Defender

Champion was one of the first manufacturers to send a cutaway bus to undergo durability testing at the Federal Transit Authority’s Altoona, Pennsylvania testing facility. All products are in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and more than 26 buses have been tested. Champion also tests all buses on a simulated Altoona test track at the manufacturing facility.

All Champion Bus models are in compliance with the rigorous requirements of FMVSS No. 220 and ECE r.66 rollover safety tests. In the strict FMVSS test protocol, the steel cage structure of a Champion shuttle bus model was evaluated without a skin or laminate and met a roof crush safety standard that ensured emergency exits remained operational during and after a rollover crash. In the ECE r.66, a Champion shuttle bus model placed on a raised platform and tilted to simulate a rollover crash met a similar safety standard.

Champion was the first bus manufacturer to become QVM certified by Ford Motor Company, and has been ISO certified since 1999 (registered ISO 9001:2008). Champion is one of the largest custom commercial bus manufacturers of small- to mid-size buses in the industry: 300 dedicated employees utilize more than 194,000 square feet of manufacturing space to produce more than 1,500 mid-size buses per year.

Champion prides itself on using 1 1⁄2″ x 1 1⁄2″, 16-gauge tube galvanized steel cage on every bus, making them some of the safest and most robust buses in the industry. Champion performs all manufacturing, engineering, compliance, research and development, aftermarket service, sales, and marketing in Imlay City, with upscale trim packages offered on many platforms.