| East Lancs Kinetec | |
| Factory: | Blackburn, Lancashire, England |
| Production: | 2006-2010 |
| Doors: | 1 |
| Chassis: | MAN 18.240 (Kinetec) MAN ND283F (Kinetec+) |
| Engine: | MAN |
| Related: | East Lancs Esteem East Lancs Olympus |
The East Lancs Kinetec is a type of low-floor bus body manufactured by East Lancashire Coachbuilders for single and double-decker MAN Truck & Bus chassis. Both variants, built with Alcan aluminium extrusions, were launched at the 2006 Euro Bus Expo, notably featuring front fascia panels from MAN's integral Lion's City bus.
The standard Kinetec is a single-deck bus body based on East Lancs' existing Esteem body. Reviews from its launch at the 2006 Euro Bus Expo were very poor.
The Kinetec+ is a low-floor double-decker bus body on the MAN ND283F (A48) chassis, marketed as a variant of East Lancs' existing Olympus double-deck body. The engine of the bus was fitted longitudinally at the rear left-hand corner of the body, wide single tyres were fitted at the rear to reduce wheel arch intrusion into the lower deck, and a portal axle allowed for the Kinetec+ to be built with a step-free floor.[1]
The first prototype Kinetec+ body was built to a low-height design to fit European Union regulations, but which has been criticised. Another prototype built to Transport for London specification, with a roof height of, had been planned, however this never materialised.
Stagecoach West Scotland took delivery of ten Kinetec single-decks on MAN 18.240 chassis in 2006. While new into service, some of these buses suffered from windows falling out of their frames.[2]