The MAZ-104 is a high-floor city bus of the Minsk Automobile Plant, built from 1996 to 2006. It was designed as a cheaper and tougher alternative to the semi-low-floor MAZ-103, using a YaMZ-236 lorry engine and components shared with MAZ trucks.
MAZ-104 at a glance
| Maker | Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), Belarus |
|---|---|
| Production | 1996–2006 |
| Class | large city bus, high floor |
| Base | MAZ-103 family |
| Engine | YaMZ-236 diesel |
| Engine position | rear overhang |
| Seats | 24 to 40, depending on the order |
| Seating layouts | 2+1 or 2+2 |
| Passengers | 100 in total |
| Suburban version | MAZ-104S, without the rear door |
| Intercity version | one example built in 2005 |
The MAZ-104 is covered only by the Russian Wikipedia article, and the article is short; this page is based on one source.
History of the MAZ-104
A cheaper member of the family
The MAZ-104 was developed as a cheaper and less demanding high-floor version of the base semi-low-floor bus of the MAZ-103 family. To reach that goal the designers used the YaMZ-236 engine and unified other units of the bus with MAZ lorries, but they had to give up the low-floor construction. In every modification the engine sits in the rear overhang.
Layout and capacity
The number of seats varied from 24 to 40 depending on the order, and the seats could be fitted in a 2+1 layout, with one row along the left side and two along the right, or in a 2+2 layout. Total capacity was 100 passengers. Besides the city version there was a suburban MAZ-104S without the rear door.
One intercity example
In 2005 a single intercity bus was built on the MAZ-104 base. It differed from the standard model by having no standing area, a larger number of seats and two single-leaf sliding doors instead of the double-leaf planetary doors of the city bus.
In service
MAZ-104 buses worked in many cities of Belarus as well as in Russia and Ukraine. Natural wear has taken most of them out of service.
Design and features
- Truck engine: the YaMZ-236 diesel and MAZ lorry components kept the bus cheap and easy to maintain.
- High floor: the simpler construction gave up the low floor of the MAZ-103.
- Flexible seating: 24 to 40 seats in 2+1 or 2+2 layouts, for 100 passengers in total.
- Rear engine: the engine was mounted in the rear overhang in all versions.
MAZ-104 versions
- MAZ-104 (1996–2006): the standard city bus.
- MAZ-104S: suburban version without the rear door.
- Intercity bus (2005): a single example with no standing area and two single-leaf sliding doors.
- 2+1 and 2+2 seating: the saloon could be laid out to the operator’s order.
The MAZ-104 was the high-floor alternative to the semi-low-floor MAZ-103, and the later MAZ-203 brought a fully low floor to the same class. More are in the MAZ collection.
Sources
- MAZ-104, Russian Wikipedia: production years, engine, seating, versions
