Volkswagen Group Africa has handed its top-selling Polo Vivo range a timely update including revisions to the car’s specification. Here’s what’s new and what the new range costs.
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The spiritual successor to the Citi Golf, the 2010 decision by VWSA to develop a repackaged fourth-generation Polo to occupy the entry-level space created below a more sophisticated incoming Polo hatch quickly proved inspired. Including a follow-up exercise conducted on the fifth-generation car, Volkswagen Group Africa has, to date, sold more than 425 000 units of its home-grown Polo Vivo. Significantly, while sharing its Kariega assembly line with the modern Polo hatch, up to 75% of the Vivo’s components are locally sourced.
With competition within this segment having evolved and ahead of an expanded mandate to include establishing sales volume in neighbouring African markets, the modern Vivo range has been handed a timely update.
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The updated five-model line-up is now offered in base (Vivo), Life and Style specifications, replacing Trendline, Comfortline and Highline in the outgoing portfolio. An updated GT model remains the flagship derivative.
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The hatch gains Volkswagen’s newest (2D) corporate logo and stacked tailgate badging to match the rest of the family, together with revised bumper treatments, front and rear, a new grille design with chrome detailing that mimics the LED light strip found on the modern Polo and (from the Life model up) redesigned headlamp units with daytime running lights. New alloy wheel designs are offered in 15-inch on Life models and 16-inch on Style, with the GT’s 17-inch “Mirabeau” items finishing in Anthracite.
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The flagship model is further distinguished via a black roof and matching mirrors, a colour-coded roof spoiler, a bespoke exhaust tailpipe and updated signage that does away with the decals found on the side sills of the outgoing car and adds new GT badging in the same font as the brand’s famous GTI lettering.
Highlights of the updated Polo Vivo’s interior include a neatly integrated 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with (cord-activated) smartphone mirroring, upgraded cloth seat materials and the standard fitment of a multi-function steering wheel throughout the range; an item bound in leather in the Style and GT models.
ESC stability control and tyre pressure monitoring are now standard throughout the range. Notably Style and GT models are now fitted with a driver and front passenger side airbags added to the front items installed throughout. Hill Start Assist is standard on all cars with a manual transmission.
A rear-view camera linked to rear park sensors remains an option; priced at R6 400 on the outgoing range.
Carried over from the outgoing range, the Polo Vivo hatch is offered with a choice of a naturally aspirated 1.4-litre engine in two states of tune – offering 55 kW in the base model and 63 kW in Life specification – or a 77 kW 1.6-litre engine mated with either a six-speed manual (Style) or six-speed automatic transmission (Life). The GT retains its 81 kW/200 N.m turbocharged 1.0 TSI engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Volkswagen claims an average of 4.8 L/100 km for this drivetrain configuration.
Significantly, VW Group Africa has kept the pricing of the Polo Vivo range broadly unchanged through this range update. This, unfortunately, means a 4-year/60 000 km service plan remains an (R13 086) option.
Volkswagen Polo Vivo Pricing
- Polo Vivo 1.4 55 kW manual – R266 600
- Polo Vivo 1.4 63 kW Life manual – R288 500
- Polo Vivo 1.6 77 kW Life Tiptronic – R320 200
- Polo Vivo 1.6 77 kW Style manual – R318 000
- Polo Vivo 1.0 TSI 81 kW GT manual – R356 000
Pricing includes a 3-year/120 000 km warranty.
