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Brotherwood, the UK’s leading Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle specialists, reached a historic milestone this summer – converting and supplying their 5000th new WAV to yet another delighted client. 

The gleaming Obsidian Black Mercedes-Benz V-Class with Brotherwood’s unique ‘Klastar’ lowered floor conversion was delivered to the Wilkinson family, who can now enjoy comfortable journeys in and around their home town of Southampton and further afield. The Brotherwood conversion enables daughter Sophie to travel inclusively as part of the family, whilst seated in her bespoke wheelchair.

New to the Brotherwood range, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class ‘Klastar’ has been comprehensively adapted with the needs of the wheelchair user in mind. A custom made flat level lowered floor is installed, creating a spacious and comfortable travelling position. The lowered floor also creates exceptional visibility for the wheelchair user to see out of the windows and windscreen, with an ample 57 inches of internal headroom enough for taller wheelchair users to enjoy.

Lowering the floor of the V-Class also offers a more comfortable ride for the wheelchair user – as their centre of gravity is lowered, the sensation of ‘body roll’ is reduced as the vehicle corners. The exceptional ride quality of the V-Class ensures a smooth ride for the wheelchair user – who thanks to the expertise of Brotherwood engineers, can travel centrally within the vehicle, next to two other second-row passengers on full size seats, and close enough to the front seats for a truly inclusive travelling experience. This central, inclusive wheelchair location is a key part of the Brotherwood ethos – ensuring the wheelchair user is not isolated or uncomfortable in the boot of the vehicle.


The proud new owner of #5000 Mr Wilkinson commented: 

“I have to say I have been impressed with the handover and quality of the vehicle. The ride comfort for our daughter is vastly improved over our previous vehicle as well is her view of the journey. The attention to detail is second to none, from the USB ports we requested to the AC/DC convertor stored in a place which effectively conceals it.

 

Driving it is extremely comfortable and my view of Sophie does not inhibit my rear view but whilst keeping an eye on her. I have to say the “bling” factor is something Sophie enjoys particularly after it is cleaned and the red stripe was a great idea of mine!”


The versatility and practicality of the Brotherwood ‘Klastar’ conversion is further enhanced by an optional pair of third-row passenger seats. The unique cantilever design enables the cleverly engineered seats to quickly tip and fold out of the way when not in use – when required, the full-size seats are easily deployed, increasing the capacity of the ‘Klastar’ to seven people. The bespoke passenger seats are hand upholstered in original Mercedes-Benz leather for a flawless high-quality finish.

Wheelchair access is made easy by the powered rear ramp, which is operated by remote control, and features a shallow approach angle and high-traction surface for easy loading of powered and manual wheelchairs alike. The Brotherwood PAWRS (Power Assisted Wheelchair Restraint System) features an inbuilt winch function to alleviate the effort of pushing a heavy wheelchair, effortlessly loading wheelchairs up to 250kg at the press of a button. Once positioned centrally within the vehicle, the wheelchair is safely restrained with the aid of another Brotherwood innovation – the STORQ system which automatically adds tension to the wheelchair restraints for a safe, secure and stable ride for the wheelchair user, without the hassle of adjusting complicated restraint belts. 


“The fitting kit is probably the simplest and easiest we have had and should be standard on every wheelchair vehicle – it takes away the stress of a journey with the associated complications.”


Brotherwood have been designing and engineering unique wheelchair vehicle conversions since our foundation in 1985, when we pioneered a unique lowered floor system that can enable wheelchair users to travel inclusively, in comfort and safety, with their family and friends. During that time we have created many exceptional vehicles, with our latest flagship, the Mercedes-Benz V-Class “Klastar’, perhaps our best yet.

 For more details regarding the new Brotherwood ‘Klastar’ Mercedes-Benz V-Class conversion, and to arrange a free, no-obligation home demonstration contact Brotherwood on 0330 1747 555 or visit www.brotherwood.com.