An Optare Soroco 16-seat luxury minicoach has joined the fleet of Hertfordshire operator Golden Boy Coaches in support of its strategy of constant improvement to the quality of its 34 strong fleet.

Terry McIntyre, who runs the family firm with his sister Geraldine, says that they chose the Soroco because it’s a fully coachbuilt minicoach based on the proven Mercedes-Benz 515 CDi. “We already run a Soroco and have been very happy with it, but this new version raises the standard even further,” he says.

“We’ve gone for a very high level of specification in line with our full-size luxury coaches. This includes leather-trimmed Kiel seats of which all but the back four are recliners. Gangway armrests and three-point inertia reel seatbelts all add to passenger comfort and safety.

“We also opted for the 16-seat version of the Soroco to provide a little more passenger legroom. This helps with luggage space too, which is important for a vehicle of this size. At 2.5 cubic metres the boot is very spacious and the low sill and big door make it easy to load and unload, which is something that our driver will no doubt appreciate.”

The Soroco comes with air conditioning as standard, which, along with the extensive use of soft trim, ensures that it’s a comfortable and quiet coach to travel in. Double-glazed, tinted side windows with full-draw curtains, interior lights on dimmers and individual reading lights set into the full length parcel shelf also add to the pleasant ambience in the saloon.

Peter Burr is the regular driver of the new Soroco, is said to be delighted with the coach. It has a direct injection, four-cylinder engine that has plenty of power at 150 bhp and which uses common rail technology to achieve good fuel economy. This is matched to a six-speed manual transmission with a well balanced spread of gears to cope effortlessly with all road and load conditions.

Golden Boy Coaches celebrates 40 years in business next year and undertakes only tailor-made coach hire work. Its policy of keeping the age profile of its fleet low – it currently averages just 5.25 years – and constantly seeking to raise standards, has paid off with a customer base that includes numerous blue chip companies, universities and colleges and special interest groups.

“The stylish appearance of the Soroco will definitely appeal to our customers and help maintain our image as a high quality coach operator,” says Terry McIntyre. “It’s already been out on a few jobs and looks splendid in our striking black, gold and red livery with our distinctive ‘golden boy’ trade mark.”

The Soroco is based at Golden Boy Coaches’ purpose-built premises at Hoddesdon between junctions 25 and 26 of the M25, where the company has a well-equipped workshop in which the vehicle will be maintained.

For further information please contact:

Martin Hayes or David Rowlands, Communications Advisors +44 (0)20 7494 8050