LISLE, Ill. — Navistar International Corp. will offer the Cummins ISB 6.7-liter engine for IC Bus CE Series school buses, company officials announced on Tuesday.

The Cummins ISB will also be offered for International DuraStar medium-duty trucks. Those trucks and the CE Series school buses with the ISB engine will be Navistar's first medium-duty vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions aftertreatment.

The Cummins ISB is also among the engine options for school buses from Thomas Built Buses, Blue Bird and Lion Bus. One pupil transportation veteran told SBF that this may be the first time in the industry’s history that one engine will be available for large school buses from each manufacturer.

Navistar will begin taking orders immediately for buses and trucks with the Cummins ISB. Regular production for CE Series school buses with the ISB is scheduled for late January 2014.

"Adding the proven, market-accepted Cummins ISB to our lineup is a key part of our strategy to offer our customers the most comprehensive medium-duty truck and bus offerings," said Jack Allen, Navistar executive vice president and chief operating officer. "The ISB will complement our existing engine offerings and will be a catalyst as we look to improve our medium-duty truck and bus business in 2014 and beyond."

Bill Kozek, Navistar’s president of North America truck and parts, added that customers from across the industry have “extensive familiarity and confidence in the Cummins ISB. … Customers seeking commonality in their engine lineup have expressed significant interest in combining the Cummins ISB engine with our chassis, and we anticipate strong demand and orders as a result.”

While the Cummins ISB is a new offering for Navistar's medium-duty trucks and buses, Navistar has gained experience packaging and manufacturing medium-duty trucks with the Cummins ISB since 2010 through its Ford Blue Diamond joint venture.

Navistar and Cummins have worked together over the past year to launch the Cummins ISX 15-liter engine in Navistar’s Class 8 trucks. The two companies also collaborated to add the Cummins SCR aftertreatment system to Navistar’s proprietary MaxxForce 13-liter engine.