Manufactured in Brazil and forming part of MAN AG’s multibrand truck and bus portfolio, Volkswagen (VW) heavy and extra-heavy commercial vehicles are gaining market share across Africa’s emerging economies.

The VW Constellation range of workhorses has been specially engineered to meet the demands of niche trucking applications in Southern Africa.

“The VW Constellation range is extremely versatile, coming in both truck-tractor and rigid derivatives, with both 6×2 and 4×2 axle configurations – making it the ideal choice for the medium and on-highway distribution segments,” says Dave van Graan, head: Truck Sales, MAN Truck & Bus South Africa.

“Predominantly, our VW customers to date are using the VW Constellation for volume van, dropside, tautliner, refrigerated and car-carrier applications, just to name a few. This clearly demonstrates both the volume and weight-carrying capabilities of the range.”

Citing both reliability and fuel economy as key attractions of the range, Van Graan adds that the Constellation line-up has been optimised through the prudent engineering of various driveline components to broaden its appeal in the road freight industry in South Africa.

The VW Constellation range includes the 19.320 4×2 truck-tractor and rigid chassis freight carrier derivatives: the 13.180 4×2 freight carrier, the 15.180 4×2 freight carrier, the 17.250 4×2 freight carrier and the 24.250 6×2 freight carrier.

According to Livingstone Mulaudzi, head: Product Management, MAN Truck & Bus South Africa, “The VW Constellation range has great potential to service a number of niche applications in both medium- and long-haul distribution applications. The VW Constellation 19.320 has a gross combination mass of 44 tonnes, which puts it ahead of most rival 4×2 truck-tractors as far as payload and drawing capacity are concerned.”

MAN is targeting the removals segment as a key new market, as well as other ‘volume-based’ cargo hauliers.

“The VW Constellation 24.250 freight carrier has a longer wheelbase, at 5.819 m, which provides a better platform for various truck bodies – making it the ideal solo freight carrier unit. It is also specified to tow a draw-bar trailer, which makes it an attractive option for operators seeking optimum payload productivity, like long-haul pantech applications,” adds Mulaudzi.

Equipped with mechanical suspension and a liftable tag axle, the VW Constellation 24.250 also sports a dual-speed differential, which delivers ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ gear ratios for better traction under load, explains Mulaudzi.

Recent upgrades in product specifications include anti-lock braking system (ABS) and low-roof sleeper cabins for both the 17.250 and 24.250 freight carrier derivatives as standard equipment. All VW Constellation derivatives have a high level of in-cab appointments for driver comfort, which in turn improves vehicle productivity. The ease-of-diagnosis for engines and electronics enables rapid servicing turnaround times,” Mulaudzi adds.

Specified for regions around the world that are not equipped with the latest high-tech workshop equipment, the VW Constellation range is finding favour in subequatorial African operations, primarily due to its reliability – built on a robust chassis and ‘easy-to-fix’ driveline based on the Cummins ISBe Turbo intercooled power-plant and Eaton FS 6306 B manual transmission.

“The VW Constellation truck range is growing in stature because it is a ‘fit-for-purpose’ vehicle, tailored to meet the specific needs of niche applications. As a business tool, it strikes the optimum balance between price and life-cycle cost. Fuel efficiency, reliability and ease of servicing effectively keep its total cost of ownership low and predictable, making it an attractive proposition for specialised on-highway operators in Southern Africa,” concludes Van Graan.

“The range is finding favour in subequatorial Africa, primarily due to its reliability, robust chassis and ‘easy-to-fix’ driveline.”

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