Suzhou, October 31, 2026 — Scania and Higer marked the 20th anniversary of their partnership in Suzhou, celebrating the journey of their joint brand, Scania Higer, into the global premium bus market — and looking ahead to the next two decades.

 

At the ceremony, guests pressed the glowing podium column together to unveil the all-new Touring. Executives from both companies signed once again to open the next chapter — two decades of equal trust, shared quality standards and joint evolution now entering a new phase.

The new-generation Touring was the centerpiece. As successor to a true classic, it has earned deep credibility in the global tourist transport market; its natural-gas version even won a sustainable coach award.

Beyond refined styling, cabin, safety and fuel powertrain, the new model debuts alongside a pure-electric BEV version, supporting the low-carbon transition of premium long-distance passenger transport. A new aerodynamic body and digital mirrors cut drag and noise; the B-pillar has been moved back to widen the driver's field of vision; a new digital cockpit makes human-machine interaction smarter; and passenger steps, luggage compartments and seating have all been upgraded for long-haul comfort. The fuel powertrain is pre-adapted to Euro 7, cutting fuel consumption by up to 8–10% while extending maintenance intervals and improving availability. The BEV version offers a zero-carbon option for premium tourism, cross-border operations and high-end shuttle services — a benchmark evolution of the premium long-distance coach, built by Scania and Higer for the global market.

 

In his address, Higer Chairman Chen Dulian made three points: "First, equal trust and complementary strengths. Scania's technological heritage and global network, combined with Higer's full-vehicle R&D and manufacturing capability, deliver results greater than the sum of the parts. Second, long-term alignment with quality as the baseline. For twenty years we have pursued a good reputation with global customers, not short-term profit; every generation of product undergoes extensive real-vehicle testing and durability validation. Third, keeping pace with the times and growing together. Higer has embraced Scania's global quality system and European safety standards, while Scania has absorbed Higer's strengths in flexible development, rapid response to customization requests and full-vehicle integration. This partnership has also strongly underpinned the Higer brand's strategy of 'going out, going in, and going up.'"

After twenty years of close collaboration, the relationship has entered a phase of continuous deepening: from highway coaches to urban transit, from strategic cooperation to a specialized, internationalized division of labor, and from conventional energy to new-energy and intelligent connected mobility.

 

Scania Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Operations Stefano Fedel noted that the two companies chose a strategic business partnership rather than a joint-venture factory. "Every day, we must prove to each other that we create value in this cooperation." He added that the experience and trust built with its Chinese partner paved the way for Scania's decision to establish its third global industrial base in Rugao. "We are in China, working alongside China, for the world."

 

Over two decades, the breadth and depth of cooperation have continued to expand, with a series of iconic products as the best testament: from the A80 at the very start, to the premium long-distance Touring, and on to the new Touring and Fencer series — a journey from premium coaches to urban buses, and then to pure-electric products. A video featuring greetings from customers around the world was screened at the event, and the fruits of the partnership earned widespread acclaim.

 

Over the years, the Touring established the classic combination of "Swedish chassis technology + Chinese body manufacturing," successfully breaking into Europe's premium passenger market and becoming a benchmark of China's smart premium coaches. The Fencer series covers low-entry and low-floor urban buses as well as intercity segments, completing a full product matrix from long-distance coaches to urban transit, and has been deployed in batches across Europe and South America. From a single model to a full platform, from one market to a global footprint — the product evolution mirrors an ever-advancing partnership.

 

 

The cooperation goes far beyond product-level success. On technology, markets and channels, both sides have benefited enormously, and the relationship has deepened through challenges spanning corporate culture, regulatory standards, joint R&D and supply-chain systems. From following the market to co-defining products, technology has never been a one-way transfer — it fuses through friction and evolves through collaboration. Keeping pace with industry transformation, the two partners have built today's relationship of equal trust, shared quality standards and joint evolution.

In the next two decades, electrification, intelligence and sustainable mobility will take center stage. The focus of cooperation will expand from conventional-fuel coaches to pure-electric, new-energy and intelligent mobility products, and from highway coaches and urban buses to mobility solutions across a wider range of scenarios. Looking ahead, the two companies are well placed to keep leveraging their strengths and drive the new Touring and Fencer series further into the global premium market — delivering not just vehicles, but sustainable, green and low-carbon public transport solutions, and continuing to write a new chapter in Sino-European manufacturing cooperation.