The MAZ-171 apron bus is a world sensation with a great future

Less than 10 years ago, the MAZ brand model became a truly international sensation. Nobody made platform buses in the post-Soviet space at that time.


Today we’ll talk about the MAZ-171, its features and prospects. I am sure you will be surprised at what Minsk designers and engineers have realized.

Dimensions and design

The dimensions of the platform bus are maximum, taking into account the platform and the requirements of railway workers. What does the railway have to do with it? And everything is simple - the bus is delivered to the airport along it. Therefore, the length of the model was 14 mm, width 400 mm, and height 3 mm. Weighs 150 tons without passengers and luggage. The tire size is 3/170 R22.

As one of the designers of the Belarusian platform bus said:


There are only two manufacturers of such platform buses in the EU - Neoplan and Cobus. The Belarusian model is not inferior to its European counterparts in technical characteristics, design and equipment.

As for the appearance, everything can be seen from the photo. The MAZ model, at first glance, does not look much like a bus. Rather, a comparison with a designer metro train comes to mind. When the MAZ-171 is driving, it seems that it is literally floating along the road surface. And the reason is simple - the wheels are not visible at all.


In general, the appearance is consistent with other MAZ models. For example, a MAZ-203 city bus. This can be seen from the “stern” and lens optics from Hella.

The windshield deserves special attention. No one has done anything like this in the CIS. But MAZ's partner, the KuVo company, took on a technically complex project and completed it 100%. Triple windshield wipers were also hard to find. Only a couple of companies in the world make these. Belarusian designers settled on products from the Spanish company Doga.

And now we smoothly move on to the salon. One word comes to mind here - roomy. The dimensions of the platforms are really large (more than three meters wide). The bus can easily accommodate 122 passengers with their luggage. If you really want to, you can play football here.


There are only six passenger seats (one for each entrance door). Their small number does not cause discomfort, since the journey from the terminal to the plane (or back) is only 5-10 minutes.

The designers have provided the following amenities for passengers:

✅ Tinted windows and vents for interior ventilation
✅ Specially created anti-slip flooring “Avtolin”
✅ 6 fans on the roof regulate the microclimate in the cabin
✅ A folding ramp will help a passenger in a wheelchair to safely enter the cabin

The handrail system is well thought out. The designers stretched them along and across the bus. Each has 6-8 loop-straps that are comfortable to hold on to.

Between the driver's cabin and the passenger compartment there is a blind glazed partition. The interior is borrowed from the MAZ-103 bus, which is used as public transport. Against the backdrop of a well-thought-out and even futuristic appearance, the MAZ dashboard looks rather archaic.


This layout is "readable" for the driver, but from a design point of view it is outdated. The platform bus does not have seat belts for the driver and accompanying person.

Additional comfort for the driver is an independent heater and air conditioning. There is an automated system that will show changes in tire pressure, coolant level, and engine temperature.

Technical specifications

The MAZ-171 platform bus is equipped with a Deutz BF4M1013FC engine with 170 horsepower that complies with Euro-3 standards. The diesel engine has liquid cooling. The crankcase and cylinder head are cast iron.


The volume of the power plant is 4,76 liters, torque 700 N*m. The maximum possible speed of the platform bus is 50 km/h. The engine is paired with a ZF 5HP502 five-speed automatic transmission.


The front-wheel drive bus has a drive axle from the German company Kessler, which, by the way, is also installed on apron models in the EU. The suspensions here are pneumatic. All this gives the bus excellent ride comfort. MAZ-171 meets all the requirements of the international organization ICAO.

appointment

The MAZ-171 will feel terrible on regular roads due to its low ground clearance. But it was designed to solve problems of a different kind.

The purpose of the car is to transport passengers from the plane to the terminal, and vice versa. Therefore, there are few seats in the cabin, large dimensions to accommodate passengers with luggage, and a low maximum speed.


MAZ-171 to this day is the only bus of this class produced in the CIS. So far we are not talking about a large series, since the application of the model is quite specific. However, in the fleets of airports in Minsk, Belgorod, Novosibirsk, Samara and other cities there are about 100 MAZ-171 units.

Prospects and further development

The MAZ-171 apron bus has become one of the segment leaders in the CIS. Separately, it is worth noting the second generation of the bus, the design of which started at the beginning of 2018.

Leading design engineer of the MAZ-171 Alexey Tarasov admits:


This is how the MAZ-271 was born, which was equipped with a more powerful engine with Euro-5 environmental class. The power plant began to work in tandem with a 6-speed Allison-T270 automatic transmission. Innovations are also visible in the layout of the driver's seat and the overall spaciousness of the cabin. The design has also changed dramatically, although the generic features are clearly visible.


A striking detail of the new product is the absence of side-view mirrors. More precisely, they were brought into the driver’s cabin in the form of screens. Another good solution is the exhaust system on both sides of the bus. When passengers approach, the system automatically blocks the exhaust to prevent people from inhaling carbon dioxide.

We were very pleased with the air conditioners in the cabin, which work to heat or cool the space. Engineers also provided charging for smartphones in the passenger seats. In general, there are a lot of innovations, compared to the MAZ-171. You can’t tell everything right away.


More importantly, there is continuity. MAZ-171 became the progenitor of a whole generation of platform buses that transport passengers in many cities around the world. I am glad that the Minsk plant managed to implement such a project on its own. Of course, based on the developments and experience of foreign companies.

It is likely that the lack of competition in the CIS will help MAZ promote its products on the market. Perhaps one day the piece production of such buses for individual orders will develop into a series.