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