An interesting synergy is occurring in the midsize bus market and it stands to benefit motorcoach operators who have long been lukewarm to many of the product offerings from small- and midsize bus makers.

As is well known, large coach operators are being pressured for smaller group charters athletic teams, senior organizations of every stripe, assisted-living facilities, corporations and others who cant fill 57-passenger coaches.

Many limousine operators that have progressed from 8-passenger vehicles to 22-passengers limobuses now need something bigger, but not as large as a 45-foot coach.

And then there is the middle market of traditional coach operators who need smaller vehicles for lower-end use but still want something thats a step up from traditional cutaways.

Well, guess what, the bus makers have been paying attention, and theyre revamping existing models or bringing new midsize buses to market that reflect what coach operators have been telling them. The evidence and examples of this trend both small and large are everywhere.

Take, for instance, the ABC M1235, which got an extensive makeover this year. Built on the new S2 Freightliner chassis, the M1235 has a list of features that appears right out of a coach operators playbook. Consider just a few of the newest upgrades:

A substantially larger front window for unobstructed passenger viewing; a seven-inch longer wheelbase and ride-enhancement package for smoother travel; air drum brakes; an upgraded HVAC system that is roof mounted; the latest in driver seats, and an automotive as opposed to truck style dashboard.

One change in particular helped sell Joan Libby of Cavalier Trailways in Boston on the 07 M1235s the Ricon in-step wheelchair lift. That option means Libbys new M1235s can have both a wheelchair lift -- that isnt rattling around in the back of the bus -- and a restroom without giving up passenger space.

The new model has customer appeal, says Libby.

Its customers like Libby that have driven the success of the M-series line, says Dane Cornell, president and CEO of ABC Companies. "Well continue to keep customer feedback front and center on our radar as we implement future engineering and design enhancements on this and all of our full-size equipment offerings," he adds.

But ABC isnt the only midsize bus supplier that has been listening to operators.

Cutaway makers Turtle Top of New Paris, Ind., and Glaval Bus of Elkhart, Ind., have introduced or are readying products that respond to coach-operator input.

Turtle Top had its high-end Odyssey XL model at Motorcoach Expo in January and received a strong reception to the bus thats built on a Chevrolet C5500 chassis.

Turtle Top Vice President Phil Tom says that because of the interest the company is investing in more marketing aimed at the motorcoach sector, but at the same time laying plans to introduce a new, beefier model that will be built on the Freightliner S2 chassis. The Chevy C5500 chassis is rated at 19,500 pounds, while the S2 is a 26,000 pound chassis.

Tom said the design of the new model, with air ride and a host of other features, is expected to be completed by July and the bus ready for introduction at Buscon in October and at Motorcoach Expo 2008 in January.

One of the most interesting midsize offerings is the Synergy from Glaval. That bus is something of a joint venture between Glaval and two well-known motorcoach operators, Noah Sodrel of The Free Enterprise System in Jeffersonville, Ind., and Doug Anderson of Anderson Coach & Tours in Greenville, Pa., the new chairman of the American Bus Association

Sodrel and Anderson have set up a marketing organization to sell the coach-like, rear-engine Synergy to fellow operators.

Jerry Mishler, national sales manager of Glaval, said his company worked closely with Sodrel and Anderson to come up with a product that meets the requirements of motorcoach operators for a smaller bus. The 38-foot Synergy seats up to 37 and sells in the $240,000-$250,000 price range.

"Its the right size and the right dollar market," says Mishler.

Another midsize bus maker that thinks it has the right product at the right time is Trident Industries of Cumming, Ga. It introduced the Temsa TS-35, a 35-foot monocoque coach from Turkey thats just beginning its first real marketing push.

The Temsa was introduced at Motorcoach Expo in New Orelans earlier this year and has been undergoing extensive testing in the U.S. by Caterpillar and others since then.

Now its headed for the Northeast and into the hands of operators and their maintenance staffs for hands-on evaluations, says Jason Cash, CEO of Trident.

Trident also is working with IC Corporation to bring another rear-engine coach-like bus to market later this year, the International RC.