The Volkswagen Constellation is the flagship truck of the Brazilian manufacturer Volkswagen Truck & Bus, produced at Resende since 2005 for the 13 to 57 tonne gross combination mass segment. The cab-over-engine truck was designed in Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg studio but engineered in Brazil, South Africa and Europe after a test programme of seven million kilometres over four years. A Constellation won the Brazilian Fórmula Truck championship in its first racing season.
Volkswagen Constellation at a glance
| Maker | Volkswagen Truck & Bus, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Production | since September 2005 |
| Plant | Resende, Brazil |
| Segment | 13 to 57 tonnes gross combination mass |
| Layout | cab-over-engine |
| Cabs | day cab and sleeper cab |
| Engines 2005 | MWM 180 hp (13.180, 15.180); Cummins 250 or 320 hp (17.250, 24.250 6×2, 19.320 Titan) |
| Engines 2007 | Volkswagen NGD 370 of 9,354 cm³ and 367 hp, in the 19.370, 25.370 and 31.370 |
| Gearbox | ZF 16S 1685 TD, 16 speeds, 1,800 N·m |
| 6×2 rear axle | Meritor MS 23-185, up to 60 tonnes |
| 6×4 rear axles | Meritor MD/MR 25-168 with Randon bogie suspension |
| Racing | Fórmula Truck title in 2006 with Renato Martins |
History of the Volkswagen Constellation
The Constellation was released in September 2005 as a cab-over-engine truck. Its design came from the Volkswagen Design Studio in Wolfsburg at group headquarters, while the engineering was done by Volkswagen Truck & Bus in Brazil, South Africa and mainland Europe, and the truck was tested over seven million kilometres in four years before launch. It is built at Resende in Brazil and aimed mainly at the South American market, covering the 13 to 57 tonne gross combination mass segment with day cab and sleeper cab bodies.
The first engine line-up paired MWM InternationalMotors units of 180 hp with the 13.180 and 15.180, and Cummins diesels of 250 or 320 hp with the 17.250, the 24.250 6×2 and the 19.320 Titan. In 2007 three more models arrived, the 19.370, 25.370 and 31.370, using the Volkswagen NGD 370 diesel engineered by Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and built by MWM. That 9,354 cm³ engine produced 367 hp at 2,000 rpm and brought several novelties to the heavy truck class: a Multi Turbo System with variable-geometry turbocharging for flat torque at low engine speeds, four valves per cylinder, high-pressure Hydraulic Electronic Unit Injectors developed with Siemens/VDO, removable wet cylinder liners and a Dual Power Brake integrated into the turbocharger. Water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation completed the package.
All variants use hydraulically operated single-plate diaphragm clutches from ZF Sachs of 362 to 430 mm, and one transmission option is the ZF 16S 1685 TD, a 16-speed synchromesh gearbox 80 kg lighter than earlier boxes thanks to aluminium alloy casings. The 6×2 variants use a Meritor MS 23-185 tractive rear axle rated at up to 60 tonnes, with a differential lock on the 25.370 tractor unit and the possibility of partly or fully lifting the third axle; the Extra Traction Device transfers part of that axle’s load to the tractive axle on slopes. The 6×4 variants use Meritor MD/MR 25-168 axles with Randon bogie-type rear suspension. In 2006, in the truck’s first season of racing, Renato Martins won the Brazilian Fórmula Truck Championship in a Constellation.
Design and features
- Flagship of the range: the largest truck of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, from 13 to 57 tonnes GCM.
- Wolfsburg design, Brazilian engineering: styled in Germany and developed and built in Resende.
- NGD 370 engine: a 9.4-litre six of 367 hp with variable-geometry turbocharging and unit injectors.
- Dual Power Brake: an engine brake built into the cylinder head and turbocharger.
- Lifting third axle: the 6×2 tractors can raise the tag axle to improve traction.
Volkswagen Constellation versions
- 13.180 and 15.180: MWM engines of 180 hp.
- 17.250 and 24.250 6×2: Cummins engines of 250 hp.
- 19.320 Titan: the Cummins-engined 320 hp model.
- 19.370, 25.370 and 31.370 (2007): the Volkswagen NGD 370 engine of 367 hp.
- Day cab and sleeper cab: two cab bodies across the range.
The Constellation is the heaviest member of Volkswagen’s commercial range, above the light Delivery trucks and the LT vans. More cars are in the Volkswagen collection.
Sources
- Volkswagen Constellation, English Wikipedia: launch, engine range, NGD 370, transmissions and axles
