Company website: http://snvigroupe.dz/index.php
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SNVIDZ
The Société Africaine des Automobiles BERLIET (S.A.A.B/SA) was established in Algeria in 1957, when the country was stll French. In 1967 SONACOME, SOciété NAtionale de COnstruction MEcanique was created. SONACOME took over the SAAB activities. In 1981 SNVI (Société Nationale des Véhicules Industriels) was created, which took over the vehicle construction activities of SONACOME. In 1995 SNVI was transformed into a limited company. The company has encountered production difficulties and has not been able to respond to the demand. From 2015 onwards the company is to produce Mercedes trucks and buses.
In february 2015 SNVI presented two completely new buses: the Fennec Ligne and the Numidia Lux.
The number of models built by SONACOME and SNVI is quite limited and they were built over a long period of time. Model designations are number of passengers (seats for coaches and total for buses) followed by the engine type (V8 = 8cylinder V-form, L = 6 cyilinder in-line). Models built are:
| 100V8, 100V8F, 100L6, |
bus similar to Berliet PR100 but with Deutz V8 or V8 F8L413F diesel engine or MAN D0826LUH six cylinder inline diesel engine evailable from 1990’s onwards. Capacity: 24+2 seats, 76 standees (2 doors), 15+2 seats, 92 standees (3 doors) |
11522x2500x2920 wb=5600 |
1973 | 2007 redesigned as “City Bus” |
| City Bus 100V8, 100V8F, 100L6, |
redesigned old model with same engine options | 2007 | current, slightly changed as City Bus “Phase 2”. | |
| 49V8, 49V8F, 49L6 | coach similar to Berliet PR12/Cruisair 3 but with Deutz V8 or V8 F8L413F diesel engine or Cummis 6CTA 8.3 six cylinder inline diesel engine evailable from 1990’s onwards, 49 seats. | 11345x2500x2995 wb=5765 |
ca 1973? | to 2002 |
| Safir | new coach, protoype in 2001. | 2002 | current | |
| 38L6 | midicoach, model like short Berliet PR100, with Cummins 6BT5.9 front engine. 38 seats. | 8580x2445x2960 wb=4200 |
199x | current |
| 70L6 | midibus, model like short Berliet PR100, with Cummins 6BT5.9 front engine. Similar to 38L6 but with bus doors, 12+2 seats and 56 standees. 44 of these buses were exported to Gabon, where SOGATAR operates the urban services in Libreville. | 8580x2445x2940 wb=4200 |
199x | current |
| 25L4 | midibus with 4-cylinderDeutz KHD 4FL912 in-line diesel engine. The model appears directly derived from the Renault -Ikarus 543 model, 720 of which were imported into Algeria in 1982/1983. Model slightly modernised in 2002. | 6655x2300x2800 wb=3700 |
198x | current (though few produced as competition from Japanese midibuses is fierce) |
| Fennec Ligne | new long-distance coach | 2015 | presented February 2015 | |
| Numidia Lux | new luxury coach | 2015 | presented February 2015 |
