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Sid Foggs new Scania-Irizar

Scania and Irizar have delivered a new i6 coach to NSW operator Sid Fogg’s that will transport the Newcastle Jets Hyundai A-league soccer team in 2017

The Newcastle Jets’ new coach is one of three Scania-powered IRIZAR i6s to be delivered to Sid Fogg’s in the first few months of 2017. Already delivered is a K310 school, charter and corporate 13.5m coach, while a unique 14.5m steerable tag axle 64-seater will follow in April.

The Jets’ coach is built on a Scania K400 IB 6×2*4 chassis meaning it has a steerable tag axle, shod with super single tyres, allowing greater manoeuvrability in tight city streets.

The Euro5, 13-litre, six-cylinder engine drives through a Scania Opticruise automated gearchange and performance can be reined-in using the Scania retarder. In addition, the operator opted for electronically controlled disc brakes all round.

The Irizar i6 body offers 54 belted and reclining seats and there is a bathroom at the rear of the saloon along with a hot water service and an onboard refrigerator.

The new Jets coach is the first of its kind servicing the A-League, although identical coaches are used by the top soccer teams in Europe and South America.

The Scania powertrain was built in Sweden and sent to Brazil where the Scania factory installed it into their locally assembled chassis.

The rolling chassis was then delivered to Irizar for the i6 body to be fitted. The completed vehicle was shipped to Australia and underwent pre-delivery inspection at Scania in Newcastle, before having its Jets and Sid Fogg’s livery applied by the Trick Group.

Sid Fogg’s Coaches has been providing transport services to the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and the Central Coast, for more than 60 years. Graham Habgood, who has owned Sid Fogg’s Coaches in partnership with his wife Kathy for almost 30 years, says he is proud of his new coach and thier association with the A-League.

“We have two professional football teams in the city and we support both of them,” he says. “We’re proud to have had a Knights coach for many years, and now we have a Jets coach.

“When Wayne Bennett was coaching the Knights we took the Knights’ coach to Melbourne for a semi-final game so that when the players transferred from their Melbourne city hotel to the ground they were able to travel on their own vehicle with their branding on it. And they won the game!

“This made a big statement in Melbourne; everyone knew the Newcastle Knights were in town. We feel that this new coach for the Jets will also be a symbol of pride for the people of the city, they have wanted a suitable flagship transport for some while and now they have it.”

Newcastle Jets chief executive officer Lawrie McKinna says, since the Jets coach arrived, it has been pressed into service every day including transporting visiting football teams from China.

“We will be utilising this coach for as many trips as possible, however the first team to ride in it will be Liaoning Whowin FC from the Chinese Super League who are visiting,” he says.

“We have had good support from Scania over the years and we have our newer coaches on the Scania Pinnacle Maintenance and Repair Contract. The benefit is there are no surprises when the vehicles return from being serviced by Scania.”

“Scania Assist has also been remarkable on the small number of occasions we have had to call the help number. It doesn’t matter where in Australia you are you get to speak to some one who can help straight away and they call up the nearest service agent. It’s a great comfort for a driver especially the long distance drivers who may be out in the middle of nowhere.”

Meanwhile, the same operator is waiting on the delivery of its third new Scania, the 14.5-metre K400 EB 6×2*4 IRIZAR with 64 seats,  that will be used for school, charter, tour and corporate work in the Newcastle region.

 

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