When its development was first announced last summer, Plaxton called its low-entry single-decker the Leopard LE, but has reverted to an earlier plan to call it the Panther LE instead.
Structurally, it is built to the dimensions of the Leopard, which at 2.5m was designed to meet the width limit in Australia where there were plans for Custom Coaches — then owned by Alexander Dennis — to build it on an MAN chassis. That never happened, but the Leopard remains 50mm (2in) narrower than the Panther, Elite, Elite-i and now Panorama, a slimness that is useful on a long vehicle operating into urban areas where road space is limited and there are tight turns for drivers to negotiate.
What seems to have determined the name change is that the front styling is much closer to the Panther than the Leopard and that it has a plug-type outswing door, rather than the in-swing door on the Leopard. Also while Stagecoach has Elites and Panthers in its fleet, it has no Leopards.
Much of Stagecoach’s requirement for wheelchair accessible coaches is in Scotland, where networks of routes thrive in areas where they complement the railway system. It has struggled to find a vehicle that meets all passengers’ accessibility needs w…
