PRESS INFORMATION FROM BINZ UK

Next Generation Binz Hearse Hits New Heights Of Excellence

Crafting a hearse that could continue to build upon the proven excellence of the existing Binz five-door model was never going to be an overnight task. As well as contending with a new body shell structure and comprehensively revised suspension, the design team wanted to deliver a coachbuilt vehicle that in finish, feature for feature, and on-board equipment surpassed the already high standards set by its predecessor.

A slow walk around one of the new 'next generation' Binz hearses will soon convince that Binz UK has successfully raised the bar for funeral fleets yet again. But getting there, meant burning a lot of midnight oil. As the company's CEO Peter Smith states, "The devil really is in the detail. It is no longer enough to produce an award winning silhouette, since to ensure each vehicle we make earns its coveted EU Certificate of Conformity, we are talking about achieving repeatable and consistent quality not just hitting one-off highs. Plus, every car we make needs to be built as well as - if not better - than the equivalent Mercedes-Benz model it is based upon".

The new E-Class platform has brought with it both new opportunities and new challenges. Smith explaining, "It is a slightly wider car, which has allowed us to increase the width of the three abreast bearer seats without compromising side intrusion protection. On the other hand, the new safety systems that now come as standard or as options - Pre Safe, Attention Assist, Neck Pro and Distronic Plus proximity control - add another set of functions whose role needs to be factored in when recalibrating active ride and handling systems. Something you just cannot do without the privileged access to Mercedes-Benz test and vehicle design data that we have."

Elsewhere, the firm's innovative silent electrically-operated rise and fall deck is retained, and has become subtly longer and wider. The optically-clear side viewing windows and glazed overhead roof panel that gives Binz hearses their characteristic lightness are present too - but their area has been increased. An electrically-powered tailgate was planned from the start to be included in the new design, and as with so many other areas of this vehicle, incorporates off-the-shelf Mercedes-Benz components where possible to maintain both engineering integrity with the parent E-Class - and for ease and speed of repair in case of accident damage 

For Smith, "The new E-Class may look like mere evolution on the surface, but in terms of engineering, safety, the potential for added fuel savings and reducing emissions, it is more like a revolution.  But the best part is the way that everything blends together to create a hearse with a sense of contemporary presence and understated elegance - yet one that can still integrate successfully within fleets of mixed vehicle age."     

Ends

Image caption: "Next generation Mercedes-Benz funeral fleets from Binz UK: repeatable excellence - not one-off quality highs".

More images and further information at: http://www.aardvarkpr.co.uk/downloads.htm

Editors contact:			Aardvark Associates 	tel. 01484 864 520 
Company contact:			Binz UK 		 tel. 0118 975 8999

Please note that this document is for information only and is non-contractual;
both Aardvark Associates and Binz UK - Nilsson Ltd. decline all liability in the case of omissions or errors.