VW trucks are not well known in South Africa. The VW Constellation came in some years ago but it didn’t take off as was expected. However, for those interested in the global markets, Volkswagen Truck & Bus is a prominent player in the Brazilian market with its VW Delivery 11.180 proving a best seller.
During 2025, the VW Delivery 11.180 emerged as Volkswagen Truck & Bus’s best-selling truck worldwide, reinforcing its position as a market leader not only in Brazil but across export markets that include Africa and the Middle East.
For operators navigating rising input costs, mixed duty cycles and growing pressure on fleet uptime, the Delivery’s success offers a useful signal. Models that succeed strongly in emerging-market conditions often mirror the same operational realities faced by Southern African fleets – from last-mile distribution to municipal and rental applications.
Export strength underpins global leadership
While the Delivery 11.180 is a long-standing favourite among Brazilian carriers (it is manufactured in Brazil), its momentum now extends well beyond its home market. The model ranks among Volkswagen Truck & Bus’s most exported products, reaching close to 30 countries across Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
In Brazil alone, more than 6 500 units were licensed in 2025, reflecting year-on-year growth of around 10%. That demand translated into market dominance, with the Delivery 11.180 accounting for more than half of Brazil’s medium-duty truck sales during the year.
Rental fleets validate lifecycle economics
One of the VW Delivery’s largest buyers is VAMOS, Brazil’s leading heavy-duty vehicle rental specialist and largest dealer of pre-owned trucks. The company has added the 11.180 to diversify its fleet and broaden customer solutions – a move that echoes trends increasingly visible in Southern Africa’s growing rental and contract-hire sector.
Gustavo Couto, CEO of VAMOS says: “The Delivery 11.180 is a very well-received asset on the marketplace, which reinforces our confidence in both the vehicle’s operation and life cycle. In addition to contributing to the standardisation of the fleet through its consistent performance, the Delivery maintains a high level of demand and liquidity and supports our strategy of operational efficiency and intelligent asset management while focusing on availability, cost predictability and productivity for the customer.”
Medium-duty demand reshapes the market
Volkswagen Truck & Bus links the model’s performance to a broader shift in truck demand, marked by rising volumes in the medium- and heavy-duty segments. Within that trend, the Delivery 11.180 expanded its share of the Brazilian medium-duty market by 20% in 2025, lifting its segment penetration to more than 50% – an increase of nine percentage points.
According to Ricardo Alouche, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and After Sales at Volkswagen Truck & Bus, adaptability has been central to that growth adding that the model’s appeal reflects changing customer expectations: “Customers are demanding vehicles that are increasingly economical, versatile and prepared for intense routines. The Delivery 11.180 has gained strength and reaffirmed its strategic importance by combining durability, the latest technology and versatility for different urban and regional applications.”
Editor’s Comment: For Southern African fleets, the VW Delivery 11.180’s global success proves that trucks that dominate in cost-sensitive, high-utilisation markets tend to earn that position through lifecycle economics rather than specification alone or purchase price. As regional operators weigh purchase versus rental strategies and prioritise total cost of ownership alongside uptime, Volkswagen Truck & Bus’s best-selling model worldwide offers a useful benchmark for what medium-duty buyers are increasingly demanding from their fleets.
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