Manufacturer Mercedes-Benz Assembly Mannheim, Germany | Production 1983−2001 Layout Rear-engine | |
 | ||
Class Complete bus
Bus chassis Doors 1 or 2 doors (rigid)
2 or 3 doors (articulated) | ||
The Mercedes-Benz O405 was a highly successful single-decker bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. It can be built as either an integral bus or a bus chassis andwas the last VöV SL-II standard bus in production. It was the replacement for the Mercedes-Benz O305 and was widely used in Europe, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore. Last purchase of the model, O405NH was to State Transit Authority of Sydney, Australia from 1999–2002.
Contents
Standard floor version
The step-entrance version was known as the O405. An 3-axle articulated version was also built known as O405G. There were two generations of O405, designated as O405 MkI and O405 MkII. Most of them have their boxy roof dome (slightly arched) with a double-curvature windscreen, separately mounted destination indicator and pantograph system windshield wipers that was used on some buses such as the Dennis Dart, Leyland Lynx, MAN NL262 and the MAN SL202.
O405 MkI
The O405 MkI was marketed between mid-1980s and early 1990s. It featured a Mercedes Benz OM447h naturally aspirated engine with outputs of either 157kW (210hp) or 184 kW (250 hp). Optionally available was a naturally aspirated compressed natural gas (CNG) engine model M447hG with 150 kW (205 hp) output. The gearbox coupled to the engine was usually the Mercedes-Benz W3E110/2.2R or Mercedes-Benz W3E112/2.2R (the former being able to handle the more powerful 184 kW engine), although there have been other gearboxes such as the ZF 5HP 500 or Allison B300R coupled to the engine.
O405 MkII
The O405 MkII was marketed from the early 1990s to the late 1990s and into the early 2000s in some parts of the world. It featured a Mercedes-Benz OM447hA turbocharged engine with an output of 184 kW (250 hp), although some examples feature either a naturally aspirated engine (OM447h-II), a turbocharged engine (OM447hA) or a turbocharged, intercooled engine (OM447hLA). The gearbox coupled to the engine was either the ZF 4HP 500 or 5HP 500, or the Voith D864.3.
From 1994, this chassis was available with the M447hG Euro II 175 kW (238 hp) naturally aspirated compressed natural gas (CNG) engine.
Low-floor version
The low-floor version of the regular O405 was known as the O405N (or O405GN for the 3-axle articulated version), later a further developed version was also built, it was known as the O405N²/O405N2 (or O405GN²/O405GN2 for the 3-axle articulated version). The O405(G)N do not have steps at the entrances and exits, but the seats are mounted on "platforms". The GN2 type addressed this problem. These buses are usually fitted with ZF transmissions, but some are fitted with Voith examples. It has a boxy roof dome (slightly arched) similar to the MAN NL202 and the MAN NL262 with a double-curvature windscreen with a separately mounted destination display just that it has a full low floor layout with seats mounted on platforms.
Low-entry version O405 NH
The low-entry version of the O405 was called the O405NH chassis was produced by EvoBus for the Australian market. Much of its popularity with government and private operators alike can be attributed to the popularity of the Mercedes-Benz O405 MkII chassis that it replaced.
The chassis was derived from a combination of the rear modules of an O405 MkII chassis and the front modules of an O405N²/O405GN² chassis. Because of the difference in height between the front and rear modules of the chassis, there are one or more steps leading up from behind the centre door position to a standard O405 floorline. Because the chassis has a horizontally-mounted engine, there's no room for a rear door. This "low-entry" concept has become very popular in Europe - many integral products using this concept have been released such as the Mercedes-Benz Citaro LE.
Portugal
Spain
O405
O405G
The solitary UK O405G was bodied by Alexander as a single demonstrator only.
O405N
The first ten UK examples of the integral O405N had their bodies finished by UVG.
Hong Kong
Discovery Bay Transit Services of Hong Kong acquired four O405 single-decker buses between 1995 and 1998, two were fitted with locally-built bodywork by Asia Auto Body Works and the other two had Hispano Carrocera bodywork.
Australia
Sydney Buses took delivery of 247 Pressed Metal Corporation bodied O405s between 1987 and October 1990. They were retired in early 2016. In January 1997 it received two Ansair bodied O405Ns. It also inherited four Custom Coaches bodied O405s when it purchased North & Western Bus Lines. Between October 1999 and December 2002 it received 300 Custom Coaches bodied CNG O405NHs and the O405NH models were discontinued after this order.
Transperth took delivery of 48 natural gas and 349 diesel O405NHs. Other purchases of O405s included Westbus and Quince's Scenicruisers.
O405
O405G
Singapore Bus Services (now SBS Transit) had ordered 700 Mercedes-Benz O405 to replace its retiring first batch of Mercedes-Benz OF1413s between 1990 and 1992. They were bodied by Alexander PS and Duple Metsec (OAC (original air-con) and CAC (converted air-con). All were withdrawn by 2011 with all replaced by Scania K230UB. A few O405s were shipped to Thailand and were rebodied due to the bodywork being no longer designed whereas the rest of them were scrapped and only one unit was converted by the National Library Board.
TIBS (now SMRT Buses) had bought Mercedes-Benz O405 with Hispano Carrocera (OAC (original air-con) and CAC (converted air-con) and Volgren CR221 bodies to replace the ageing Nissan U31RCN. All Mercedes-Benz O405 with Hispano Carrocera bodywork were fully retired by 25 September 2016 and was scrapped as of December 2016. The Volgren-bodied O405s on the other hand are used as permanent training buses. It is scheduled to fully retired in March 2017.
Russia
Replacement
The Mercedes-Benz O405 / O405N series was superseded/replaced by the Citaro, and the O405NH was superseded/replaced by OC500LE whereas its last order was to State Transit Authority from 1999–2002.