Volkswagen will use Chinese model as a rival to the Renault Master in Brazil

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (VWCO) announced on Thursday (3) its entry into the utility segment, a category in which the brand has never operated in its 45 years of operation in Brazil. The first model is a cargo van developed in partnership with China’s SAIC, with an investment of R$ 300 million in development.

The official presentation will be at Fenatran 2026, between November 9 and 13, in São Paulo, when sales also begin. Deliveries, according to president and CEO Roberto Cortes, are scheduled for 2027.

The vehicle competes below 3.5 tons of total gross weight, a range that positions it one step below the Delivery Express, the brand’s smallest truck. At a press conference, VWCO showed the prototype fully camouflaged and kept the name, specifications and configurations confidential.

The first examples will come imported from China; regional production is being structured, and engineering and quality tests are carried out in the vicinity of the Resende (RJ) plant, where the company’s global research and development center is located. After Brazil, the next market will be Argentina.

Chinese base and a cargo van to start

According to the specialized publication AutoData, the project derives from the Maxus Deliver 9, SAIC’s van sold in international markets with a 2.0 turbodiesel engine of 150 hp, manual transmission and versions of 3.5 and 4 tons of GVW — there are also electric variants. VWCO does not confirm which mechanical assembly will arrive in Brazil, but indicates that the debut will be diesel.

The choice for the cargo van was deliberate. According to Ricardo Alouche, VWCO’s vice president of sales and marketing, other possibilities already foreseen for the family — passenger versions, chassis-cab and different wheelbases — are for a second stage. The company says that the 150 dealerships in the network are already prepared to sell the model from the fair.

For Cortes, the alliance shortens deadlines: it is VWCO’s first partnership with an Asian automaker, although the Volkswagen Group has collaborated with SAIC for more than 40 years. The executive says he seeks “the best of both worlds”, combining the speed of Chinese development with the engineering and processes of the Brazilian manufacturer.

D26 Ultra engine arrives at extra-heavy vehicles

Fenatran’s offensive is not limited to light commercial vehicles. The new generation of the D26 Ultra engine debuts in the Meteor 28.500 6×2, 28.540 6×2 and 29.540 6×4, with up to 540 hp and 270.1 kgfm, and a promise of up to 5% reduction in fuel consumption.

The technology also reaches the Constellation, which now offers the 20,500 4×2 and 25,500 6×2 models for road use and the 33,500 and 33,540 6×4 for off-road operations — the latter aimed at agribusiness, with a GVW of 91 tons and a maximum traction capacity of 125 tons.

The trucks also arrive at the stores from the fair, alongside a package of connectivity, services and after-sales aimed at reducing fleet downtime.