Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation
Launches Aero Ace MM Bus for Japan

Kawasaki - Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, today launched the Aero Ace MM heavy-duty bus for the Japan market. Designed for sightseeing and inter-city transportation, the Aero Ace MM is the “Short-Type” version of the new Aero Ace bus, which debuted in May 2007. Also unveiled today was the Aero Midi S bus, a mid-sized bus used mainly in city/route transportation. The new buses further expand Mitsubishi Fuso’s overall bus line-up, which has undergone a significant renewal in the past year.

As a member of Mitsubishi Fuso’s Aero touring bus series, the new Aero Ace MM incorporates the exciting new design elements and features of the series, which underwent its first full line change in 15 years in 2007. As the “Short-Type” version, the Aero Ace MM is approximately three meters shorter in length than the standard Aero Ace bus, for customers requiring less passenger capacity.

The Aero Ace MM combines a clean-cut design with an emotional and appealing presence. The simple, front exterior design emphasizes the vehicle’s width, while the rear design has a window with pleasant curving lines and accented with LED lamps.

The new interior design is comfortable for a wide variety of passengers with attention to detail throughout. Inside, passengers will find a high level of hospitality, beginning with the gently spiraling entrance steps with continuous handrails on both sides. Moving down the aisle, handsome seat grips integrate the gripping function and the hand rest function for safety and functionality.

An additional feature enhancing passenger comfort is a directly-connected, fully automated air conditioner. This feature ensures sufficient air-cooling performance even when the engine rotation speed is low.

The driver’s cockpit also has been optimized for maximum functionality and comfort. An impression of a stand-along cockpit is created by placing the door high on the left of the driver’s seat. Inside the cockpit, the layout and controls of the cockpit are intended to provide optimal ergonomics, while a new driver’s seat is designed to increase comfort and reduce fatigue, especially during long trips.

The Aero Ace MM is designed to maximize safety, integrating advanced active and passive safety features. The bus incorporates a high-visibility meter cluster which includes Mitsubishi Fuso’s IVIS multiple-display monitor. The bus adopts square pipe pillars on the front body and the rear body to realize high body rigidity. Its roll-over performance is based on ECE standards. In addition, ELR 3-point seatbelts are equipped on the front passenger row to help protect front-row passengers in the event of a frontal collision. For driver safety and protection, standard features include a SRS airbag system, 3-point seatbelt with pretensioning and impact-absorbing steering column.

In addition to its comfort and safety advantanges, the new Aero Ace MM is also optimized for excellent environmental performance. It is compliant with Japan’s New Long Term Emission Regulations 2005, some of the most stringent in the world, and reaches a particulate matter reduction level of 10%. Emission performance is achieved via a high-precision cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, with feedback control of the air-fuel ratio, which reduces NOx and improves fuel efficiency. Also contributing to clean operation is a regenerative-control method diesel particular filter (DPF), which combines a strong oxidation catalyst and highly heat-resistant SiC (silicon carbide) ceramic filter.

Further expanding Mitsubishi Fuso’s bus model offering is the Aero Midi S, a medium-duty route bus.

Like all Mitsubishi Fuso buses, the Aero Midi S is designed for maximum passenger comfort and safety. A key design feature of the Aero Midi S is the incorporation of different color tones for the ceiling, seat panels and the floor, so passengers have a proper orientation when moving about the bus. In addition, the holding bars are equipped with anti-skid soft pad for further safety.

The Aero Midi S is compliant with Japan’s New Long Term Emission Regulations with a particulate matter reduction level of 10 percent. It uses a high precision cooled EGR system with feedback control of air-fuel ratio. This realizes a NOx reduction and fuel-efficiency improvement with regenerative-control method DPF for after treatment system of exhaust gas.

The body of the Aero Midi S is supplied by Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. according to an agreement between Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. and MFTBC concluded on July 13, 2006.

The new Aero Ace MM and Aero Midi S represent important additions to Mitsubishi Fuso’s full line-up of buses. Overall, the company offers a range of heavy-, medium- and light-duty buses serving a wide variety of transportation needs including city/route bus transportation, touring and sightseeing, long distance transportation, school transportation and other uses. In addition, Mitsubishi Fuso markets in Japan the Aero Star Eco Hybrid, a city/route transportation bus equipped with hybrid electric drive for very low emissions.