(03 Feb 2025, 5:58 pm)deanmachine wrote How are these any different to the weird looking bendy buses that First used in places like Swansea and York?

I don't think they're much different to be honest. 
Certainly not from an external perspective. Both look to have been designed for BRT. 

I believe they have different power train options that were different to the Wright buses First used. 

'The bus has the styling and comfort of a tram, with the flexibility and cost of a bus' - description of the Van Hool.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Hool...T_solution 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_StreetCar