Caetano Levante

Caetano Levante
National Express Scania K410EB6-engined Caetano Levante III at Luton Airport
Overview
Manufacturer	Salvador Caetano
Also called	Caetano Winner Caetano CT650
Production	2007-present
Assembly	Coalville, Leicestershire, England
Body and chassis
Body style	Executive Coach
Doors	1
Floor type	Step entrance, wheelchair access at entrance using a lift
Chassis	Mercedes-Benz OC 500 RF Scania K EB Volvo B8R Volvo B9R Volvo B11R Volvo B12B Volvo B13R
Powertrain
Transmission	Volvo I-Shift 12-speed ZF Ecomat automatic Scania Opticruise
Dimensions
Length	12.60 m (41 ft 4 in) (2 axles) 14.20–14.90 m (46 ft 7 in – 48 ft 11 in) (3 axles)
Width	2.55 m (8 ft 4 in)
Height	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)

Levante I with lowered wheelchair lift

The Caetano Levante is a coach body built by Salvador Caetano compatible with Mercedes-Benz OC 500 RF, Scania K EB, Volvo B8R, Volvo B9R, Volvo B11R, Volvo B12B and Volvo B13R chassis, with units built mostly for National Express in the United Kingdom. It was specifically designed to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Originally only available on the Volvo B12B chassis, the Levante enabled both able-bodied and wheelchair passengers to enter the vehicle via the front door, using a combination of a front-mounted lift and two single pedestal-mounted seats in place of the traditional double at the front nearside of the passenger area. The Levante is used by most National Express contractors, although some contractors continued purchasing Plaxton Elites.

This model is similar to a Portuguese market model, Caetano Winner, which was presented in 2004 and was born from a collaboration with Evobus with the first units being equipped with Mercedes-Benz OC500 chassis, but other manufacturers' chassis can be applied. Levante bodies which are not built new for National Express work are known as CT650s.

Design

Levante III

In September 2017, the Levante III was launched with prototypes built for National Express contractors Edwards Coaches on a Volvo B11R and Skills Coaches on a Scania. ^{[4] [5]}

An upgraded variant named the Levante IIIA was launched by Caetano and National Express in December 2022. Built on a new Scania 'Step E' chassis suitable for a potential electric drivetrain and featuring a new front end module and suspension, the Levante IIIA is equipped with camera mirrors replacing the traditional mirror arms, warning sensors for road and blindspot hazards, and a new cab area layout. Two Levante IIIAs were operated on trial by Clarkes of London and Bruce's Coaches before the type began to be rolled out across the National Express coaching fleet from spring 2023. ^{[6] [7]}

Scania Caetano eLevante

The Scania Caetano eLevante, A right-hand drive Levante IIIA on battery electric Scania chassis, fitted with a 330 kW electric motor mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox and capable of a range of up to 600 kilometres (370 mi), was launched at the 2025 Busworld expo in Brussels in October 2025. ^[8]

References

1. Accessible coaches starts trials BBC News 24 November 2005
2. Scania announces Caetano bodies for NatEx Archived 2016-06-24 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 4 July 2006
3. National Express goes for 15m coaches Archived 2016-05-07 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 5 June 2007
4. National Express unveils Caetano Levante III Coach & Bus Week 27 September 2017
5. All-new Levante is here Route One 29 September 2017
6. "National Express trials mirrorless coaches". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
7. Peat, Chris (23 November 2022). "New Caetano Levante IIIA to be trialled". Bus & Coach Buyer. Peterborough. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
8. Deakin, Tim (3 October 2025). "Scania Caetano eLevante battery-electric coach breaks cover". routeone. Retrieved 5 October 2025.

External links

• Media related to Caetano Levante at Wikimedia Commons
• Product description from Caetano