Capital Equipment News April 2016

By Pierre Sanson

https://youtu.be/byfAyo5GMyM

VOLKSWAGEN CONSTELLATION RANGE MAKING HEADWAY IN SA MARKET

carrier, the 17.250 4x2 freight carrier and the 24.250 6x2 freight carrier.

According to Livingstone Mulaudzi, Head of Product Management at MAN Truck & Bus South Africa, “The VW Constellation range has great potential to service a number of niche applications in both medi- um and long-haul distribution applications. The VW Constellation 19.320 has a gross combination mass of 44 tons, which puts it ahead of most rival 4x2 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 ‘vol- ume-based’ cargo hauliers. “The VW Constellation 24.250 freight carri- er has a longer wheelbase at 5.819 m. This provides a better platform for various truck bodies making it the ideal solo freight carri- er 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 applica- tions,” adds Mulaudzi. Equipped with mechanical suspension and a tag lift-axle, the VW Constellation 24.250 also sports a dual-speed differen- tial that delivers ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ gear ra- tios for better traction under load, explains Mulaudzi.

M anufactured in Brazil and form- ing part of MAN AG’s multi-brand truck and bus portfolio, Volkswa- gen (VW) heavy and extra heavy commer- cial vehicles are gaining market share in emerging economies in Africa, following the success of the brand in Latin America. MAN Latin America (ML) is the largest truck manufacturer in Latin America. It has led the truck market in Brazil for 10 consecu- tive years and is a leading supplier of com- mercial vehicles and bus chassis for growth markets, with one of the most advanced production facilities worldwide for trucks and buses. The VW Constellation range of workhorses has been specially engineered to meet the demands of niche trucking ap- plications in southern Africa. “The VW Constellation range is extremely versatile, coming in both truck-tractor and rigid derivatives, with both 6x2 and 4x2 axle configurations, making it the ideal choice for the medium and on-highway distribution segments,” says Dave van Graan, Head of Truck Sales, MAN Truck & Bus South Africa. “Predominantly, our VW customers to date

use the VW Constellation for volume van, dropside, tautliner, refrigerated and car-car- rier applications. This clearly demonstrates both the volume and weight-carrying capa- bilities of the range.” Citing reliability and fuel economy as key attractions of the range, van Graan adds that the Constellation range has been op- timised through prudent engineering of various driveline components to broaden its appeal to the road freight industry in South Africa. The range has established itself over time in South Africa and MAN Truck and Bus has taken note of customer feedback to make improvements where necessary. Axle up- grades, along with wheelbase optimisation on all models, make the range more versa- tile and efficient, especially for medium to long-distance distribution applications, as well as the tipper market. The VW Constellation range includes the 19.320 4x2 truck-tractor and rigid-chassis freight carrier derivatives: the 13.180 4x2 freight carrier, the 15.180 4x2 freight

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS APRIL 2016 4