URBANA – Hop on now while they still have that new-bus smell.

The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District on Friday showed off its sleek, new hybrid buses that seat 34, have "grab handles" for dozens more, are unusually clean and quiet, and have more legroom than the old buses they're replacing.

All for the low, low price of $568,201.27.

Ten of the 23 recently ordered 40-foot hybrid diesel-electric buses have been delivered and two are already in service, said Karl Gnadt, the MTD's director of marketing. The others are expected within two weeks.

The newest buses join a hybrid fleet of five 30-foot models and four 60-foot articulated buses.

"About 80 percent of our fleet right now is clean emissions," MTD Managing Director Bill Volk said. "Hopefully within the next two years, we'll be able to finance another 20 buses that will make about 50 percent of our fleet hybrid and the other 50 percent with diesel emission filters.

"We're way ahead of most systems in that regard."

The new hybrids replace diesel buses that date back to as early as 1993. Those will be sold for scrap.

"They're so old no one wants them," said Gnadt.

The new buses are not only more fuel efficient, but there should be less maintenance.

"With the 30-foot hybrids, we're seeing a 30 percent improvement. With the 60-foot hybrids, which are much bigger and heavier, we're getting a 20 percent improvement," Gnadt said. "With these 40-footers, which are right in the middle, we're assuming we'll see a 25 percent improvement. We're hitting right around what the manufacturers say we will."

Robb Patton, the MTD's director of service delivery, said "the big thing is reduce brake wear.

"In our industry there's a lot of stopping and staring so the brakes are used a lot. Supposedly the hybrids will have less brake wear and less transmission switches. Those are big ticket items."

The new buses are distinctive from even the other hybrids because they have what Gnadt called a "roof skirt panel" that hides an air conditioning unit and battery pack atop the bus.

They also have a streamlined front and small, round LED headlights. Each of the buses is equipped with eight cameras – six inside and two on each side of the buses' exterior.

The $13.1 million cost of the 23 new buses is shared by the federal government ($8.5 million), the state government ($1.5 million) and the MTD ($3 million). They're expected to last at least 15 years, Volk said.