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The VW Constellation has landed! |
It has taken Volkswagen of South Africa a while - well over two years in fact - to land heavy duty VW trucks imported from Brazil. Well, they're here, in the latest Constellation range, settling into this new landscape with a dedicated assembly plant, extensive dealer network and a dyed-in-the-wool trucking man heading up the new truck division. All this begs the question - does the Constellation stand a chance in our dog-eat-dog industry asks
Paul Collings?
Brazil is not unlike South Africa in many ways. Both have extreme weather patterns, lots of dust and rain, harsh terrain and cowboys for drivers, trucks being no exception. In politically correct parlance, they're both 'emerging economies' which really means there's a bit of Euro sophistication among a whole lot of rough and ready business practices. And these similarities mean everything to the partners behind the Constellation's launch in SA.
Pacing the release
The official press release handed out at the Uitenhage launch event explains to some degree why the official launch took so long: "Volkswagen of South Africa, in partnership with Volkswagen of Brazil Truck and Bus, entered into the heavy commercial market with on-going testing and development taking place in SA to adequately prepare the vehicles for the harsh operating conditions in SA. The Brazilian-sourced vehicles are built on an SKD production platform with a totally separated and specialist Commercial Dealer network support infrastructure."
WITH SOPHISTICATED
technology under the cab and Brazilian-forged chassis, body and running gear, the Constellation range will fill a definite niche in the local market, somewhere between the European and Japanese models, no doubt, offering a 'hybrid' of sorts between technology truck and robust workhorse.
The success of VW Truck and Bus in Brazil must give VW Commercial Vehicle's new head, ex-Freightliner top-dog Johan Cloete, a lot of confidence. "Before I started working for VW, I took a trip to Brazil to see first hand what the operating environment is like there,and whether it compares in any way to the harshness of our conditions in South Africa. Let me tell you, they're much harsher over there, so the fact that VW trucks have a 30% market share in Brazil speaks volumes about their strength and reliability."
According to Roberto Cortez, head of VW Truck and Bus, Brazil, "the South African Constellation production line in Uitenhage cost R300-million to develop with intensive engineering development work enabling us to produce over 1 000 units per year."
Cloete says that over and above witnessing the Constellation in action in Brazil, all the new models have undergone over 500 000 km of testing in this country. "Advanced yet appropriate technology for developing countries is what defines these trucks," he says. "The new range as it stands right now is targeted at various distribution applications. Demand is on the increase in this sector and we feel the time is right to bring these models to market."
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The VW
Crafter support van, one of 16, built at a cost of R500 000. |
A band of choice
The five SKD models being imported and assembled at the Uitenhage plant range in size and power from 13 to 24 tons GVM, 180 hp (132kW) to 320 hp (235kW) around the 2000-2500 rpm range. Torque ranges from 600 to1288 Nm across the five derivatives.
All models are equipped with common-rail turbo-diesel Euro 3 compliant engines, upgradeable to future emission-control systems, says Cloete.
"The electronic MWM-VW and Cummins Diesel engines offer excellent performance which leads to low overall operational and maintenance costs. The robust Eaton and ZF transmissions ensure smooth and efficient operation. These engines and gearboxes are all familiar to local technicians, ensuring swift servicing and repair turnaround times."
The flagship of the new range is the Constellation Titan Tractor 19.320 which, according to Cloete, boasts "a smooth power-train capable of hauling containers of up to 30 pallets and/or 35 tons of combined total gross mass. A 16 speed manual transmission with hydraulic servo-assisted shifting mechanisms makes this ideal for all variations of distribution, be it medium to long haul highway or off-road cargo transport. This model is available in an extended day cab or a sleeper cab with easy access to specific items for daily inspections."
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Sea view -
Tanker hauliers take a look... |
Rugged styling and safety
The Constellation cab has been specially designed for extreme use, says Cloete, and comes with a host of features to ensure the 'hard-knocks' of trucking are minimised.
"From the height and inclination-adjustable steering column to the windshield, which offers large viewing angles, to the sleeper cab with a roof high enough to allow a person who is 1.95m tall to stand fully upright, the Constellation 19.320 is a truly modern vehicle designed with driver and passenger ergonomics in mind. It comes standard with air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, tachograph and an adjustable steering column. The two-meter long bed situated behind the cabin seats has a reading light and there's plenty of space to store one's belongings under the bed - a real home-from-home."
Included in all models is a tachograph and an onboard computer which shows the driver (among other info) the date and time, average or real-time fuel consumption, average speed, the journey's total time and the distance covered.
From a safety perspective, the Constellation cab structure is designed to European standards for maximum resistance to impacts and to support up to six tons of load on its roof, protecting the lives of those inside, explains Cloete.
"The entire Constellation range boasts full air brakes linked to S-Cams in Drums with load-sensing valves on the rigids and ABS as standard on the truck tractors. The front grille design makes for the extremely easy operation of daily checking and cleaning tasks and has hinges that allow for a person to grab hold and lean on them while cleaning the windshield. Inspection items are also conveniently positioned at the front of the engine, behind the grille to allow daily inspections to be carried out without having to tilt the cab," he says.
Focusing on uptime
For Cloete and his team, having a well resourced support infrastructure in place before going to market was crucial.
"We only have one chance to deliver the service that won't compromise the brand, or our customers' uptime," says Cloete. "We have gone to every length to ensure that all the necessary equipment, spares and skills are in place. We now have 15 dedicated VW Commercial Vehicles dealerships around the country, each with its own mobile service unit, fully equipped to carry out emergency repairs and on-site servicing. What's more, each dealer sent two technicians to Brazil for extensive training at their own cost, which shows the level of commitment within these dealerships."
The Constellation comes standard with a one-year/unlimited kilometre plus a second year or 300 000 km on the drive train warranty. The cab structure is guaranteed for a full six years against perforation/corrosion. A wide range of maintenance plans are also available to suit the customer's specific needs and these are available from the Commercial Vehicle dealer network, states the press release.
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Making
a big impression just outside PE |
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Johan Cloete
spells out his vision to the media
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Begs the question
At face value, all looks well in place for the Constellation's smooth entry into the SA market. A world-renowned brand - VW - fronting a proven and competitively priced product, backed by a geared-up infrastructure is a recipe for success. However, some may raise a questioning eyebrow at the following oddities - why no 6x4 model and no automatic transmission?
Cloete just smiles, then answers..."all in good time...all in good time."
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The ergonomic
and feature-rich dash of the Constellation 17/250