The Volvo B6BLE was a ~5-litre engined low-entry

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 ...

chassis manufactured by

Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...

between 1999 and 2001, with three unfinished or unsold chassis being bodied in 2004 and 2005.

History

The Volvo B6BLE was presented in November 1998 as a replacement for the B6LE. Compared to the B6LE it had a new lower chassis frame with increased

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. ...

area, independent front suspension giving more than 10 cm wider gangway between the front wheel arches, and front end "kneeling", giving a 25 cm entrance height. Like its predecessor, it continued to compete with the

Dennis Dart SLF The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis of Guildford, England, in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a high-floor design, in 1996 the low-floor second generation Denn ...

. A total of 346 known B6BLEs were produced between 1999 and 2001, including two for Australia, nine for Norway and two for Sweden. When the Irvine plant was closed in 2000, production moved to Sweden. The last buses were registered as late as April 2002, but the model year on the chassis

VIN Vin or VIN may refer to: Abbreviations and codes Arts, entertainment, and media * '' Vos Iz Neias?'', American Jewish online news site * Coastal radio station VIN Geraldton (callsign), a station in the former Australian coastal radio service Pl ...

s reveal that they were built in 2001, waiting to be bodied. A further B6BLE was delivered for

Plaxton Plaxton is an English builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Eastfield, North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1907 by Frederick William Plaxton, it became a subsidiary of Alexander Dennis in May 2007. In 2019, the maker was acqui ...

's ''Bus 2000'' concept in 2004, followed by a second ''Bus 2000'' B6BLE in 2005, but the VINs indicate that they were initially manufactured in model year 2000. A third chassis was available for the ''Bus 2000'' project in 2005; however, it was not required, and was instead sold to New Zealand and bodied by

Kiwi Bus Builders Kiwi Bus Builders is a New Zealand bus bodybuilder based in Tauranga. History Kiwi Bus Builders was established in 1993. It has built bus and coach bodies for many operators including Go Bus Transport, NZ Bus and Tranzit Group, Tranzit Coachl ...

.Nimon & Sons
Australian Bus Fleet Lists This chassis had 1999 as model year. In some markets, the B6BLE was followed by short-wheelbase variants of the B7RLE.

Engines

D6A, 5478 cc, in-line 6 cyl. turbodiesel (1999-2001) * D6A180 - 132 kW (180 bhp), 550 Nm, Euro 2 * D6A210 - 154 kW (210 bhp), 700 Nm, Euro 2

References

External links

* {{Volvo Buses, state=collapsed Vehicles introduced in 1999 B06BLE Low-entry buses Midibuses Bus chassis