MAN A24 (NG363F)

The MAN A24, also known as the MAN NG363F, is a low-floor, articulated city bus chassis offered by MAN Truck & Bus.

In Singapore, a total of 40 units are operating in the public transport fleet, bodied by Gemilang Coachworks in Malaysia based on the MAN Lion’s City G design which it manufactures under license. First introduced locally in 2013 by SMRT Buses, the successful trial of a demonstrator bus (SMB388S) led to a bulk order of 39 units by SMRT, all of which entered service in 2015. These are Singapore’s only low-floor articulated buses.

In late 2017, several MAN A24 buses were transferred from SMRT Buses to SBS Transit for the Seletar Bus Package. Tower Transit commenced usage of MAN A24 buses from March 2021 with the transfer of 1 unit from SMRT Buses to Tower Transit in preparation for the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package.

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Model/Type Information:

The MAN A24 is a right-hand-drive articulated city bus chassis adapted from the MAN Lion’s City G range of articulated city buses (model designation MAN NGxx3), which are only available as an integral bus for the European market.

All MAN A24 units operating in Singapore are of the NG363F model. The model designation is broken down as follows:

• N: Low-floor bus (German: Niederflur)
• G: Articulated bus (German: Gelenkbus)
• xx: Power output in hp (rounded to nearest ten) – 360hp for A24 buses in Singapore.
• 3: Third generation
• F: Produced as a chassis (German: Fahrgestell); to be fitted with external bodywork

All MAN buses also carry a type designation for further classification. The 18-metre long Lion’s City G integral buses are assigned A23 (or A40 for units built after October 2011). The chassis in Singapore buses are designated MAN A24, an increment of 1 after the integral MAN A23 (analogous to the A22 chassis based on the A21 integral bus). As such, buses can be referred to using either the model designation (NG363F), type designation (A24), or both.

With an engine power output of 265 kW (360 hp), the MAN A24 buses have the highest engine power output for any diesel bus in Singapore’s public bus fleet.

Technical Information:

Chassis layout:

The MAN A24 is fitted with a diesel powertrain similar to MAN A22 and MAN A95 buses. The engine and transmission units are mounted longitudinally on the rear left of the vehicle, and connected to the drive axle (ZF AV133) via a laterally-offset driveshaft, which does not interfere with the middle passenger aisle. Typical for low-floor buses, the rear axles are inverted portal axles, which allow for the bus’ full-low-floor layout and thus improving passenger access.

Powertrain:

MAN A24 buses in Singapore are fitted with the MAN D2066 LUH inline 6-cylinder, twin-stage turbocharged diesel engine. To achieve the Euro V emission standard, the engine uses Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology and MAN’s own PM-Kat® exhaust treatment system, which contains a diesel oxidation catalyst and a particle filter.

The MAN Lion’s City G, from which the MAN A24 is derived from, is offered with the Euro VI-compliant diesel engine (D2066 LUH; output of 280hp, 320hp or 360hp) or CNG engine (E2876 LUH; output of 310hp). These engine options are likely also available for the MAN A24.

Engines can be paired with either a ZF (6-speed) or Voith (4-speed) automatic transmission.

Bodywork:

Singapore’s MAN A24 buses are bodied by Gemilang Coachworks of Malaysia, which has a long history of building city buses on MAN bus chassis, mainly for the Asia Pacific market. The MAN Lion’s City G bodywork is manufactured by Gemilang under a design license which mirrors the appearance of the similarly-named MAN Lion’s City G integral product.

Gemilang Coachworks builds these buses using the EcoRange lightweight aluminium bus body structure developed by Constellium. By using aluminium extrusions and composite elements designed for ease of assembly, overall cost of production is reduced (via lower labour and tooling costs). In addition, aluminium is corrosion-resistant, and the lightweight body benefits fuel economy over the bus’ lifespan.

Bus Assembly:

MAN bus chassis are manufactured in Germany, and then shipped to Johor, Malaysia for body assembly by Gemilang Coachworks Sdn Bhd.

See also: Gemilang Coachworks: Bus Gallery

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Specification Table

	Demonstrator	Production Batch
Registration no.	SMB388S	SMB8001E – SMB8039Y
Quantity	1	39
Registered	2 Apr 2013	11 Mar 2015 – 16 Nov 2015
Engine	MAN D2066 LUH-33 engine, turbocharged with intercooled, 10518cc Power/Torque output of 360 hp (265 kW) @ 1900 rpm / 1800 Nm @ 1000 – 1400 rpm
Emission Standard	Euro V compliant MAN PURE DIESEL® EGR process, paired with PM-Kat® exhaust aftertreatment system (diesel oxidation catalyst + particle filter)
Transmission	Voith DIWA 864.5
Bodywork	MAN Lion’s City G bodywork Built by Gemilang Coachworks under license. Uses Constellium’s EcoRange lightweight aluminium bus body.
Electronic Display Signage (EDS)	Gorba imotion EDS; Gorba imotion CU8 controller	Mobitec MobiLED EDS; Mobitec MobiMASTER ICU 402 controller
Doors	Masats
Air-con	Denso LD8i Formerly: Spheros CC 305	Denso LD8i
Seats	Vogelsitze System 750/3
Seating Capacity	54 Seating + 76 Standing = 130 Passengers 1 wheelchair bay	51 Seating + 80 Standing = 131 Passengers 1 wheelchair bay
Notable Features	Delivered in SMRT Beige livery. No adjustable air-conditioning vents. Easily identified by Gorba EDS.	Delivered in SMRT Pixel livery, some repainted to LTA Lush Green. Adjustable air-conditioning vents.

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SMRT MAN A24 Demonstrator (MAN’s Lion City G / Gemilang): SMB388S

Further Reading: SMB388S: MAN A24 Demonstrator

In 2013, SMRT Buses received a MAN A24 demonstrator unit for road testing and evaluation by MAN’s local dealer, ST Kinetics. The bus was registered on 2 April 2013 as SMB388S, the sixth demonstrator bus received by SMRT Buses. Sharing many technical similarities with its rigid bus cousin, the MAN NL323F, SMRT owned at least 400 MAN NL323F buses prior to the registration of SMB388S.

Basic Technical Specifications
Engine	MAN D2066 LUH-33 engine Inline 6-cylinder two-stage turbocharged with intercooling, 10518cc Power/Torque output of 360 hp (265 kW) @ 1900 rpm / 1800 Nm @ 1000 – 1400 rpm
Emission Standard	Euro V compliant Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology combined with MAN’s own PM-Kat® exhaust treatment system, hence doing away with the need for diesel exhaust fluids, and achieving the the Euro V emission standard.
Transmission	Voith DIWA 864.5 gearbox, four-speed automatic
Bodywork	MAN Lion’s City G Bodywork Chassis built in Germany, MAN’s Lion City G bodywork supplied and assembled by Gemilang Coachworks, licensed by MAN.
EDS	Gorba imotion Electronic Display Signage (EDS) Connected to a Gorba imotion CU8 controller
Air-conditioning	Two Denso LD8i roof-mounted air-conditioning units

The bodywork used on this bus was similar to MAN’s integral Lion’s City G or Lion’s City GL buses, but manufactured by Gemilang Coachworks of Malaysia, under license from MAN. It was built using Alcan’s EcoRange® body structure system, which primarily uses lightweight aluminium for extrusions, sheets, and joining elements. The bus was fully assembled by Gemilang in its Johor Bahru assembly plant before final delivery to Singapore.

For the exterior, many elements were standardized with the other MAN NL323Fs in SMRT’s fleet, giving it an appearance of an elongated NL323F. However, unlike the NL323Fs, the bus was not fitted with the large, curved roof attachment.

On the interior, the interior fixtures and their configuration are roughly similar to the Batch 2 NL323Fs, with identical seats, grabpoles, handgrips arranged in a comparable layout. SMRT retained the unique sliding plug doors supplied by Masats (previously used for MAN NL323Fs) for the middle and rear exit doors. A single wheelchair bay is located in the middle of the bus, and a manual wheelchair ramp is installed only on the middle door. A full-low-floor design offers step-free access between all doors, across the articulation unit and up to the last row of seats. Finally, a unique, translucent articulation bellow allowed for natural light into the articulation unit during daylight hours.

SMB388S made its revenue service debut on 18 April 2013, deployed on Bus Service 190 between Choa Chu Kang and New Bridge Road. It has since been under SMRT’s Kranji Depot and made appearances on a variety of bus routes, such as 61, 67, 106, 176, 180, 188, 300, 302 and 700/700A.

The Legacy

SMB388S was acquired as a direct replacement for TIB838H, the very first articulated bus in Singapore, which was deregistered shortly before this bus entered revenue service. Breaking away with the tradition of registering buses in numerical order, the somewhat auspicious SMB388S registration bears resemblance to it’s predecessor.

The introduction of SMB388S is reminiscent of how TIB838H came about. TIB838H, a Mercedes-Benz O405G, was acquired by TIBS as a high-capacity version of the previously-introduced and highly successful Mercedes-Benz O405. Along with similarities in the chassis, bodywork was also very similar, both built by Hispano Carrocera. For SMB388S, the MAN A24 chassis is a high-capacity version of the MAN NL323F chassis, and was also built to similar interior configurations as the previously-introduced and successful MAN NL323Fs.

SMB388S scored several firsts. It was the first bendy bus to be brought in by SMRT Buses, and the first fully-low-floor and wheelchair-accessible bendy bus in Singapore. It is the second transit bus in Singapore to be delivered new with Gorba-manufactured EDS units (after SMB136C and not including PA9588S), and the first transit bus in Singapore to have air-conditioning units supplied by Spheros.

Additional Specifications:

SMB388S has a licensed capacity for 130 passengers: 54 seating and 76 standing passengers. Originally fitted with Spheros air-conditioning units, they were replaced by Denso LD8i units in 2016, similarly used on the Production Batch buses.

We cover SMB388S in greater detail at this article: SMB388S: MAN A24 Demonstrator

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SMRT MAN A24 Production Batch (MAN’s Lion City G / Gemilang): SMB8001E – SMB8039Y

In April 2014, SMRT announced the purchase of 40 MAN A24 articulated buses (which included the demonstrator unit SMB388S). They were acquired as a direct replacement for the initial 40 Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Mark I) buses registered in 1997, namely TIB849B – TIB883B.

A total of thirty-nine (39) Production Batch units were delivered, registered as SMB8001E – SMB8039Y from 11 Mar 2015 – 16 Nov 2015. Technical specifications are similar to the demonstrator unit SMB388S; however the unladen weight of a production batch bus was reduced to 16320kg, 160kg lighter than that of SMB388S. All units were delivered with SMRT’s pixel livery.

The first production batch unit, SMB8001E was spotted in SMRT’s new pixel livery in Woodlands Depot in early February 2015. The bus was registered on 11 March 2015, and commenced revenue service on 15 March 2015, appearing on Bus Service 190.

Basic Technical Specifications
Engine	MAN D2066 LUH-33 engine Inline 6-cylinder two-stage turbocharged with intercooling, 10518cc Power/Torque output of 360 hp (265 kW) @ 1900 rpm / 1800 Nm @ 1000 – 1400 rpm
Emission Standard	Euro V compliant Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology combined with MAN’s own PM-Kat® exhaust treatment system, hence doing away with the need for diesel exhaust fluids, and achieving the the Euro V emission standard.
Transmission	Voith DIWA 864.5 gearbox, four-speed automatic
Bodywork	MAN Lion’s City G Bodywork Chassis built in Germany, MAN’s Lion City G bodywork supplied and assembled by Gemilang Coachworks, licensed by MAN.
EDS	Mobitec MobiLED Electronic Display Signage (EDS) Connected to a Mobitec MobiMASTER ICU 402 controller
Air-conditioning	Two Denso LD8i roof-mounted air-conditioning units

Similar to the demonstrator unit SMB388S, the bodywork used on Production Batch buses were built and assembled by Gemilang Coachworks of Malaysia using Alcan’s EcoRange® aluminium-based body structure system. The exterior was also similar to that of SMB388S, but painted in SMRT’s silver-based pixel livery. Roof-mounted air-conditioning units were supplied by Denso rather than Spheros. EDS units were supplied by Mobitec to standardize with many other SMRT buses.

On the interior, the fixtures and layout are almost similar to SMB388S. The translucent articulation bellow was replaced with opaque ones. To increase standing space, three seats have been removed: two rows of forward facing seats between the entrance and middle door are now three-abreast, and the last seat was removed from the rear section of the bus. Fixed air-conditioning vents were replaced with adjustable louvres.

Additional Specifications:

Production Batch MAN A24s have a licensed capacity for 131 passengers: 51 seating and 80 standing passengers. They are deployed mostly on feeder and intratown bus services.

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SBS Transit MAN A24 Buses

Main Article: MAN A24 Articulated Buses for SBS Transit

Under the Bus Contracting Model, the Land Transport Authority owns and leases buses to the individual public transport operators under term contracts. SBS Transit, who was awarded the Seletar Bus Package contract in April 2017, began operating MAN A24 buses intended for Yishun feeder bus routes.

Lush Green Livery

SBS Transit MAN A24 buses were progressively repainted to the lush green livery from November 2019.

 

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Tower Transit MAN A24 Buses

In March 2021, Tower Transit was transferred a MAN A24 bus (SMB8015R) from SMRT Buses to prepare for its takeover of the Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package in September 2021.

6 additional buses were transferred over from SMRT Buses to Tower Transit in September 2021.

Some buses were repainted to the LTA Lush Green livery.

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Clarifying the Differences: D2066 LUH-32 or LUH-33?

Clarifying the Differences: D2066 LUH-32 or LUH-33? (Click to expand)

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MAN A24 (NG363F)
Registration	Engine	Gearbox	Introduced	Retired	Bodywork
SMB388S	MAN D2066 LUH-33	Voith DIWA D864.5	2013	–	MAN Lion’s City G / Gemilang Coachworks (Demonstrator)
SMB8001E – SMB8039Y			2015	–	MAN Lion’s City G / Gemilang Coachworks (Production Batch)

Deployments as at Jan 2022:

Operator	Buses
SMRT Buses	SMB388S, SMB8011B, SMB8012Z, SMB8013X, SMB8014T, SMB8016M, SMB8017K, SMB8018H,SMB8019E, SMB8020A, SMB8021Y, SMB8022U, SMB8023S, SMB8024P, SMB8026J, SMB8027G, SMB8028D, SMB8029B, SMB8032R, SMB8033M, SMB8034K, SMB8035H & SMB8039Y
SBS Transit	SMB8001E, SMB8002C, SMB8003A, SMB8004Y, SMB8005U, SMB8006S, SMB8007P, SMB8008L, SMB8009J & SMB8010D
Tower Transit	SMB8015R, SMB8025L, SMB8030X, SMB8031T, SMB8036E, SMB8037C & SMB8038A

 

Interior

 

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