PoloDriver

The Volkswagen Polo has been a favoured choice among UK drivers for decades, but has slipped out of the most popular cars chart in recent times. However, figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the Polo was the second most popular car in April 2024, with 3,413 registered. The Ford Puma small SUV took the top spot, with 4,339 examples finding new homes. The Polo was some 403 registrations ahead of the third-placed Audi A3 with its total of 3,010.

Strong showing
The Polo was the most popular Volkswagen in the SMMT chart, but elsewhere in the top 10 list, other VW models gave a strong showing. The Golf was in fifth place (2,361 registrations), the T-Roc seventh (2,162 registrations), while the Tiguan rounded out the chart in tenth place (2,004 registrations). Overall, 134,274 new cars were registered in the UK during April 2024, a one per cent increase over the same month last year.

The UK’s top 10 most popular new cars during April 2024 and the year-to-date (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Puma: 4,339 (19,393, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Polo: 3,413
3 Audi A3: 3,010 (13,503, 4th)
4 Nissan Qashqai: 2,495 (17.050, 2nd)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 2,361 (12,651, 6th)
6 Kia Sportage: 2,192 (15,824, 3rd)
7 Volkswagen T-Roc: 2,162 (11,096, 9th)
8 MG HS: 2,073 (12,101, 8th)
9 Volvo XC40: 2,069
10 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,004

(The 2024 year-to-date top 10 most popular cars absent from April’s registration figures were the fifth-placed Nissan Juke, the seventh-placed BMW 1 Series, and the tenth-placed Mini with 13,070, 12,210, and 11,067 units recorded respectively.)

Eighth most popular UK used car
The SMMT has also named the Polo as one of the UK’s most popular used cars during Q1 2024. The Polo is the eighth most popular UK used car with 39,193 examples finding new owners during the first three months of 2024. Superminis were again the most popular vehicle type, with 640,711 changing hands – a 7.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2023. Overall, the UK used car market has grown 6.5 per cent to almost 2 million units in Q1 2024 – the fifth quarter of successive growth. This marks the best start to a year since 2019 as the second-hand market hits a five-year high. The top three used car colours were black, grey and blue.

It was a similar story in South Africa. The Citizen reports the sixth-generation (current) Polo was the country’s third most popular used car in April according to Auto Trader sales data. The Polo Vivo, based on the fifth-generation Polo sold globally from 2009-2017, takes fourth place.

In South Africa’s new car market, Business Tech states that, according to NAAMSA figures, the Polo Vivo was the third most popular model during April 2024, with 1,766 registrations. The sixth-generation Polo was in 11th place, with 822 units. Volkswagen Group South Africa was the third most popular brand, with 4,758 cars finding new homes, behind Suzuki (4,891) and Toyota (8,541). The Polo and Polo Vivo are manufactured at Volkswagen Group South Africa’s Kariega plant, situated around 465 miles east of Cape Town and 620 miles south of Johannesburg.

Most popular model in Brazil
Further afield, the Volkswagen Polo sits just behind the Fiat Strada pick-up in Brazil in terms of sales figures for the first half of May. The Polo trumps its Italian challenger overall in the year-to-date figures, though, with 44,392 examples going to new homes compared to the Fiat’s 43,636, making the Polo the most popular new car in the country by a whisker.

The letters ‘GT’ have been associated with the Volkswagen Polo since 1979, appearing on sports models such as the original Polo GT, the Polo GT G40 of the 1980s, the Polo GT hatchback and coupé of the 1990s, various GT models in the early 2000s, and the Polo BlueGT in the 2010s. In South Africa, they adorn the model which sits atop the Polo Vivo family, and for 2023, the Polo Vivo GT gets a tidy up.

Sports-orientated styling
The second generation of Volkswagen South Africa’s entry level model, the Polo Vivo, launched in 2018, bringing with it the 109bhp/81kW Polo Vivo GT. A not-quite-GTI model, focused on more sports-orientated styling than performance, the 2023 VW Polo Vivo GT shares its 1.0 TSI engine with the car launched five years ago, but the exterior and interior have been given a few tweaks.

Externally, the freshened up car features silver mirror caps – replacing the colour-coded items of before – more subtle front door and tailgate graphics, a silver ‘GT’ front grille badge and the new ‘flatter’ Volkswagen roundel, first introduced in 2019. The black rear hatch spoiler and 17-inch ‘Mirabeau’ alloy wheels are the same as the previous car, but a new Wild Cherry Red Metallic paint shade ensures the 2023 Polo Vivo GT stands out.

Inside, silver inserts adorn the top areas of the dashboard, while the cloth seat insert stitching colour is now red rather than blue. The grey gear lever and handbrake cover stitching now match the silver exterior accents. ‘GT’-embroided floor mats complete the interior makeover. Other standard equipment of the flagship Polo Vivo model includes anthracite interior headlining, cruise control, ‘Lights and Vision’ package, as well as 15mm lowered suspension.

The Recommended Retail Price (VAT and emissions tax included) for the 2023 Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT is R332,800. A three-year/120,000km warranty and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty is standard, with a Volkswagen EasyDrive Maintenance Plan and EasyDrive Service Plan available as options. Service intervals are 15,000 km.

Most popular car in South Africa
Since the introduction of the second generation Polo Vivo, itself based on the fifth-generation Polo built from 2009-2017, almost 120,000 units have rolled off the Kariega production lines. The Polo Vivo GT first appeared in 2011 based on the first-generation Polo Vivo, which was originally a facelifted fourth-generation Polo, built from 2005-2009. First introduced in 2010, and very often South Africa’s most popular car, the Polo Vivo nameplate has since cumulatively recorded 313,620 registrations.

The 100,000th sixth-generation Polo for the South African market rolled off Volkswagen South Africa’s Kariega production line on 1 March, during the night shift. The plant has been building the current ‘AW’ model since January 2018, with production of the latest refreshed version beginning in August 2021.

Overall, of the 100,000-vehicle total, 80,644 cars were pre-facelift models, the remaining 19,356 being refreshed versions. Figures released by Volkswagen South Africa from the most recent milestone report that the most popular colour for the local market Polo is Pure White with 36,965 cars made in that shade. Second is Reflex Silver (17,607 units made), followed by Limestone Grey Metallic (10,350 units built).

The latest milestone is one of several Volkswagen South Africa has celebrated in the past few months. In May 2022, the one millionth Polo was made for export (see figures below), and the 500,000th global market ‘AW’ current generation Polo was built two months later. Destined for Germany, the 100,000th global market refreshed ‘AW’ Polo – a Pure White GTI – rolled out of Kariega in August 2022. The two-millionth unit of the Polo and Polo Vivo – a South African entry level model based on the global market fifth-generation Polo originally manufactured from 2009-2017 – was completed on 6 December 2022. The 100,000th second generation Polo Vivo was produced in January 2022.

In addition to local market Polos and Polo Vivos, Volkswagen South Africa builds the Polo for all right-hand drive markets, as well as selected left-hand drive territories. The Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) factory is also the sole manufacturing plant for the current ‘AW’ Polo GTI. The plant first started building Polos in 1996, with the first exports leaving the factory in 2002 for Japan. Polos are currently exported to over 38 countries. In May Volkswagen South Africa employed 3,619 people, including 2,233 production employees, with the capacity to build 680 vehicles per day.

‘Though the majority of our Polos are built for export markets, we are incredibly proud of how popular this vehicle is among South African customers,’ said Ulrich Schwabe, production director, Volkswagen South Africa (pictured above with sales and marketing director Thomas Milz). ‘This includes our employees, who build these high quality cars with pride, and whose dedication and love for our vehicles has made this milestone possible.’

Volkswagen South Africa has reason to celebrate. The Polo Vivo, Polo and Polo-based T-Cross small SUV have been named the most popular Volkswagens in South Africa during 2022. The small VW trio accounted for 74 per cent of all Volkswagen South Africa registrations last year.

The fifth-generation Polo-based Polo Vivo led Volkswagen South Africa’s small car charge, with 20,866 examples registered. The sixth-generation Polo was runner-up with 15,697 units finding new owners. The T-Cross SUV enjoyed 10,384 registrations. Overall, Volkswagen South Africa registered 58,447 passenger cars in 2022, giving the brand a market share of 16.4 per cent. An additional 5,154 commercial vehicle registrations were led by the Amarok, of which 1,896 units found new homes.

Other popular 2022 South African Volkswagens included the brand’s T-SUV range, which includes the Tiguan (2,613 units), T-Roc (2,407) and the recently launched Taigo (1,885 units). The Touareg also enjoyed an uplift in registrations by 9 per cent when compared to 2021, and despite stock and parts shortages, the Golf was also more popular – an increase to 639 units meant an increase in registrations by 109 per cent.

Polo Vivo GT upgrade
There’s little reason for Volkswagen South Africa not to continue its success in 2023. An upgrade to the range-topping Polo Vivo GT is set to arrive, along with a TSI version of the new Polo Sedan. There is also the impending introduction of the T-Cross Trendline, new Golf 8 R, Tiguan TDI, and a facelift for the Touareg.

Continuing the Polo’s South African popularity, Volkswagen South Africa exported 98,315 Polos from its Kariega manufacturing plant to 38 international countries last year, and overall, exported 8,942 more vehicles in 2022 when compared to 2021. The two-millionth unit of the Polo and Polo Vivo rolled off the factory lines on 6 December 2022, the milestone model being a left-hand drive Ascot Grey car destined for Germany.

Sole Polo GTI manufacturer
The Kariega factory builds the Polo for all right-hand-drive markets and supplements production for left-hand-drive territories. The plant is also the sole manufacturer worldwide of the Polo GTI, and builds the Polo Vivo for the local market.

Kariega also celebrated the manufacture of its 500,000th example of the current Polo in July 2022, the car – a white left-hand-drive Polo GTI destined for France – produced four-and-a-half years after the introduction of the sixth-generation model, and a few months after the arrival of the refreshed model at the start of 2022. Of the 500,000 ‘AW’ Polos made, 90,004 were built for the local market and 409,996 were exported, 77,397 units of those being the facelifted model.

Volkswagen South Africa also celebrated the one-millionth Polo built for export in May 2022, the landmark car heading to the UK. The Kariega plant has been building Polos since 1996, and the Polo Vivo since 2010. At the time the two-millionth vehicle was built, the plant had manufactured 1,626,816 Polos (1,065,718 for export and 561,098 for the local market), along with 373,184 Polo Vivos.

Viva la Vivo (as Coldplay very probably wouldn’t sing)! Volkswagen South Africa has a reason to celebrate, as the 100,000th example of the current Polo Vivo rolled off the production lines at its Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) factory. Based on the Series 5 Polo, the milestone car was a 108bhp Polo Vivo GT finished in Flash Red.

The 100,000th Polo Vivo arrives just four years after production of the second-generation model began in 2018. Over 354,000 examples have now been made at Kariega, the first-generation Polo Vivo made from 2017-2017, based on the fourth-generation Volkswagen Polo built from 2005-2009. A unique model only sold in South Africa, the Vivo replaced the Mk 1 Golf-based Citi Golf, introduced in 1984 as a cost-conscious and fun entry-level car.

Sales chart topper
It’s very safe to say that the Polo Vivo is popular: the best-selling car in South Africa since its introduction in 2010, over 350,289 Polo Vivos have been sold up until December 2021, Its most popular year was 2019, when Volkswagen South Africa sold 29,618 Polo Vivos in a single year. October 2018 was the car’s most popular month, when 3,009 examples were registered.

Alongside the Polo Vivo, the current sixth-generation Polo is produced at Kariega. The latest model not only joins the Polo Vivo in its production home – it often appears below the Vivo in the sales charts taking second place. Kariegan-built Polos are exported to all global right-hand-drive markets, and Volkswagen South Africa additionally supplements production for left-hand-drive markets.

‘A proud moment’
‘This milestone means a lot to our team, both in production and in the rest of the company,’ said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at Volkswagen South Africa. ‘Given the challenges of our industry and of the Covid-19 pandemic, this achievement is a proud moment that sets the tone for a successful year ahead. I am grateful to every Volkswagen South Africa employee for their dedication, and the part they played in making this milestone a reality.’

As well as a road car aimed at younger and more cost-conscious buyers, the Polo Vivo has also taken to race tracks as the star of the one-make Engen Volkswagen Cup racing series, and has pounded rally routes in S2000 guise, contesting the South African National Rally Championship. A phenomenally successful model for Volkswagen South Africa, the Polo Vivo’s appeal shows no signs of dimming yet. 

For 2022, Volkswagen Polo Vivo prices start at R232,500 for the 1.4-litre Trendline, rising through Comfortline and Highline trims to the range-topping 108bhp GT, which costs from R314,300.

POLO VIVO: A POTTED HISTORY

2010 Polo Vivo hatch and saloon launched in South Africa, replacing the Citi Golf.

2011 Polo Vivo S2000 rally car takes on 2011 South African National Rally Championship.

2011-2014 Polo Vivo circuit racing cars star in Engen Volkswagen Cup race series.

2011 103bhp Polo Vivo GT launched.

2011 More fuel efficient Polo Vivo Blueline introduced.

2012 Polo Vivo Zest added to the range.

2013 Polo Vivo Maxx launched with off-road styling and 103bhp 1.6-litre engine.

2014 Refreshed and updated Polo Vivo introduced.

2015 Special edition Polo Vivo Eclipse introduced.

2015 Style-conscious Polo Vivo Street hatchback launched.

2016 Polo Vivo Xpress light commercial launched.

2016 Polo Vivo GTS replaces Polo Vivo GT.

2016 Polo Vivo production boosted by additional Kenyan manufacture factory.

2016 Polo Vivo Storm introduced based on 1.4-litre 84bhp Polo Vivo Trendline.

2017 New Polo Citi Vivo revives Citi Golf colour schemes and spirit.

2018 Second-generation Polo Vivo launched based on Series 5 Volkswagen Polo.

2018 New Polo Vivo Maxx revealed.

2019 Polo Beats-like Polo Vivo Sound Edition introduced.

2019 Polo Vivo Dune concept unveiled at 2019 Festival of Motoring.

2020 Special edition Polo Vivo Mswenko goes on sale.

2021 Polo Vivo Black Style launched to offer a more distinctive appearance.