Manufactured in São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo, the new bus Mercedes O 500 “the most powerful” arrived on the slipper market. The first 100 units of the chassis have already been ordered by customers in the Andean country.
In addition to the more powerful engine, the family’s chassis new O 500 include greater load capacity.
Thus, they reach the market with the following names: New O 500 RS 2045 4×2 (450 horsepower engine and also a ton more on the axles) and New O 500 RSD 2548 6×2 (480 horsepower engine and a ton more axle capacity).
The report from CNN Brazil was on a trip with the bus through some regions close to Santiago, Chile, at the company’s invitation. The high power makes a difference when climbing and getting out of more complicated situations, such as clay or rocks.
Among the curiosities about the O 500, the chassis is prepared to withstand cold environments to altitudes above 5,000 meters, such as Chile.
In tests carried out by the brand, the temperature rose constantly for 3 to 4 hours, which is a common condition for this type of activity in the Andean region.
In the harshest winter, salt stones are thrown onto the slopes to melt the ice. Passing through this stretch every day would create a mechanical problem for the bus.
With this in mind, Mercedes-Benz developed a process to anticorrosive treatment of the manufacturer’s bus chassis.
In addition to applying anti-corrosion treatment to the chassis, these vehicles receive special tires for severe operations and an expanded safety package, allowing them to travel both in mining environments and in cities.
“This new vehicle configuration meets a changing customer and operating profile. To achieve this, we needed a more powerful engine, a more robust transmission and axles”, explains Augusto França, Bus Sales and Marketing Manager at Regional Center Daimler Latina.
Check out some interesting facts about the new Mercedes-Benz 0 500:
- Increased volumetric capacity to 12.9 liters
- New turbocharger with 2.4 bar pressure
- New 2,200 bar diesel injection pressure
- 10% fuel savings in tests in the Andes Mountains
- LDWS (lane warning system).
- ACC (Adaptive Autopilot)
- TPMS (tire pressure and temperature monitoring system)
O new O 500 It has already exported 1,901 units since its launch in July 2023, with approximately 860 units in 2025 alone.
The export of the chassis is a partnership with Daimler Latina, a regional unit of Daimler Buses, and the Kaufmann Group, representative of Mercedes-Benz no Chile.
