-floor intercity bus ''NÜ xx3'' (A20) in 1996, the 12-metre city bus ''NL xx3'' (A21) in 1997 and the articulated ''NG xx3'' (A23) in 1998. As with former MAN bus models the power-rating made up part of the model name, giving the NÜ-series buses with power-ratings of 260 and 310 hp model names ''NÜ 263'' and ''NÜ 313'' respectively.
The main production sites are in
Starachowice
Starachowice is a city in southeastern Poland (historic Lesser Poland), with 49,513 inhabitants (31.12.2017). It is the capital of Starachowice County in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It is situated upon the River Kamienna, a tributary of ...
and
Sady in Poland, but the models have also been built in Germany, Turkey and Malaysia. Initially most of the
midibus
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long. While used in many parts of the world, the mi ...
variants were manufactured by Göppel Bus in
Augsburg
Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
, later
Nobitz.
Models are available with a 6-cylinder turbocharged straight engine which runs on
diesel,
compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in ...
or
liquefied petroleum gas
Liquefied petroleum gas, also referred to as liquid petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas), is a fuel gas which contains a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases, specifically propane, Butane, ''n''-butane and isobutane. It can also contain some ...
. Versions with
hydrogen
Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
fuel cell
A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen fuel, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most bat ...
drive and with hydrogen internal combustion engines
have been successfully tested, as well as
diesel-electric hybrid drive.
A production
hybrid-electric version, the ''Lion's City Hybrid'', which uses
supercapacitor
alt=Supercapacitor, upright=1.5, Schematic illustration of a supercapacitor
upright=1.5, A diagram that shows a hierarchical classification of supercapacitors and capacitors of related types
A supercapacitor (SC), also called an ultracapacitor, ...
s and two 67 kW electric motors is available since 2010.
Hybrid electric bus
A hybrid electric bus is a bus that combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. These types of buses normally use a diesel–electric powertrain and are also known as hybrid diesel� ...
es offer increased efficiency in urban traffic and use 30% less fuel than combustion-only buses.
The latest generation of
Neoplan Centroliner is based on the Lion's City (Neoplan was also part of the
Neoman Bus group).
Integral variants
Codes inside parentheses are internal codes that identify some technical characteristics of the variants, like length/wheelbase, number of axles, floor height, width, engine arrangement and so on. Some codes are unique to one variant, while others are shared between variants. Some variants have changed from one code to another over time. These codes are sometimes mistakenly used as a model designation. One can find the codes in
VINs (i.e. WMAA21...) and in vehicle production serial numbers (i.e. A210012).
Current
;City (low-floor)
* Lion's City 12, 12 m single-decker
diesel
*Lion's City 12 G, 12 m single-decker
CNG
*Lion's City 12 E, 12 m single-decker
electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
*Lion's City 18, 18 m articulated
diesel
*Lion's City 18 G, 18 m articulated
CNG
*Lion's City, known as ''NL xx3'' 1997–2004 – 12 m single-decker
** horizontal engine (A21)
** vertical engine (A37), since 2002
* Lion's City Hybrid (A37) – 12 m
hybrid single-decker
* Lion's City C (A26, A36 since 2013) – 13.7 m single-decker
* Lion's City L (A26), known as ''NL xx3 - 15 m'' 1998–2004, ''Lion's City LL'' 2004–2009 – 14.7 m single-decker
* Lion's City G (A23), known as ''NG xx3'' 1998–2004 – 18 m
articulated
* Lion's City GL (A23, A40 since 2011) – 18.75 m articulated
* Lion's City M – 10.5 m
midibus
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long. While used in many parts of the world, the mi ...
** 2.38 m wide (A35)
** 2.5 m wide (A47)
;City (low-entry)
* Lion's City LE (A78), known as ''EL xx3'' 2003–2004, ''Lion's City T'' 2004–2008 – 12m single-decker
** version based on standard low-floor, horizontal engine platform (A21), including CNG version, available since 2011(?)
** version for South African market – bodied on 18.280 HOCL-NL/R (A84) chassis by MAN South Africa in Olifantsfontein since 2011
* Lion's City C LE (A26, A45 since 2013?) – 13.7 m single-decker
* Lion's City L LE (A26, A44 since 2012?) – 14.7 m single-decker
* Lion's City G LE (A42) – 18 m articulated
* Lion's City GL LE (A49) – 18.75 m articulated
;Intercity (low-floor)
* Lion's City Ü (A20), known as ''NÜ xx3'' 1996–2004 – 12m single-decker
;Intercity (low-entry)
* Lion's City LE Ü (A78), known as ''EL xx3'' 2003–2004, ''Lion's City TÜ'' 2004–2008 – 12m single-decker
Discontinued
;City (low-floor)
* Lion's City DD (A39) – 13.73 m
double-decker
* Lion's City GXL (A43) – 20.45 m
articulated
* Lion's City M, known as ''NM xx3'' and ''EM xx3'' until 2005 – 8.13 m to 11.21 m
midibus
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long. While used in many parts of the world, the mi ...
, bodied on 10/11.xxx HOCL (469), 12.xxx HOCL-NL (A76), 14.xxx HOCL-NL (A66) and MAN NLxx3F (A22) chassis by Göppel Bus
;Intercity (low-floor)
* Lion's City ÜLL (A25), known as ''NÜ xx3 - 15 m'' 1998–2004 – 14.7 m single decker
Type designation system
The type designations were used to define all models prior to 2004. With the introduction of the model names in 2004, the system is still in use on all vehicles, but is more for internal use. In most cases it can be found on the plate inside the bus where one finds the VIN.
;Floor height
* N: Low-floor bus ()
* E: Low-entry bus (Some low-entry versions have letter N instead when they are built technically similar to the low-floor version.)
;Adaption
* L: Rigid bus (no special adaption) ()
* D: Double-decker bus ()
* G: Articulated bus ()
* M: Midibus
* Ü: Intercity bus ()
;Power code
* xx: First two digits of power output in hp (nearest ten)
* 3: third generation
* F: Denotes that it is built as a
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
for external bodywork ()
For example, an ND323F low-floor double-decker bus has a power output of 320 hp.
Chassis variants (for external bodywork)
Low-floor chassis variants are offered for external bodywork by local bodywork manufacturers. Most are bodied in the local manufacturer's own styling, but some are licensed to replicate the Lion's City bodywork, usually in markets where MAN don't sell the integral variants. This includes the
East Lancs Kinetec for the UK market, which only replicate the front part and
Gemilang Coachworks's version of the Lion's City, replicating the whole LHD bodywork for their (usually RHD) buses sold in Asia Pacific market, including the Lion's City Hybrid bodywork mounted on conventional diesel chassis.
* NLxx3F (A22) –
single-decker bus, horizontal engine, 10.5 m – 12.0 m
* NDxx3F (A34/A48/A95) –
double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are used primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sightseeing buses for tourists, and there are coaches too for long-distance travel. They app ...
, 10.85 m – 12.8 m. They have only been built in relatively small numbers and only for
right-hand drive
Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes called the ...
markets.
* NGxx3F (A24) –
articulated bus
An articulated bus, also referred to as a slinky bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, is an articulated vehicle, typically a motor bus or trolleybus, used in public transportation. It is usually a ...
, horizontal engine, 18.0 m – 18.75 m
* NMxx3F (A35) –
midibus
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long. While used in many parts of the world, the mi ...
, vertical engine, 9.7 m – 10.4 m
Single Decker
MAN NLxx3F and 14.2xx HOCL-NL (A66)
The MAN NLxx3F is a series of
low-floor single-decker city bus
A transit bus (also big bus, commuter bus, city bus, town bus, urban bus, stage bus, public bus, public transit bus, or simply bus) is a type of bus used in public transport bus services. Several configurations are used, including low-fl ...
chassis between 10 metre and 12 metre lengths, offered by
MAN
A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy.
Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...
since 1998, with chassis code ''A22''. They are based on the integral low-floor MAN NLxx3 Lion's City (A21). Available versions since launch include: NL223F, NL233F, NL243F, NL263F, NL273F, NL283F, NL313F, and NL323F. -
Liquefied petroleum gas
Liquefied petroleum gas, also referred to as liquid petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas), is a fuel gas which contains a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases, specifically propane, Butane, ''n''-butane and isobutane. It can also contain some ...
and
Compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in ...
versions are also available, with NL313F Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) being the most powerful. While the low entry rigid bus MAN 14.250 HOCL-NL (code A66) vehicles were powered by the MAN D0836 engine (Euro V and Euro VI emission standards) and the fitted with
ZF Ecomat automatic transmission.
Operators
Europe
Spain
EMT Madrid of
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
received a total of 84
CNG-powered NL313F CNGs in 2008. They were bodied by Castrosua and Burillo.
In 2011, five 10.4m NL283Fs and one
Hispano Area-bodied NL283F began operating in
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, simply Santiago, or Compostela, in the province of Province of A Coruña, A Coruña, is the capital of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city ...
and
Buñol
Buñol is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, Spain. The municipality has an area of some 112 km2, and is situated approximately 38 km west of the provincial and autonomous community capital city, Valencia. It lies alon ...
respectively.
Between 2011 and 2012, 13 man NL283F buses came into operation in
Tcc Pamplona, of which four were bodied by
Sunsundegui and the other 9 by Castrosua.
In 2017, fifteen NL323F buses came into operation in
EMT Malaga, all of them bodied by Castrosua
United Kingdom
Wrightbus initially developed a bodywork for the MAN NL273F, called the
Wright Meridian. It was the first MAN chassis to be bodied by
Wrightbus. A Meridian demonstrator was launched at the Coach & Bus Live 2007, which entered service with
Whitelaws. Regal Busways,
Newbury Buses and
Diamond Bus North West each operate an handful of
Wright Meridian-bodied NL273Fs across the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Asia-Pacific
Singapore
Public Bus
SMRT Buses trialled an
MCV Evolution
The MCV Evolution (stylised as ''eVolution''; internal designation: MCV C102) is a low floor and low entry single-decker bus body built by Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles. It was unveiled in 2003 as the successor to the MCV Stirling. The M ...
bodied MAN NL323F demonstrator (SMB138Y) in 2010. In 2012, SMB138Y had its electronic compartments damaged by water. It was taken out of service, returned to the dealership (ST Kinetics), de-registered and sent for Gemilang Coachworks of Malaysia re-bodied for export to Australia. Due to unconventional Australian road standards, SMB138Y had to be rebodied with a MAN Lion's City Hybrid bodywork manufactured under license by Gemilang Coachworks. After changing registration many times, the ex-SMB138Y bus was finally registered as XQ39KQ in Australia.
Following the success of the trial, SMRT Buses announced the purchase of 200 MAN NL323F Euro 5 with MAN Lion's City Hybrid Bodywork manufactured and assembled in Malaysia by
Gemilang Coachworks, similar to their European MAN Lion’s City Hybrid buses. The first of these debuted in 2011. These were followed up by orders for 202 more of such buses in 2013, and then 332 more units in 2014. Therefore a total of 734 units were purchased, bearing with the Gemilang Mark 1 bodywork. these buses are equipped with MAN D2066 LUH-32 engine which its emission standard Euro 5 compliant and both fitted with 6-speed automatic ZF Ecolife 6AP 2000B and 4-speed automatic Voith DIWA 864.5 gearboxes.
Also, certain buses have been registered with APAD (Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat/Land Public Transport Agency) in Malaysia for cross-border bus 950. SMRT had registered and reserved 20 MAN NL323F A22s as a direct replacement of Mercedes-Benz O405 (Hispano Carrocera OAC) upon the expiry of registration with APAD. In early 2022, the SBS Transit have to be APAD-registered these buses to replace Scania K230UB (Euro IV) buses. In 2027, SMRT will replace the first 20 MAN NL323F A22s with electric buses upon the expiry of lifespan with APAD.
As part of the
Bus Contracting Model (BCM), some of the buses were transferred to
Tower Transit,
Go-Ahead and
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Ltd (abbreviation: SBS or SBST) is a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore operating bus and rail services. With a majority of its shares owned by Singaporean multinational transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro Corporati ...
respectively, and some buses have been repainted into the standardized Lush Green livery. Other MAN NL323F units retained either the SMRT Buses "Stripes" livery or the SMRT Buses "Pixel" livery, both of which were inherited from the operations of SMRT Buses.
In October 2016, a MAN NL323F concept bus with 3 doors was exhibited at the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition (SITCE). Marketed as the MAN Lion's City SD 3Dr, it features a modified bodywork design based on the MAN Lion's City Hybrid, built to a low-entry configuration under license by
Gemilang Coachworks. The bus was later painted into the Lush Green livery, registered SG4002G, and began a 6-month trial service with SMRT Buses from 19 June 2017, starting from bus service 190. Soon after, this bus was redeployed on 901. The bus was later taken out of service in December 2017 after its trial and parked at ST Engineering Land System's compounds. The bus was then converted to the LTA Smart Bus and exhibited during Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition (SITCE) 2019 where it displayed some proof-of-concept by youths. Some features include retractable handgrip, wingless mirror, driver facial security & anti-fatigue system, bus lane violation system, contactless payments systems, interactive capacity lighting systems, auto-tinting windows and interactive touch screen windows. As part of the proof-of-concept, the engine of the bus was removed with no further road trials planned. In 2021, the bus was parked at LTA's Headquarters at Hampshire Road for static display until 2023 when it was sent for scrap.
In 2017, the
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation
The Land Transport Au ...
of Singapore procured 250 MAN Buses of which 100 units being MAN NL323F (A22) with Mark 2 bodywork. The 100 Mark 2 bodywork buses are Euro 6 compliant. They are also bodied by
Gemilang Coachworks with MAN Lion's City Bodywork paired with a 6-speed automatic
ZF Ecolife 6AP 2000B and 4-speed automatic
Voith
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith trades in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport. Founded in 1867, Voith today has aroun ...
DIWA 864.6 gearboxes. These buses also are equipped with MAN D 2066 LUH-51 engine and features a Luminator Technology Group Electronic Display Signage (EDS) and Passenger Information Display Systems (PIDS), Driver Assistance Technology, and the two wheelchair bays. These buses made their debut on 28 May 2018, the first day of bus 851e and together with MAN ND323F A95 Mark 4 bodywork units.
In the same year, 2017, a BSEP Euro V MAN NL323F (SMB3075A) was taken out of revenue service and was then shipped from
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
to
Turku
Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Aura River (Finland), River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while t ...
in Finland as part of a proof of concept for retrofitting diesel buses to electric buses. The project was done with Finnish Electric Bus manufacturer, Linkker and assisted by
ST Engineering
ST Engineering, is a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments. Headquartered in Singapore, the group reported a revenue of ov ...
. The bus had undergone extensive conversion and installation of traction system, battery system, power distribution system, vehicle control system, charging connectivity system and driver's workplace upgrade. It has since been retrofitted with overhead opportunity charging via pantograph with a secondary CCS2 plug-in charger and Linkker LinkDrive electric driveline. The bus was then redeployed back on revenue service after approximately 4 years in 2021, repainted with LTA Lush Green livery and a new number plate of SG3100M (former SMB3075A). The SG3100M was operated by SMRT Buses, deployed on routes 176 & 976 only. However, the bus was plagued by several issues and was taken out of revenue service and was back on ST Engineering's premises for repairs. After 8 months, SG3100M returned to revenue service once again in August 2023.
Private Bus
In 2020, during the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic, 20 units of NL323F were deregistered and retrofitted into dedicated COVID-19 patient transport vehicles known as COMET MAXI. This project is a collaboration between
SMRT Corporation, HOPE Technik, Sheares Healthcare and
Temasek Foundation
Temasek Foundation International is a Singapore-based non-profit organisation under the philanthropic arm of the Singapore state sovereign fund Temasek Holdings. Temasek has established 17 endowments since 1974, focused on promoting social and ...
. These buses were repainted into a Silver Livery and pasted with perforated vinyl stickers intended for privacy. These buses are retrofitted with airtight floor-to-ceiling partition separating the Bus Captain from rear passenger compartment featuring an emergency door for cross-compartment passage fitted with a rubber gasket and viewing windows on the partition. The buses are also installed with Negative Pressure System with
HEPA Filters, ensuring clean air is filtered out from the passengers compartment, as which 2 seats are removed from the bus. Other modifications include the isolation of both cabin's air-conditioning system, differential pressure gauge and additional roof mounted aircon duct and an air-conditioning blower at the front of the dashboard. These buses were sold off to private operators in 2021 due to excess buses in the public service fleet, with modifications removed on some units. In November 2024, 2 units from A&S Transit were deregistered and scrapped because of mechanical issues that could not be fixed and it being costly to maintain.
Hong Kong
The 12.0 metre MAN NL323 buses was manufactured by Gemilang Coachworks of Malaysia. These MAN NL323 buses was introduction into service in 2010; operated by
Discovery Bay
Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island.
The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...
of Hong Kong. Reused the bus design
Scania KUB Gemilang bodies of Malaysia. However, the 10.3 metre MAN 14.250 HOCL-NL (code A66) buses with MAN Lion's City Hybrid bodywork manufactured and assembly by
Gemilang Coachworks in Malaysia, under license by MAN. The power that is fitted with being compliant Euro 5 emission standards MAN D0836 LOH-65 diesel engine. The MAN 14.250 HOCL-NL (A66) bus have been deployed introduction passenger service in since January 2018. other example two Discovery Bay MAN NL323F (A22) (Euro 6) Buses with MAN Lion's City Hybrid Mark 2 Bodywork assembly in Malaysia later delivered to Hong Kong and deployment enter passenger service from 2018. the units of MAN
single-decker bus was franchised bus companies Park Island, Discovery Bay Transit Services. each single-door configuration MAN NL323F was produced by Ocean Park.
South Korea

In March 2017, MAN exhibited a 12.0m
Castrosua City Versus bodied MAN NL313F CNG concept bus with three doors at the 11th
Seoul Motor Show
The Seoul Mobility Show () is a biennial auto show held at KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Center), Goyang, Gyeonggi-do. Hosted by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), it is recognized as an international show by the Orga ...
. It was marketed as the MAN Lion's City CNG, despite featuring Castrosua bodywork, which has a different design with the integral MAN Lion's City's body.
Gimpo Trans Co. received the first delivery of NL313F CNG and began service on
Gimpo
Gimpo (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River (Korea), Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities o ...
City bus route 1002 in November 2017.
Australia
At
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is an international airport serving Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland. The airport services 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, total amounting to more than 22.7 mill ...
,
Carbridge operates one imported and rebodied
Gemilang Coachworks MAN NL323F from
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
which was a demonstrator unit as SMB138Y for
SMRT Buses with the MCV Evolution bodywork. This unit was displayed at the 2015 BusVic Maintenance Conference in
Moonee Valley, Victoria.
Middle East
Israel
Dan Bus Company
Dan Bus Company () is an Israeli bus company based in Tel Aviv. It operates local bus service in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area (Gush Dan).
Dan operates 1,200 buses and has 2,400 employees. It transports approximately over 600,000 passengers d ...
and
Egged operate a fleet of NL313Fs and NL323Fs in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
,
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
and
Haifa
Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
.
Double decker
MAN ND313F / ND363F (A34)
The MAN ND313F and MAN ND363F, with the chassis code ''A34'', is a tri-axle 12-metre chassis. A total number of 27 chassis were built between 2003 and 2006.
In 2003,
Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
received one MAN ND313F with
Neoplan Centroliner N4426 bodywork, it received fleet number APM1 and registration number LE4612, entering service later in the same year. The company later decided to choose other type of bus as the Centroliner bodywork cannot adapt Hong Kong climate, which lead to difficulties in repairing. This can be proven by their bus
Neoplan Centroliner which they bought before. As a result, the bus remained unique in Kowloon Motor Bus fleet. It was retired in January 2019. Interestingly, this bus always need to stay in depot for repairing due to mechanical issues. Bus fans in Hong Kong therefore called her "Depot Officer" as nickname.
25 ND363F received Ayats
coach bodywork, and were delivered to
Ulsterbus
Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink (Northern Ireland), Translink, the brand name for the subsidiary operating companies of the Northern Ireland Transpor ...
of Northern Ireland in 2006.
MAN ND243F / ND283F (A48)

In 2006, a 10.85 metre two-axle version was launched as the MAN ND243F and MAN ND283F, with chassis code ''A48''.
One ND283F received an
East Lancs Kinetec+ bodywork, which had a front similar to that of MAN Lion's City.
Two more ND283F test chassis were built, but no ND243F.
MAN ND323F / ND363F (A95)
In 2013, a new double deck chassis based on the NL323F A22
low floor
Low or LOW or lows, may refer to:
People
* Low (surname) Low is an English language, English and Languages of Scotland, Scottish surname. It is also a common surname found among Overseas Chinese language, Chinese communities around the world. ...
single-deck chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
was launched as the MAN ND323F and MAN ND363F, with a new chassis code ''A95''. Currently, the bodywork of all A95 buses are built by
Gemilang Coachworks and are based on the licensed MAN Lion's City DD design, and is also marketed in various markets as the MAN Lion's City DD for the 12.0 m long variant and the MAN Lion's City DD L for the 12.8 m long variant. A concept bodywork design was unveiled in 2015, in the form of a 3-door bus built for Singapore's
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation
The Land Transport Au ...
(LTA). Currently, a refreshed design based on the concept is being adopted on the newer buses. In addition, the Australian market buses feature a different rear end design as compared to those sold in other markets. All MAN A95 production buses delivered between 2014 and 2025. after the end of statutory lifespan 17 years will be extended or buses will be retired. All buses fitted with ZF Ecolife 6AP 2000B 6-speed automatic gearbox and SG6029S equipped with a 4-speed automatic Voith DIWA 864.6 gearbox.
Singapore
In November 2014,
SMRT Buses was given a single MAN A95 demonstrator (SMB5888H) for trial purposes at the manufacturer's request and the first MAN A95
RHD chassis to be built global deployment. The bus is fitted with Ster NewCity seats made in Poland, and lower deck interior layout likes the MAN A22 and A24 buses. Due to the Bus Contracting Model, SMB5888H was transferred to Tower Transit in 2021 after it won the contract for the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package from SMRT Buses. Following a successful trial run, SMRT Buses ordered 16 production batch MAN A95s which were delivered between August and November 2015 with tree guards pre-installed.
In late 2015, the
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation
The Land Transport Au ...
ordered 60 units as part of the
Bus Contracting Model (BCM) order. Largely similar to the previous batch procured by
SMRT Buses, these buses had some minor differences in appearance such as the tree guards. The final 10 units were equipped with USB charging ports inside the interior. The first 15 buses were painted in SMRT's corporate pixel livery, while the rest featured LTA's lush green livery. All of these buses were registered between April and August 2016 and are currently assigned to
SMRT Buses,
Tower Transit and
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Ltd (abbreviation: SBS or SBST) is a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore operating bus and rail services. With a majority of its shares owned by Singaporean multinational transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro Corporati ...
.
All the 77 production double-decker MAN A95 units were bearing the Gemilang Mark 1 bodywork.
Also in 2015, a 12.8 metre-long custom built MAN A95 with 3-door and 2-staircase was built for the
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation
The Land Transport Au ...
, featuring an updated concept bodywork design. The concept bus was unveiled in 2016, which the first exhibited at
Ngee Ann City
Ngee Ann City is a shopping and commercial centre located on Orchard Road, Singapore. The Singapore dollar, S$520 million building was officially opened on 21 September 1993 by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
History
In the 1950s, th ...
in location at Orchard and equipped with a outward-swinging sliding plug door located at the front. Originally deployed by Tower Transit on route 143/143M in 2017, it was transferred to
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Ltd (abbreviation: SBS or SBST) is a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore operating bus and rail services. With a majority of its shares owned by Singaporean multinational transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro Corporati ...
in early 2018, operating on bus 7.
In September 2016, LTA ordered another 122 MAN A95s which were put into service in since 2017. These buses contain similar specifications with the previous batches but with an updated bodywork design, with the first Gemilang Mark 2 bodywork 30 units being based on the concept design likely the SG5999Z, and these 92 units will be rest with an updated bodywork design bearing the Mark 3. SG2017C is very new equipped with Euro 6 MAN D 2066 LUH-51 engine and feature its
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, required the exhaust fluids using the AdBlue. These buses were assigned to SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit and Go-Ahead, with most of the SMRT Buses-operated units replacing the Mercedes-Benz O405G articulated buses.
In November 2017, under a negotiated tender, the Land Transport Authority ordered 250 Euro 6 MAN buses, comprising 150 MAN A22s and 100 MAN A95s, equipped with MAN D 2066 LUH-51 engines and minor differences to the bodywork in the previous batch. These buses were equipped with two wheelchair bays as compared to one in previous batches. An option was exercised in 2018 to procure an additional 150 MAN A95s in this batch. These buses entered revenue service in May 2018 and are currently assigned to SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Tower Transit and Go-Ahead for fleet additions and replacement of retiring buses.
In July 2018, a tender was awarded by LTA to ST Kinetics for the procurement of 111 MAN A95, which were delivered with subtle differences as compared to the earlier batches. These buses entered service in March 2020, with the final bus delivered in October 2021. Similarities to the previous batches, these buses are currently assigned to SBS Transit and SMRT Buses for fleet additions and replacement of retiring buses.
Following the successful trial of the three-door and two-staircase MAN A95, the
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation
The Land Transport Au ...
procured 50 production batch 3-door and 2-staircase A95 along with 50 production batch 3-door and 2-staircase Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC units. These buses entered service in January 2021 with
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Ltd (abbreviation: SBS or SBST) is a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore operating bus and rail services. With a majority of its shares owned by Singaporean multinational transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro Corporati ...
,
SMRT Buses,
Tower Transit Singapore and
Go-Ahead Singapore.
All the Euro 6 production batch double-decker MAN A95s were new built LTA specifications and bearing the Mark 4 bodywork design. it was predecessor of MAN A95 Mark 3 (
Euro 5) buses, including initial Mark 3 batch (Euro 6) (SG2017C).
Hong Kong
In August 2014, Kwoon Chung Motors Company (KCM) ordered 9 ND323Fs replacing 8
Dennis Tridents and 1
MAN 24.310. Also, KCM's subsidiary company
New Lantau Bus (NLB) purchased 10 ND323Fs. They were delivered to Hong Kong in June and August 2015 respectively. Moreover, in 2017, NLB purchased 16 ND363Fs with Gemilang Lion's city DD facelift body, they were delivered to Hong Kong since November 2017 and registered since February 2018. The order has been increased to add another 13 vehicles and registered since June 2018. In 2018, NLB purchased 5 ND363Fs with Gemilang's Lion's city DD facelift body which is equivalent to the previous order and equipped with MAN D 2066 LUH-51 engine. They are being delivered to Hong Kong since February 2019.
In May 2015, an ND363F was delivered to
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is a bus company operating Bus services in Hong Kong, franchised services in Hong Kong. It is the largest bus company in Hong Kong by fleet size and number of bus routes, with over 4,000 buses ...
(KMB) of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and was first used during August 2015. In October 2015, KMB placed an order for 20 ND323Fs with Gemilang Lion's City DD body. In 2017, KMB ordered one ND323F with
Gemilang self-build body and equipped with Navaho LCD display.
New World First Bus also ordered a 12.8m long ND323F A95.
New China Lane Travel,
To Yo Travel and
Goldspark Hong Kong Tours have also ordered ND323F A95s in
open top form.
Discovery Bay Transit Services (DBTSL) from
Discovery Bay
Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island.
The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...
placed an order of four ND323F A95s in 2016 and delivered in June 2017. They were registered in late June and mid-July 2017. In 2019, DBTSL ordered two ND323F A95s equipped with MAN D 2066 LUH-51 engine and delivered in January and February 2020. Two new buses were registered and operated in July 2020.
HZMB bus operator has ordered 20 ND363Fs with 4.2m height variant and delivered in 2018. In 2019, HZMB bus operator has ordered 40 ND323Fs with 4.2m height variant and MAN D 2066 LUH-51 engine. These buses are delivered since April 2019.
Australia
In 2017,
State Transit purchased 41
Gemilang Coachworks bodied MAN A95s for its Sydney
B-Line service. In 2019,
Forest Coach Lines purchased 6 Gemilang Coachworks bodied MAN A95s.
United Arab Emirates
In 2019,
RTA (Dubai) ordered 70
Gemilang bodied MAN A95s. This is the first order of the A95 in left-hand drive configuration.
Articulated
MAN NG363F (A24)
The MAN NG363F, with the chassis code ''A24'', is a tri-axle 17.98 metre chassis. Which is a low-floor articulated city bus with similarities the diesel powertrain to rigid bus MAN NL323F (A22) and double-decker bus MAN ND323F (A95). Where the engine and automatic transmission are mounted-longitudinally on the left rear of the vehicle. An power output of 265kW (360hp) engine is the most highest powerful and acceleration. They were fitted with a 4-speed automatic Voith DIWA 864.5 gearbox, similar to
Huanghai DD6187S01 with MAN A23 buses in Changzhou, China.
Operators
Asia-Pacific
Singapore
In 2013,
SMRT Buses received a MAN NG363F A24 prototype unit, SMB388S, for testing and evaluation from the local MAN's dealer,
ST Kinetics
ST Engineering Land Systems Ltd (STELS), formerly known as ST Kinetics, is a strategic business area of ST Engineering and handles land systems and specialty vehicles.
In 2000, ST Engineering acquired the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) ...
. The chassis was built in Germany and later assembly in
Gemilang Coachworks of Malaysia. On 18 April 2013, the bus was deployed on Service 190 making its debut as the first new articulated bus brought in by
SMRT Buses after the re-branding, and the first low floor layout and wheelchair accessible bendy bus (WAB) in Singapore. This bus is currently operated by SMRT Buses, being the only bendy bus in Singapore to be registered with the SMRT Buses stripe livery.
Following the successful evaluation of SMB388S, SMRT Buses announced in April 2014 they would be acquiring an additional 39 units to replace the retiring Mercedes-Benz O405G articulated buses. The production batch of NG363F A24 was delivered in 2015, built and bodied in Malaysia by
Gemilang Coachworks, and debuted in May that year.
As part of the
Bus Contracting Model (BCM), some of the buses were transferred to
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Ltd (abbreviation: SBS or SBST) is a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore operating bus and rail services. With a majority of its shares owned by Singaporean multinational transport conglomerate ComfortDelGro Corporati ...
and
Tower Transit Singapore under the Seletar and Sembawang-Yishun Bus Packages respectively. SBS Transit MAN A24 units were restricted to deployment on certain Yishun feeder routes (800, 804, 806, 807, 811).
As of SMRT's last purchase of the MAN NG363F A24, the
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a Statutory boards of the Singapore Government, statutory board under the Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation
The Land Transport Au ...
of Singapore has no new or upcoming plans to acquire any articulated buses because articulated buses occupy more space, as compared to Double Decker buses which are able to carry more passengers with less space occupied.
Gallery
File:Keolis 5398 160704 01.jpg, NG 313 CNG (A23) on line 69 in Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
File:Sporveisbussene 18jun2005.jpg, NL 263 (A21) in Oslo
File:MVG 015 Schloss Broich.jpg, NG 313 (A23) in Mülheim an der Ruhr
File:ORN Bus Mainz (PICT0522).jpg, ORN Lion's City G at Mainz Central Station
File:NEOMAN A39 2007-03-15.jpg, Lion's City DD in Berlin
File:Bus 547 Stadtwerke Baden-Baden (MAN Lion's City Hybrid).jpg, MAN Lion's City EfficientHybrid at Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...
station
File:GUB 481 220902 01.jpg, Lion's City 18c CNG EfficientHybrid in Uppsala
Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019.
Loc ...
File:MAN Bus Yerevan.jpg, MAN Lion's City 12G Bus on line 1 in Yerevan
See also
*
List of buses
References
External links
*
{{MAN Truck & Bus, state=autocollapse
Lion's City
Buses of Germany
Hybrid electric buses
Tri-axle buses
Low-floor buses
Low-entry buses
Double-decker buses
Midibuses
Articulated buses
Vehicles introduced in 1996