A fresh look. The S 531 DT presents a shiny new family face.

03 March 2023 | Daimler Buses

• Busses

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The double-decker touring coach is now also unmistakably part of the Setra model family thanks to a design upgrade. Designer Stefan Handt describes the modifications.
It’s new, yet remains the one we're all familiar with: the team headed up by Daimler Buses head of design Stefan Handt has upgraded the fascinating Setra S 531 DT with minor yet skilful strokes. Handt sums it up, saying "We have visually upgraded the double-decker touring coach. And we have done that without making the previous model look outdated." A Setra doesn't age, it matures. And now the travel giant bears the new face of the family too.

Front view: the high-gloss, black front-end panel with brand lettering is framed by elegant chrome strips.
Reminiscence of Setra's brand tradition.
The new front-end design of the TopClass S 531 DT emphasises the coherence across all model series. The central element is the high-gloss black front panel, framed by strips of chrome. The confident, three-dimensional brand lettering is also chrome-plated. The round Kässbohrer brand emblem is placed right in the centre above it. “It represents the tradition of Setra as a major brand of bus and touring coach,” says Handt.

“The Kässbohrer brand emblem represents the tradition of the major bus and touring coach brand.”
Stefan Handt, Head of Design at Daimler Buses
A fresh look. The S 531 DT presents a shiny new family face.
An eye on tradition: the red Kässbohrer brand emblem is a must-have on any Setra touring coach.

Confident attitude.
“The Setra inextricably unites form and function", says Stefan Handt, noting an aspect that's important to him. The new headlights are just one example of this. The black chrome housing paired with the look of the LED lighting is reminiscent of theatre spotlights or the sun visor of a camera lens. The lights are given a clear proof of origin with finely integrated Setra brand lettering. “This is also an effective instrument against product piracy,” the designer notes.

Looking further up, a three-dimensional chrome strip now separates the windscreens of the double-decker touring coach's lower and upper decks across the entire width. “It structures the large surface and makes the front-end seem less bulky” the head of design explains.

Subtle branding: Setra brand lettering has been integrated into the new rear lights.
Subtle branding: Setra brand lettering has been integrated into the new rear lights.