Volvo Bus UK & Ireland has opened the order books for a new full-size luxury coach to be built exclusively for the UK and Irish markets, following the signing of a new bodybuilder agreement with Spanish manufacturer, UNVI.
The new model was announced last Monday jointly by Domenico Bondi, Managing Director of Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, and Eloy Pérez, CEO of UNVI. They were speaking at the UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA) Members Annual General Meeting and Conference, hosted at Volvo Group UK’s head office in Warwick.
Deliveries of the new Volvo B13R UNVI XL are anticipated to commence from Summer 2026. The new model will initially be offered as a 12.8m-long, 4×2 single-deck coach with a choice between 53 passenger seats, or 49 passenger seats plus one wheelchair space.
Bondi says: “This marks one of the most important new product announcements since I joined Volvo Bus UK & Ireland three years ago. A massive amount of work has gone into developing this new coach, from both Volvo and UNVI – it’s a hugely exciting moment.”
Commenting on the specification of the new model, he adds: “An exceptional coach requires first class build quality, excellent chassis geometry, a smooth-riding suspension and a driveline offering industry-leading performance and efficiency. That’s precisely what we bring with the B13R chassis – and when paired with this new UNVI body, we’re confident we’ve got a fantastic product which will set the benchmark for coach travel.”
Pérez explains: “The scale of this opportunity with Volvo Buses is huge. From the first exploratory conversations with Domenico and his team last year, we knew we wanted to be a part of this project.
“It comes at an incredibly exciting time for UNVI. Whilst this year we celebrate 30 years in bus and coach bodybuilding, our eyes are always on the future. We have developed a hard-earned reputation for product quality, style and comfort – match it with the Volvo B13R chassis, and we have a truly winning formula.”
On-board passenger experience
For maximum comfort and safety, passengers aboard the new Volvo B13R UNVI XL will benefit from Brusa Create 120 ‘top flair’ seating as standard. The reclinable seats each come with three-point seat belts, armrests for aisle seats, two-position footrests, a magazine net, tray back table, seat flaps and enhanced upholstery in automotive fabric and contrasting faux leather.
Passengers are able to keep personal devices charged on the move with individual seatback USB-A and USB-C charging sockets. The cabin will feature fabric curtains, generous overhead luggage stowage, plus interior & gangway LED lighting.
A powerful ThermoKing climate control system ensures optimal temperature, with individual air vents, personal reading lamps, and speakers connected to the on-board Bosch AV system, which features twin AEC TFT 22” screens for customer entertainment. A courier microphone is located by the crew seat, and a driver’s microphone integrated into the driver’s seat. A diesel pre-heater is also included as standard.
For passenger convenience there will also be a Shades Technics centre sunken freshwater toilet, plus an estimated 9.5m3 of capacity in the main luggage compartment.
Driveline performance
The new Volvo B13R UNVI XL is powered by the latest generation 13-litre Euro-6 diesel engine, and a 12-speed Volvo I-Shift transmission, providing overdrive top gear, fast gear shifting, low internal friction and software optimised to help coach operators save fuel.
The engine can deliver up to 500 hp and 2,500 Nm or torque, whilst guaranteeing impressive power in all driving conditions and low engine revs when highway cruising, helping drivers to stay within the engine’s most economic operating range. With the option to run on either hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) or biofuel, operators can choose to improve their environmental performance even further.
Fuel savings of up to 9 per cent and exhaust aftertreatment that reduces local pollutants to below Euro-6 requirements are also achieved from the new Volvo B13R, compared with the driveline in the previous B11R chassis.
This latest model also comes with the Volvo Active Safety Platform, compliant with EU GSR2 regulations. This is in addition to standard features including Lane Keeping Support, Collision Warning & Emergency Brake, and Adaptive Cruise Control, which helps to save fuel by optimising coach speed, gear changes and coasting to the topography, whilst maintaining a safe distance with vehicles ahead. It means drivers can use cruise control in more driving situations than ever before, to save fuel and reduce the vehicle’s CO2 footprint.
The Volvo Active Safety Platform also comprises safety systems including Driver Alert Support, Intelligent Speed Assist, Side Collision Avoidance Support, Front Short Range Assist, Lane Change Support, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.
Behind the wheel, drivers can access a fully dynamic, full colour, integrated instrument cluster which allows them to select between different views – providing a superior overview of important vehicle information, whilst enhancing driver focus and control.
Warranty
Volvo is offering the new Volvo B13R UNVI XL with a three year / 300,000km warranty (whichever comes first) covering the body & chassis, plus a structural warranty of 12 years.
Manufacturing
Volvo Buses will assemble the B13R chassis at its factory in Boras, Sweden, one of the company’s most modern manufacturing facilities and accredited for relying solely on renewable energy for its operation. The chassis will be bodied at UNVI’s efficient 28,000sq m production site in Ourense, Spain, before delivery to the UK for pre-delivery inspection.
UNVI is part of the Pérez Rumbao group, which employs 1,800 people and turned over more than €700 million in 2024. The group operates across passenger car and commercial vehicle dealerships, fuel retail sales, and bus and coach bodybuilding. UNVI runs from two manufacturing facilities, located in Spain and Portugal.
The XL represents a significant addition to UNVI’s existing presence in the UK and Ireland since 2002, via smaller front-engined minicoaches, midicoaches and van-conversions, that are sold by Coachtraders (UK) and Paramount Conversions (Ireland).
