Details of Cars

Mercedes-Benz Citaro: the standard city bus since 1997

MERCEDES-BENZ

Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro
Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro. Photo by boy_you_want_bus, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a low-floor single-decker city bus, rigid or articulated, made by Mercedes-Benz and EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, it is used throughout Europe and parts of Asia, and more than 55,000 had been produced by December 2019.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro at a glance

Mercedes-Benz Citaro key facts
Introduced 1997
Replaced Mercedes-Benz O405N
Builder Mercedes-Benz and EvoBus
Built more than 55,000 by December 2019
Basic versions 12 m Citaro, 10 m Citaro K, 18 m Citaro G
Facelift 2005, with Euro IV, Euro V and EEV engines
Second facelift 2006, revised front and rear
Second generation C2, launched May 2011
Euro 6 available in the C2 from 2012
Electric version eCitaro
Long versions CapaCity at 19.5 m and CapaCity L at 21.0 m

This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz Citaro.

History of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro

The first Citaro was launched in 1997 as the successor to the O405N. In 2005 it was updated for the new Euro IV engines, later Euro V and EEV, with technical changes and a facelift that made the body less angular; production of the old model ended by autumn 2006. A more substantial facelift came in 2006, with a revised front and rear, the end of the characteristic washboard trim on the nose and reversed turn signals.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2
A Citaro C2 on route 38A in Vienna. Photo by Linie29, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

In May 2011 the second generation, known internally as C2, was launched. From 2012 it could be ordered with Euro 6 engines, and the Citaro LE versions of the C2 were the last to be presented, at Busworld Kortrijk in October 2013. By 2019 there were three basic lengths: the 12 m Citaro, the 10 m Citaro K and the 18 m articulated Citaro G, all also available as hybrids, plus a battery-electric eCitaro in solo and articulated form.

The range uses the O530 model code. The 12 m O530 comes with two or three doors and a horizontal or vertical engine; the 18 m O530 G is articulated with three axles and three or four doors; the 10.5 m O530 K is a midibus. Suburban and interurban versions, such as the O530 Ü and the articulated O530 GÜ, have a single front door and all seats on platforms. Discontinued versions include the 15 m O530 L, the fuel-cell O530 FuelCell Hybrid and the articulated O530 G BlueTec Hybrid. Operators can choose between two front designs, one with a roof-dome destination display and one with a one-piece windscreen, and specify door numbers, seating and interior layout.

Design and features

  • Low floor: easy access for city passengers.
  • Three lengths: 10 m, 12 m and 18 m, plus the long CapaCity models.
  • Many drives: diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, fuel cell and battery-electric.
  • Operator choice: doors, seats and two different front designs.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro versions

  • O530: the standard 12 m solo bus.
  • O530 G: the 18 m articulated bus.
  • O530 K: a 10.5 m midibus.
  • O530 Ü and GÜ: suburban and interurban versions.
  • eCitaro: battery-electric solo and articulated buses.
  • CapaCity: the 19.5 m and 21.0 m versions, coded O530 GL.

The Citaro replaced the O 405 and its long versions are covered under the CapaCity; smaller relatives are the Cito and Conecto. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.

Video: Der Mercedes-Benz Citaro

Video by YouTube on YouTube.

Sources

More from MERCEDES-BENZ