Volvo Buses has opened the order books for a new full-size luxury coach to be built exclusively for the UK and Irish markets, following the signing of a new bodybuilder agreement with Spanish manufacturer, UNVI.
The new model was announced jointly by Domenico Bondi, Managing Director of Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, and Eloy Pérez, CEO of UNVI. They were speaking at the UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA) Members Annual General Meeting and Conference, hosted at Volvo Group UK’s head office in Warwick.
Deliveries of the new Volvo B13R UNVI XL are anticipated to commence from Summer 2026. The new model will initially be offered as a 12.8m-long, 4×2 single-deck coach with a choice between 53 passenger seats, or 49 passenger seats plus one wheelchair space.
Bondi says: “This marks one of the most important new product announcements since I joined Volvo Bus UK & Ireland three years ago. A massive amount of work has gone into developing this new coach, from both Volvo and UNVI – it’s a hugely exciting moment.”
Commenting on the specification of the new model, he adds: “An exceptional coach requires first class build quality, excellent chassis geometry, a smooth-riding suspension and a driveline offering industry-leading performance and efficiency. That’s precisely what we bring with the B13R chassis – and when paired with this new UNVI body, we’re confident we’ve got a fantastic product which will set the benchmark for coach travel.”
Pérez explains: “The scale of this opportunity with Volvo Buses is huge. From the first exploratory conversations with Domenico and his team last year, we knew we wanted to be a part of this project.
“It comes at an incredibly exciting time for UNVI. Whilst this year we celebrate 30 years in bus and coach bodybuilding, our eyes are always on the future. We have developed a hard-earned reputation for product quality, style and comfort – match it with the Volvo B13R chassis, and we have a truly winning formula.”
More Details in the Spring edition of Fleet Bus & Coach magazine.