Hardly on the market, the new MAN Lion’s Intercity LE has already won its first awards. The iF International Forum Design jury presented it with the coveted iF Design Award in the “Product/Automobiles/Vehicles” category. The low-entry bus scored points with its special functionality combined with smart design.
- MAN Lion’s Intercity LE wins iF Design Award shortly after market launch
- Jury honors smart yet functional design
- Numerous awards for MAN and NEOPLAN buses testify to outstanding design work
Never before have there been so many entries as at the iF Design Award 2022. In total, the jurors had to award the coveted prizes from among almost 11,000 products and projects submitted from 57 countries. “We are all the more pleased that our new MAN Lion’s Intercity LE was able to convince the jury and win an iF Design Award,” says Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus Engineering at MAN Truck & Bus, adding, “In particular, the unique combination of smart design and functional design was excellently received.”
70 design experts from 23 nations had gathered in Berlin for three days to intensively test, review and evaluate the submissions. Another five jury members were digitally connected. With the result: the Lion’s Intercity LE convinced the independent jury of experts and received very many points in the voting for one of the coveted iF Design Awards. “This is an outstanding result, which we owe to the great performance of our design team, but also to the great cooperation between all divisions and the tireless efforts of the entire team. It gives everything to always achieve the best result for our customers, drivers and passengers,” Oktay said. The award winners were honored in Berlin in mid-May.
Clear MAN language: Modern “Smart Edge” design sets the tone
It was only last fall that MAN launched the new Lion’s Intercity LE. At the beginning of 2022, the two intercity-oriented versions Lion’s Intercity LE 12 and Lion’s Intercity LE 13 went into series production. “Our goal with the new Lion’s Intercity LE was to offer an attractive bus model with maximum flexibility at a reasonable price, which on top inspires with its design – and we have obviously succeeded,” says Stephan Schönherr, Head of Design and HMI at MAN Truck & Bus, adding, “The consistent further development of our successful MAN “Smart Edge” design gives the price-sensitive LE segment a completely new look. Even practical buses are allowed to have a high-quality and attractive design. The new MAN Lion’s Intercity LE combines the best of both worlds in the most beautiful way!”
Thanks to the modern “Smart Edge” design, you can clearly see that the Lion’s Intercity LE is a vehicle in the current MAN family. The consistent implementation of clear, dynamic lines, chamfers and edges across the entire vehicle, which flow harmoniously into a holistic design concept, makes it an eye-catcher in urban and intercity traffic. The front and rear areas of the vehicle give the large bus cube an elegant and dynamic dominance and ensure a friendly appearance. The front mask is sportily slim and horizontal, giving the bus a particularly powerful appearance. But it’s not just from the front that it looks good, but also from the side. This is due, among other things, to the dynamic flow of the black nose sections and the powerful-looking wheel arches. In addition, the wide, sturdy-looking rear pillars and the typical rear roof spoiler also convey a sense of safety and efficiency.
The handicapped-accessible and barrier-free interior, which has been redesigned and consistently designed for maximum customer benefit, is also inviting. For the driver, there are two optional driver workstations that are ergonomic, functional, intuitive and aesthetically pleasing. “Every visible component has been carefully designed by us. The “Smart Edge” design in the interior, as well as the matching colour & trim concept, provide a pleasant, friendly impression of clarity as well as visual order for the passenger,” says Stephan Schönherr. Particular attention was paid to all surfaces, which have a high-quality design. Thanks to the novel and modern lighting concept with direct and continuous illumination, the interior also appears particularly spacious and bright.
The driver’s workplace in the new MAN Lion’s Intercity LE also fits perfectly into the design concept. Two driver’s workplaces are generally available: the classic version from the Lion’s Intercity and MAN’s own fully VDV-compliant driver’s workplace from the new Lion’s City generation. The focus here is particularly on ergonomics, comfort, and safety, which is why user-friendliness has also been optimized by the arrangement of switches and instruments.
20th Award for Design of MAN and NEOPLAN Buses
The city buses and coaches of the MAN and NEOPLAN brands are now known for their excellent design. In addition to the iF Design Award, they have received the Red Dot Design Award, German Design Award, Automotive Brand Contest prize and Busworld Europe Design Label. “There are now a total of 20 awards, which impressively demonstrate how much innovation and outstanding design work goes into our buses,” Schönherr said. In addition to the new MAN Lion’s Intercity LE, other buses to receive the iF Design Award include the MAN Lion’s Intercity (2016), the NEOPLAN Tourliner (2017), the MAN Lion’s Coach (2018), the MAN Lion’s City (2019) and the all-electric MAN Lion’s City E (2020).
The award has been presented since 1953 on the basis of fixed criteria. These include the external appearance and shape of the product as well as the degree of innovation, ergonomics, functionality and environmental aspects. “The award is one of the most important design prizes in the world. As a design team, we are very proud to have received it again this year,” says Schönherr.
