• Three-axle S 515 HDH and S 516 HDH, each with a glass roof 
• Surprise during unveiling ceremony in Neu-Ulm
• Breisgau-based family business in its third management generation

Stuttgart/Kenzingen. Rist Reisen KG based in Kenzingen also uses two touring coaches from the Setra TopClass 500 in its operations. The two General Managers Karl Rist and Frank Heilmann caused great amazement during the unveiling ceremony at the Setra Customer Centre. The programme of events announced the handover of an S 515 HDH. But shortly after the official handover, the touring group who had been invited for the occasion were amazed when a second curtain was raised to reveal an S 516 HDH as well.
The two General Managers met with enthusiastic applause for this complete surprise. They saw this as confirmation that their decision to purchase two coaches in one go was absolutely the right one. Karl Rist: "As soon as the new generation of touring coaches was premiered in autumn last year, we came away convinced about the TopClass 500. Setra touring coaches have impressed us for many years, thanks to their quality, safety standards and high resale value."

Pleasant ride thanks to the automatic stop-and-go system

Each of the two coaches has a five-star classification, and they are extremely popular with passengers merely by virtue of the large distance between seats. 42 passengers can be comfortably seated in the S 515 HDH, while the S 516 HDH is equipped with 46 Setra Voyage plus touring seats featuring leather headrests. Passengers can also direct their gaze upwards from the seats, where the wide Setra TopSky Panorama glass roof affords an outstanding view. To ensure that its customers not only feel comfortable but also safe on journeys throughout Europe, Rist Reisen KG had the two coaches equipped with the latest driver assistance systems available from Setra. These include adaptive cruise control with Emergency Braking Assist (ABA2), which also responds to stationary obstacles. The additional "stop-and-go" function relieves the driver's workload in tailbacks or slow-moving traffic, and its smooth braking and accelerating action significantly enhances passenger comfort in the Setra TopClass 500 even further.

From a taxi operator to a bus touring company with a wide range of tours

The history of the Kenzingen-based family business goes back to 1928, when the brothers Karl and Matthias Rist founded a taxi business. After the Second World War the company gradually entered and expanded the regular service bus and touring coach business. In 2005 Karl Rist took the helm in the third generation, and has managed the company with Frank Heilmann since 2011. The company now has 13 buses in its fleet, using them for educational and group tours, club and school excursions and regular service operations.