| Volkswagen Constellation | |
| Manufacturer: | Volkswagen Truck & Bus |
| Production: | 2005–present |
| Assembly: | Resende, Brazil[1] Quezon City, Philippines |
| Class: | Commercial vehicle - truck |
| Body Style: | Tractor unit, Chassis cab, Flatbed - all "cab-over-engine" |
| Sp: | uk |
The Volkswagen Constellation is the flagship truck produced by the Brazilian manufacturer Volkswagen Truck & Bus since 2005. The line covering the 13-57 tonne gross combination mass (GCM)[1] segment. It is produced at Resende in Brazil,[1] and is primarily for the South American market.
The truck, a "cab-over-engine" released in September 2005, was designed in Volkswagen's Wolfsburg Design Studio at Volkswagen Group Headquarters, but engineered by Volkswagen Truck and Bus, in Brazil, South Africa, and mainland Europe - on a rigorous 7 million kilometre test phase over a four-year period.[2]
In 2006, Renato Martins won the Brazilian Fórmula Truck Championship in the Constellation's first season racing.
The cab is available in daycab and sleeper cab configurations.
It is available in the following internal combustion engine / payload configurations: 13.180 and 15.180 with 180hp MWM International Motores; 17.250, 24.250 6x2 and 19.320 Titan with 2500NaN0[1] or 3200NaN0 Cummins diesel engines.[1] A further three models were subsequently launched in 2007; a 19.370, 25.370, and 31.370, with a Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus engineered and MWM produced 3700NaN0 Volkswagen NGD 370 diesel engine.[1]
The Volkswagen Group NGD 370 turbodiesel engine premiers new attributes for the heavy trucks sector. The high "flat" torque at low engine speeds is improved by a variable geometry turbo-compressor: the Multi Turbo System - MTS. Its cylinder head features four valves per cylinder, displaces 9354cc (9.4 litres), and generates 3670NaN0 at 2,000 rpm. It also comes with the Dual Power Brake – DPB.[1]
It features an exclusive high pressure direct fuel injection similar to the Pumpe Düse (PD) system found in Volkswagen's car engines, the Hydraulic Electronic Unit Injector - HEUI – with electro-hydraulic digital unit injectors and extended durability, developed by the partner company Siemens/VDO. An important advantage is the removable wet cylinder liners which will assist with easier maintenance and lower costs.[1]
Its Multi Turbo System (MTS) turbine with variable vane geometry, is electronically controlled. This helps achieve faster responses, better performance, and better thermal efficiency. This also works as part of the engine brake retarder in the exhaust system. The water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, coupled with the cylinder block, reutilises part of the exhaust gasses, producing combustion at lower temperatures with less discharge rates.[1]
It includes a new engine brake system, the Dual Power Brake (DPB) fed into the cylinder head, is electronically integrated into the turbocharger. It is claimed that the advantages are: increasing the operational average speed, the brake force, safety, retaking with fuel reduction, and speed on downward slopes. This means less gear shifts, lower maintenance costs, and helps improve the service life of the brakes and tyres.
Clutches on all variants are the hydraulically operated with pneumatic assistance single-plate diaphragm type.[3] All are supplied by ZF Sachs, and range in diameter from 362mm[3] to 430mm. The engine output is routed through a variety of transmissions. One option is the ZF 16S 1685 TD 16-speed manual synchromesh transmission. This latest ZF box is 80kg (180lb) lighter than existing models, due to its all-aluminium alloy casings. It has a torque handling capacity of 1800Nm.
The 6x2 variants use a Meritor MS 23-185 tractive rear axle, and this has a maximum capacity of 60 tons. It includes a series differential locking system when used on the VW 25.370 tractor unit.
The 6x2 variants also have the facility for partial or total lifting of the third axle, which helps achieve better traction, particularly on slopes. This Extra Traction Device (ETD) ensures part of the third axle load, during partial lifting, is transferred to the tractive axle.
6x4 variants utilise Meritor MD/MR 25-168 tractive rear axles, and are located via Randon S.A. rear suspension (bogie type rigid shafts in tandem).[1]
| Rigids / Freight Carriers / Tippers | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| model | engine make / configuration / engine displacement | max. motive power @ rpm | max. torque @ rpm | clutch make, dia (mm) | transmission make / type / speed | rear axle, ratios | wheelbase | GVM (kg) technical capacity | GCM (kg) technical capacity | |
| 13.180 (4x2) | MWM 4.12 TCE I4 CR turbo intercooler 4748cc | 132kW @ 2,200 | 600abbr=on0abbr=on @ 1,550-2,000 | ZF Sachs 362 | Eaton FS 4205 A manual synchromesh 5-speed | Meritor RS 23-230 4.88:1 / 6.80:1 | 4800mm 5207mm | 13,200 | 23,000 | |
| 15.180 (4x2) | MWM 4.12 TCE I4 CR turbo intercooler 4748cc | 1320NaN0 @ 2,200 | 600Nm @ 1,550-2,000 | ZF Sachs 362 | Eaton FS 4205 A manual synchromesh 5-speed | Meritor RS 23-230 4.88:1 / 6.80:1 | 4800mm 5207mm | 15,400 | 23,000 | |
| 17.250 (4x2) | Cummins ISBe I6 CR turbo intercooler 5880cc | 1840NaN0 @ 2,500 | 950Nm @ 1,200-1,700 | ZF Sachs 395 | Eaton FS 6306 B manual synchromesh 6-speed | Meritor RS 24-240 4.10:1 / 5.59:1 | 4800mm 5207mm | 17,100 | 27,000 | |
| 24.250 (6x2) | Cummins ISBe I6 CR turbo intercooler 5880cc | 1840NaN0 @ 2,500 | 950Nm @ 1,200-1,700 | ZF Sachs 395 | Eaton FS 6306 B manual synchromesh 6-speed | Meritor RS 24-240 4.10:1 / 5.59:1 | 6024mm 6431mm | 24,100 | 27,000 | |
| 26.260 (6x4) | MWM 6.12 TCAE 7.2L | 1940NaN0 @ 2,300 | 900Nm @ 1,300-1,900 | ZF Sachs ?? | Eaton RT 7608 LL manual synchromesh 10-speed | 26,200 | 35,000 | |||
| 31.320 (6x4) | Cummins ISCe I6 CR turbo intercooler 8.3L | 2350NaN0 @ 2,300 | 1288Nm at 1,100-1,600 | ZF Sachs ? | ZF 16S ?? manual synchromesh 16-speed | ?? | 63,000 | |||
| 31.370 (6x4) | VW NGD 370 9354cc | 2700NaN0 @ 2,000 | 1800Nm at 1,100-1,500 | ZF Sachs 430 | ZF 16S 1685 TD manual synchromesh 16-speed | 30,000 | 57,000 | |||
| Tractor units | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| model | engine make / configuration / engine displacement | max. motive power @ rpm | max. torque @ rpm | clutch make, dia (mm) | transmission make / type / speed | rear axle, ratios | wheelbase | GVM (kg) technical capacity | GCM (kg) technical capacity | |
| 19.320 (4x2) Titan | Cummins ISCe I6 CR turbo intercooler 8270cc | 235kW @ 2,000 | 1288abbr=on0abbr=on @ 1,300-1,600 | ZF Sachs 430 | ZF 16S 221 OD manual synchromesh 16-speed | Meritor RS 23-165 3.73:1 | 3560mm | 17,100 | 35,000 | |
| 19.370 (4x2) | VW NGD 370 9354cc | 2700NaN0 @ 2,000 | 1800Nm @ 1,100-1,500 | ZF Sachs 430 | ZF 16S 1685 TD manual synchromesh 16-speed | 16,800 | 48,000 | |||
| 25.370 (6x2) | VW NGD 370 9354cc | 2700NaN0 @ 2,000 | 1800Nm @ 1,100-1,500 | ZF Sachs 430 | ZF 16S 1685 TD manual synchromesh 16-speed | 24,100 | 57,000 | |||
| 31.370 (6x4) | VW NGD 370 9354cc | 2700NaN0 @ 2,000 | 1800Nm @ 1,100-1,500 | ZF Sachs 430 | ZF 16S 1685 TD manual synchromesh 16-speed | 30,000 | 57,000 | |||