Volvo B7RLE (Soon Chow)

富豪B7RLE (顺洲)(样办车)
In 2007, SBS Transit received a new single-deck WAB demonstrator from Volvo, at a time when a large number of single-deck orders were being considered. This B7RLE is a Mark II model, powered by Euro IV-compliant Volvo D7E290 engine and fitted with the automatic ZF 6HP592C Ecomat transmission.

The bus is unique in several aspects - the rear section has a round-about seating rather than the standard 5-seater bench, Pico modular seating, and a vibrant white interior as compared to the majority of K230UBs. Soon Chow, who was a major customer for SBS in the 80s, has shown to have reinvented itself with a very bold and elegant design - such that the fans dubbed it "The Transformer"! It was also the first bus to feature two granny seats at the front section of the bus - till the arrival of the Euro EEV K230UBs.

While several B9TL double-deckers were bought and a track record of B10Ms on the roads, SBS Transit eventually chose the K230UB over the B7RLE. One year later, it was decided that the bus would be purchased rather be returned to Volvo, to the delight of bus fans who will be able to ride it for years to come.