PoloDriver

The latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that the Volkswagen Polo was the ninth most popular car in the UK during January 2020. A total of 2,336 Polos found new homes in the first month of the year, which also means the long-standing model is also ninth in the year-to-date top ten chart.

The Ford Fiesta was the clear leader with 6,087 registrations, ahead of its larger relative, the Ford Focus, in second place with 5,287 units. The Nissan Qashqai rounded out the top three with 4,608 registrations. The Volkswagen Golf’s 4,027 units put it in fifth place. Soon to usher in a new generation, the Vauxhall Corsa took fourth place with 4,373 registrations.

As a whole, UK registrations fell 7.3 per cent in January to 149,279 units, but demand for battery electric cars enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 2,720 units. Plug-in and ‘self-charging’ hybrids also enjoyed a peak in demand. The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during January 2020 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 6,087 (6,087, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 5,287 (5,287, 2nd)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,608 (4,608, 3rd)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 4,373 (4,373, 4th)
5 Volkswagen Golf: 4,027 (4,027, 5th)
6 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,214 (3,214, 6th)
7 Kia Sportage: 2,457 (2,457, 7th)
8 BMW 3 Series: 2,242 (2,242, 8th)
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,336 (2,336, 9th)
10 Vauxhall Grandland X: 2,261 (2,261, 10th)

Across Europe, a total of 20,037 Polos were registered according to Jato Dynamics, making it the fifth most popular car across the continent. The Golf was topped the popularity stakes with 26,303 registrations. Volkswagen was the most popular brand across Europe with 133,558 registrations, and the Polo-based T-Cross SUV’s 12,880 units saw it declared top market share winner.

Polo Vivo is the South African chart-topper
Seemingly never putting a tyre wrong, the Polo Vivo once again topped the new car registrations charts in South Africa, with 2,811 new cars on driveways. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures show that the sixth-generation Polo was in second place once more with 1,761 units sold, with 7,959 exported from Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory. The Polo-based T-Cross registered 764 units, and 503 fifth-generation Polo Sedans were registered.

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Volkswagen Polo was both the ninth most popular car in the UK during December 2019, and also for the year.

The latest SMMT tallies reveal that 2,715 Polos found new homes during December 2019, while for the year as a whole, a total of 37,453 units of Volkswagen’s small hatchback were registered. The Golf was the most popular car during December 2019, its 4,585 units pushing the 4,168 of the Ford Fiesta into second place.

The small Ford ruled the roost overall, though, with 77,833 registered during the 12 months of 2019, compared with 58,994 of the second-placed Golf. Which for a car which is replaced imminently, is impressive. Volkswagen registered 200,771 cars in 2018, leading to an 8.69 per cent market share.

It was bad news elsewhere, though. Overall UK new car sales were down 2.4 per cent in 2019, the third consecutive year of decline. The lowest total for six years, 2,311,140 new cars were registered last year, although December’s totals were up 3.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2018.

Other headlines include the rise of battery electric cars – up 144 per cent – while hybrids still dominated the alternative fuel market and were up 17.1 per cent. However, CO2 emissions increased for the third consecutive year, no doubt buoyed by the 2.2 per cent rise in demand for petrol models, and the 21.8 per cent slump in diesel registrations. The top ten most popular new cars in the UK during December 2019 and the overall year (registration figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Volkswagen Golf: 4,585 (58,994, 2nd)

2 Ford Fiesta: 4,168 (77,833, 1st)
3 Mini: 3,985 (41,188, 8th)
4 Ford Kuga: 3,610 (41,671, 7th)
5 BMW 3 Series: 3,527
6 Ford Focus: 3,261 (56,619, 3rd)
7 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,050 (53,724, 5th)
8 Other: 2,824
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,715 (37,453, 9th)
10 Vauxhall Grandland X: 2,566

(The 2019 top ten most popular cars absent from December 2019’s registration figures were the fourth-placed Vauxhall Corsa, the sixth-placed Nissan Qashqai and the tenth-placed Kia Sportage, with 54,239, 52,532 and 34,502 units recorded respectively.)

The Polo has also been named as the ninth most popular searched for car on the Auto Trader website, based on advertisement views. The Polo was searched for 463,548 times according to the Auto Trader UK’s Most Popular Cars 2019 report, which combined a survey of 2,000 UK drivers with search data from advertisement views on the website and companion app to reveal the most popular makes, models and features on the new car market. The Volkswagen Golf topped the list, with a total of 1,307,303 advertisement views, the second consecutive year the VW family hatch has done so.

Record year for Volkswagen South Africa
Once more the Polo Vivo was December 2019’s top-performing model in South Africa, where it topped the passenger car sales charts with 1,779 units. The newest NAAMSA (National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa) figures state that the sixth-generation Polo repeated its second place position from November with 1,410 units sold.

The often-forgotten Polo Sedan (still based on the older fifth-generation model) shifted 532 examples, while 685 T-Cross models found new homes. Volkswagen South Africa celebrated a record 2019 overall, its 161,954 production total a new single-year record for the Uitenhage factory.

The highest volume the plant has achieved since it started manufacturing Volkswagens in 1951, 131,365 Polos left the line, along with 30,589 Polo Vivos for the local market. The Polo Vivo was the best-selling passenger car in the country, too, with 29,619 cars finding new owners. It topped the A0 small car segment with a market share of 24.5 per cent, while the Volkswagen brand as a whole was the country’s leading manufacturer with a 23.4 per cent market share.

The Volkswagen Polo made a welcome return to the UK’s most popular car chart in October. According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Polo ranked ninth in the UK’s top ten registrations rundown.

A total of 2,191 Polos found new homes, just below the 2,547 Tiguans in eighth place. In ninth place overall, 32,257 Polos have been registered in 2019 to date. October’s ranking marks the first time the Polo has returned to the UK’s most popular cars rundown since July.

Even though the seventh-generation Golf is now officially a run-out model due to the unveiling of the new eighth-generation car, the older variants popularity shows no sign of waning. With 3,976 units registered, the Golf makes number three in October’s most popular cars chart, with the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Fiesta above it, in second and first places respectively.

Elsewhere, UK registrations fell 6.7 per cent in October compared to the same month in 2018, but alternatively-fuelled vehicles reached a record 9.9 per cent market share with 14,231 counted. The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during October 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 5,138 (69,702, 1st)
2 Nissan Qashqai: 4,084 (46,569, 6th)

3 Volkswagen Golf: 3,976 (50,468, 3rd)

4 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,630 (46,923, 5th)
5 Ford Focus: 3,585 (49,517, 2nd)
6 Ford Kuga: 3,041 (33,848, 8th)
7 Kia Sportage: 2,588 (30,815, 10th)
8 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,547

9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,191 (32,257, 9th)
10 Range Rover Evoque: 2,134


(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from October 2019’s registration figures were the fourth-placed Vauxhall Corsa and the seventh-placed Mini, with 49,341 and 34,387 units recorded respectively.)

Polo family reigns in South Africa
The Polo Vivo continued its best-selling run in South Africa, topping the passenger car sales charts with 2,937 cars found new owners. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures state that the sixth-generation Polo was in second place again with 2,098 units sold.

The Polo-based T-Cross registered a tally of 1,132 cars, while 522 of the often-forgotten Polo Sedan rolled out of showrooms. It’s not just new car buyers the Polo is popular with, either. On the South African used car market, the fifth-generation Polo was the most sought-after model according to Auto Trader, with the Polo Vivo two places down the rankings.

Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory produced a total of 16,453 vehicles in October, marking a new monthly record for the plant. A total of 140,782 vehicles have been manufactured at the factory during the year-to-date: 92,029 were for export and 60,107 were for the local market.

The Polo Vivo Dune, a striking off-road-inspired concept of the all-conquering Polo Vivo has been unveiled at the 2019 Festival of Motoring and is one of five Volkswagens that will star at the five-day event held at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit near Johannesburg in South Africa. Other new Volkswagens on show at Kyalami include the new T-Cross SUV and the all-electric record-breaking ID R racer.

The Polo Vivo Dune concept was handbuilt by Volkswagen South Africa’s product engineering team under the leadership of Dr Joost Kessels, and is said to be inspired by ‘South Africa’s diverse landscapes’. The harsh, mountainous Great Karoo regions and the Kalahari Desert defined the Vivo Dune’s exterior colour – which is similar to the latest Polo’s Energetic Orange shade – and trim.

‘Off-road’ style
As its name suggests, the Vivo Dune is in the same ‘off-road’ style as the Beetle Dune, which first appeared in 2016 as a production car – a high-riding New Beetle Dune concept appeared as far back as 2000 (see below). Faux-SUV-style Polos such as the Cross Polo, which was also known as the Polo Dune in the UK, are closest to the Vivo Dune concept, though. The Dune concept looks to be based on the Polo Vivo Maxx, which is the rough and tumble star of the current Vivo range.

Outside, the Vivo Dune looks all ready to tackle the sand hills and South African National Parks. Special paint gives it an eye-catching look, while a roof carrier with integrated LED light bar, a snorkel on the nearside A-post, a front underbody cover, a pair of side ‘step’ bars and off-road tyres really push the off-road aesthetic.

Tailgate-mounted spare wheel
There are also LED headlights, ‘Dune’ decals and grille badge and perhaps most surprisingly, a tailgate carrier-mounted spare wheel at the rear, like a proper mud-plugger. A shark-fin antenna, tailgate spoiler, a chrome exhaust tailpipe and mud flaps also mark the Vivo Dune out as something a little more rugged than a regular Polo Dune.

Inside, body-coloured dash trim inserts, special trim panels and accent stitching carry the theme through from the exterior, while sports pedals, ‘Sun City Orange’ part leather seats embroidered with the ‘Dune’ logo lift the standard Polo Vivo cabin. There is also ‘off-road navigation’ (!), a two-way radio, and a multifunction steering wheel.

But, there are also some quite unique features. A mesh bulkhead has been installed behind the front seats (we can’t see if there are any rear seats), and houses a storage box with gas stove and fire extinguisher, a water dispenser, a collapsible table and chairs, and a 40-litre stainless steel fridge. The Polo Vivo Dune essentially has all the features of a Volkswagen California but with nowhere to sleep!

Not-for-sale concept
Volkswagen South Africa states that the Polo Vivo Dune concept car is just that and will not go on sale. It will be displayed at the Volkswagen AutoPavillion museum in Uithenhage, home to the factory where Polo Dunes and some right-hand drive sixth-generation Polos are built. However, the company also states that ‘certain elements’ of the car are being investigated for production in the near future. We hope so: it would look right at home cruising the plains and riding the dunes!

For more details on the 2019 Festival of Motoring, click here. For more information on the Polo Vivo range, visit the Volkswagen South Africa website.

THE HIGH-RIDERS: ALMOST TWO DECADES OF VOLKSWAGEN DUNE MODELS
The Polo Vivo Dune concept is just the latest in a list of off-road-style Dune-badged VW models. The first, the Beetle Dune concept of 2000 was said to have been inspired by the Baja bugs of the 1970s. Powered by a 150bhp, 2.3-litre, five-cylinder V5 engine, it featured all-wheel drive for proper go-anywhere ability, as well as a lift-out roof panel, chrome underbody guards, raised suspension and huge chromed rims and tyres.

The Beetle Dune production car debuted in 2016 and followed another similarly-named concept from 2014. Based on the second-generation, water-cooled Beetle, it featured plastic cladding, alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and, in the UK at least, a choice of 1.2-litre TSI and 2.0 TDI engines. Both ‘coupe’ and convertible models were available.

2004 Volkswagen Polo Dune

2006 Volkswagen Cross Polo

2014 Volkswagen Polo Vivo Maxx

The 2004 Polo Fun was a similarly-inspired production car. Based on the Polo Trek concept of 2003, the Dune featured external plastic cladding, a 20mm raised ride height, roof rails, special interior trim, 17-inch BBS ‘Radial’ wheels and tyres, and unique Limette, Magma Orange and Raven Blue Metallic colours. Sold as the Polo Dune in the UK and powered by 64bhp 1.2 and 74bhp 1.4-litre petrol engines as well as a 1.4-litre 74bhp TDI unit, the car was known as the Polo Soho in Spain. A revised version in 2006 saw the Fun name dropped, and the Cross Polo badge adopted instead.

The Cross Polo name continued with the launch of the fifth-generation Polo in 2010, which took the same style route as its predecessors. Undoubtedly a fashionable addition to the fifth-generation Polo range and sold in China, India and South Africa, it became the Polo Vivo Maxx in February 2018, following the original 2014 Polo Dune-based Vivo Maxx. The Cross Polo was dropped for the latest sixth-generation Polo introduced in 2017.

Following its debut at the Vivonation music festival in March, the Polo Vivo Sound Edition special has been officially announced for sale by Volkswagen South Africa.

Available to order in September for R220,000, the most obvious addition for the Polo Vivo Sound Edition is the six-speaker R340G radio system with subwoofer and Volkswagen App-Connect functionality. Only available in Limestone Grey, Pure White and Reef Blue paint finishes, the Vivo Sound Edition also gets anthracite-coloured 16-inch Rivazza alloy wheels. Energetic Orange mirror caps and special ‘equaliser’ (how 1980s!) graphics on the doors and tailgate also mark out the Vivo Sound Edition as something special.

An optional R2,500 ‘Black’ interior styling package can also be chosen to make the Vivo Sound Edition stand out even more, consisting of anthracite headlining, sun visors and trim, privacy glass for the rear windows as well as a leather steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake grip.

‘Premium sound system’
Aimed at younger drivers, the latest version of South Africa’s most popular passenger car joins a model range that has sold 17,672 units up until the end of July 2019. ‘We are confident that the addition of a special premium sound system in the Polo Vivo will appeal to young customers that are passionate about quality sound when they are listening to music,’ said Martina Biene, Head of Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen Brand.

Based on the 1.4-litre Polo Vivo Comfortline, the Sound Edition gets that Vivo’s 84bhp, 1,398cc engine with 97lb ft (132Nm) of torque and a five-speed manual gearbox. A three-year/120,000km warranty and a six-year anti-corrosion guarantee are standard, with Volkswagen Maintenance and Volkswagen Service Plans available at additional cost. Service intervals for the Polo Vivo Sound Edition are every 15,000km.

The Polo Vivo has been the most popular car in South Africa for most of the last nine years and replaced the Citi Golf in 2010 as Volkswagen South Africa’s entry-level model. A budget hatchback which traditionally sits under the most recently-introduced version of the Polo, the second-generation Vivo was introduced in February 2018, based on the fifth-generation Polo. For more information on the Polo Vivo range, visit the Volkswagen South Africa website.