The Tears of Transtar

First appearing in 1994, the Transtar failed to gain significant popularity among various tour companies or express/intercity bus operators, and due to Ssangyong’s bankruptcy, it was discontinued in 1997…

Because it had too many advanced features ahead of its time, it actually created a sense of reluctance among buyers and failed to become popular…

This only made the Transtar even more mysterious and intriguing…

A report on the Transtar, which always presented a sleek, tall body with a stable driving experience.

We even uncovered the secrets of the Transtar that Ssangyong itself was reluctant to reveal publicly.

Three types of engines and four types of bodies — with such combinations and groundbreaking specs and features at the time of its launch, the Transtar delivered a huge shock to the Korean bus industry.

The price of the vehicle at that time was comparable to today’s most luxurious buses, and the technology applied in the 1994 launch still does not fall behind other vehicles — truly a bus ahead of its time.

With a 360-horsepower Mercedes-Benz engine, the Transtar could overtake a taxi going uphill at 100 km/h on the Daegwallyeong Pass — a mountain crossing famous in South Korea for its steep, grueling climb that challenges even the most powerful vehicles. Where else could you find a bus overtaking a taxi uphill?

Who could possibly match the Transtar?

With Mercedes-Benz’s exclusive COTV technology, it provided powerful engine braking control on downhill roads and excellent climbing performance on uphill roads.

Who would have imagined that a bus from 1994 would have a kneeling system…

And who would have thought that a rear spoiler could be found on a bus? Who could imagine such a thing on a bus, not a sports car…

The Transtar created history as the first bus in Korean bus history to be equipped with a rear spoiler. Even now, it remains the only model with one… truly a touching story.

Have you ever seen a rearview camera hidden inside a rear spoiler? A masterful combination of design.

If the Transtar were released today, it would undoubtedly have been a bestseller… but because it was too far ahead of its time, it ended as a tragic model.

1994 — after its debut, it failed to gain much popularity among various tour and express/intercity bus companies, and due to Ssangyong’s bankruptcy, the Transtar was discontinued in 1997…

Because it had too many advanced features, it created reluctance among buyers and failed to become popular…

This only made the Transtar more mysterious and something people wanted to know about.

A report on the Transtar, which always presented a sleek, tall body and a stable driving feel.

1. How to distinguish Transtar models

The Transtar came in a combination of three engine types and four body types.

Let’s first look at the engines:

And now, let's look at the body types:

2. Engine descriptions of the Transtar

The OM 401LA engine is an inline 6-cylinder, 310 HP intercooler engine that could be called a “cheap twin turbo” with a single turbo Engine and two exhaust outlets.

The OM 441LA engine is a rare V6-type intercooler engine with 360 HP and twin turbos.

The OM 442A engine is a V8-cylinder, 360 HP turbo engine with twin turbos.

This Benz engine is a 1,000,000 km no-boring engine, and if boring is required, it reportedly costs about 1 million KRW per cylinder.

Pre Cleaner (left image): Filters foreign substances from outside air before it passes through the air cleaner, providing optimal conditions for complete combustion.

Surge Tank (right image): Featuring Korea’s first application of an aluminum radiator for improved cooling performance, the 3-chamber type Surge Tank minimizes coolant loss, allowing for long-term use with a single refill.

3. Transmission description of the Transtar

The earlier mention of O.D and D.D means that O.D (Overdrive) transmissions, when in 5th gear, have an engine-to-gear ratio of 1:1 or less. For this reason, the Transtar 442 is a 1st-gear start vehicle. Sometimes people start in 2nd gear, but acceleration is slower and it puts strain on the engine.

D.D (Direct Drive) transmissions, when in 5th gear, have an engine-to-gear ratio greater than 1:1 — about 1.5:1. This allows the 401 and 441 models to start in 2nd gear with slightly quicker acceleration compared to the 442.

Power Shift

Using air-assisted gear shifting, it guarantees easier driving than a passenger car. The only domestic vehicle with a damper installed to prevent gear slippage, and with urethane bushings applied for smoother gear changes.

The Transtar 441 and 442 originally had 360-horsepower engines, but the transmissions made by Ssangyong could not handle that power — an impossible and unacceptable situation. Whether it was due to a mistake by Ssangyong or simply the technological limitations of the time is unknown, but running the engine at the full 360 HP would cause the transmission’s lifespan to be reduced to one-third, a critical issue. As a result, when importing the engines from Benz, the output was intentionally reduced by 20 HP to 340 HP for the Korean market.

This was almost a top-secret fact, but since the Transtar is now discontinued, it seems acceptable to talk about it. I heard this directly from a Ssangyong headquarters mechanic, and it was quite a shock. That mechanic even said it was possible to restore the power back to 360 HP, as he had learned directly from Benz headquarters.

However, they made it clear that they would not take responsibility for any transmission damage caused by restoring it to 360 HP. This is why the Transtar was sold at 340 HP. Not everything written in the catalog was true.

You might think, “If they’re both 340 HP, why not just buy the cheaper 441 instead of the 442?” But the 441 is an intercooler engine with a D.D transmission, meaning it needs higher RPMs to reach speed, whereas the 442 is a turbo engine with an O.D transmission, which rotates in sync with the RPM. Of course, everyone knows that on uphill or flat roads, a turbo engine outperforms an intercooler engine. The 442 has higher torque than the 441, and fuel consumption is almost the same, so if you can, it’s better to go for the better engine.

4. Transtar’s unique C.O.T.V.

Here’s an explanation of the COTV function that everyone is curious about. At first glance, the size and appearance of the COTV seem too small and insignificant for its name, but it contains remarkable technology. It’s a device mounted next to the engine’s spark plug, looking like another spark plug, and it’s a piece of Benz know-how used both on steep downhill and uphill roads.

COTV is a cutting-edge third-generation auxiliary braking system that reduces engine RPM to provide high braking performance.

However, it is said that it can actually be used both downhill and uphill. According to Park Cheol-min, who planned this “Tears of the Transtar” article, when driving downhill, the COTV controls the vehicle’s speed, countering the acceleration caused by gravity, and keeps the speed constant. Uphill, it prevents the vehicle from rolling back and helps maintain RPM to keep speed steady. But heavy use of the COTV can put significant strain on the engine, so it’s best not to use it much on highways or flat roads — that’s the main drawback.

It is also said that there’s a COTV switch on the dashboard and a separate exhaust brake. If you use only the exhaust brake, it works the same as in other vehicles, but when the COTV switch is turned on and the exhaust brake is applied, you get stronger braking performance. In this state, if you press the accelerator, the exhaust brake disengages, but the COTV prevents the vehicle from accelerating, maintaining the current speed. In Park’s words, when you press the accelerator, the vehicle feels like it “jumps forward” but then immediately returns to its original speed.

In short, the COTV can be used both for engine braking and for maintaining a constant speed. However, since I haven’t personally tested the Transtar, I can’t give a more detailed explanation, and I can’t guarantee 100% reliability of this information.

5. Kneeling System

Before Hyundai’s Aero series came out, the Transtar was already equipped with a kneeling suspension system.

This is a height adjustment device for passenger boarding convenience, operated by a simple switch in the driver’s seat (electronically controlled). During driving, it automatically returns to normal height to ensure driving stability.

When the door open button is pressed from the driver’s seat, the kneeling suspension slightly lowers the front of the vehicle for easier boarding. After the door is closed, it doesn’t immediately rise but automatically balances during driving.

6. Rear Spoiler

The Transtar made history as the first bus in Korea to be equipped with a rear spoiler! A feature normally found only on sports cars, applied for the first and only time on a bus in Korea.

The main function of a rear spoiler is to prevent the vehicle body from lifting off the road during high-speed driving due to wind pressure. The Transtar’s body is almost perfectly vertical, which would cause the body to lift at high speeds. The rear spoiler counteracts this, enabling stable high-speed driving. Though it might look unimpressive if you climb onto the bus roof and see it, it still performs an important function.

One more thing — the rear spoiler is designed to house a rearview camera.

How was it? Did this answer many of your questions? This concludes Part 1 of “Tears of the Transtar.” Part 2 is currently in planning and is expected to be updated in August. Please look forward to it.