The Caetano Levante is a coach body built by Salvador Caetano on

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

OC 500 RF, Scania K EB,

Volvo B8R The Volvo B8R is a 7.7-litre engined coach and intercity bus chassis manufactured by Volvo since 2013 for Euro VI markets. It was designed as a replacement for the B7R and the B9R. In 2017, Euro III and V versions were launched worldwide with ...

, Volvo B9R, Volvo B11R, Volvo B12B and Volvo B13R chassis, exclusively for National Express in the United Kingdom. It was specifically designed to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Originally only available on the Volvo B12B chassis, the Levante enabled both able-bodied and wheelchair passengers to enter the vehicle via the front door, using a combination of a front-mounted lift and two single pedestal-mounted seats in place of the traditional double at the front nearside of the passenger area. The Levante is used by most National Express contractors, although some contractors continued purchasing Plaxton Elites. This model is similar to a Portuguese market model, Caetano Winner, which was presented in 2004 and was born from a collaboration with Evobus with the first units being equipped with

OC500 chassis, but other manufacturers' chassis can be applied. Levante bodies which are not built new for National Express work are known as CT650s.

Levante III

In September 2017, the Levante III was launched with prototypes built for National Express contractors Edwards Coaches on a Volvo B11R and Skills Coaches on a Scania. An upgraded variant named the Levante IIIA is currently being trialled by National Express. Built on a new Scania 'Step E' chassis suitable for a potential

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 ...

drivetrain and featuring a new front end module and suspension, the Levante IIIA is equipped with camera mirrors replacing the traditional mirror arms, warning sensors for road and blindspot hazards, and a new cab area layout. Two Levante IIIAs are to be operated on trial by contractors Clarkes of London and Bruce's Coaches before the type is rolled out across the National Express coaching fleet from spring 2023.

References

External links

*
Product description from Caetano
{{Salvador Caetano Coaches (bus) Vehicles introduced in 2006