Months after initially announcing its intention to go into the heavy passenger bus market, Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) is to immediately start marketing and selling its first bus, the "Volksbus".

VWSA has said that the initial range will comprise 9.17 and 18 ton GVM buses with a passenger capacity between 16 and 65 depending on configuration.

The chassis will be imported directly from VW Commercial Vehicles' Resende Plant in Brazil, and the body and fitments done by reputed South African suppliers.

The 9-ton chassis is powered by a 4,3 litre four cylinder engine producing 107kW at 2,600rpm and 500Nm at 1,600rpm.

This engine is matched to a 5-speed ZF gearbox and makes it ideally suited an urban commuter or small tour bus.

It has a seating capacity of 16 to 35 people depending on individual customer application. Its specification is in line with the new taxi recapitalisation requirements.

Next up is the 17 ton chassis powered by a 6.5 litre 6-cylinder engine with 151kW of power at 2,600rpm and 657Nm of torque at 1,700rpm.

This engine is matched to a six-speed Eaton Fuller gearbox and is ideal for both urban and rural commuter needs.

It has a choice of two axle ratios and a grade ability of up to 35%, which makes it especially suitable for mountainous rural areas.

It has a maximum capacity of 65 seated passengers and meets most operators' requirements.

The largest chassis is powered by an 8.3 litre 6-cyliner Cummins engine that is driven by a six-speed Eaton Fuller gearbox or an optional ZF ecomat automatic transmission. It has an impressive 223kW of power at 2,200 and a mammoth 1192Nm of torque at 1,500 rpm.

It meets the requirements of short and long distance coach operators with a capacity of 36 passengers plus ablutions and a refrigerator.

All three models are equipped with all the suitable safety mechanisms applicable to vehicles of this nature like air brakes, brake drums at the front and rear, engine braking and a park brake.

The Volksbus 9,150 and 17,210 have fuel tank capacities of 150 and 275 litres respectively, while the bigger 18,310 allows the operator to fit in a tank specific to requirements in terms of size.

VWSA said it had chosen four body builders to allow for as many configurations and tastes as possible.

The 9-ton bus body is being manufactured and fitted by Busmark 2000, the 17-ton by Busaf while the 18-ton is built by Marco Polo and Busscar. A fifth supplier, Irizar, will soon start supplying the bodies as well.

Due to their commercial application, VWSA has selected technicians from each of its 15 Commercial Vehicles dealers and sent them for intensive training in Brazil in order to enhance their ability to meet customer requirements.

These technicians will be on hand to provide both stationery and mobile assistance to operators whenever the need arises.

The service crews will make use of mobile servicing vehicles that enable them to carry out a full service at the premises of the operators at flexible hours in order to reduce or eliminate downtime. The same teams will attend to any breakdowns should this unlikely scenario arise.

VW said that it had gone to great lengths to ensure the reliability of its buses in line with its global quality requirements, and they have already proven their robustness in such tough markets as Nigeria, Angola, Saudi Arabia and all of South America.

VW's Commercial Vehicle Dealer network has been extended to include neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and Kenya.

These importers will not only be able to sell and service the Volksbus range, but also the passenger car range whenever necessary.

The total annual sales volume for VW is aimed at 200 units, a 20% share of the market.

In Brazil, Volksbus has 24% of what can be termed as a very bullish bus market.

Making the announcement in Johannesburg, VWSA MD Andreas Tostmann said the introduction of the buses was in line with the manufacturer's broader strategy of providing transport solutions for the full spectrum of customer needs.