PoloDriver

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.

Norwegian Thomas Bryntesson claimed his first FIA European Rallycross Championship season victory on 18 August at the Euro RX of Germany, the fourth round of the 2019 series.

Bryntesson drove his Polo RX Supercar almost faultlessly at the Estering in Buxtehude, near Hamburg. The TBRX driver beat championship leader Robin Larsson of Sweden, with Rene Muennich of Germany third. A good launch and clear passage through turn one gave Bryntesson the edge, who started on the first row alongside Larsson’s Audi A1 RX. Up until Bryntesson’s win, Larsson had enjoyed an unblemished 2019 victory run.

Despite sodden, treacherous conditions and a puncture, Bryntesson delivered a masterclass in his Polo and added to his second place at the opening round, the Euro RX of Great Britain, and his third position at the Euro RX of Norway. Engine issues saw him finish seventh at the Euro RX of Sweden.

‘Super happy’
‘I am super happy for the team because we have been working really hard. It’s the first season in Euro RX Supercar, and it’s all new so to get a win here at such a famous track like Estering feels really good,’ 23-year-old Bryntesson said.

‘I got a really good start and traction out of the first corner which is really important at Estering. I just tried to spare the tyres because the track was drying up a little. I got a puncture just before the joker lap so I had to use the handbrake to get in to the joker but it worked out well and we got the win,’ he continued.

‘We lost a lot of points in Holjes at the Euro RX of Sweden with an engine failure but to score some good points here is important for the championship.’

Bryntesson’s win in Germany sees him second in the championship standings with 95 points, behind Larsson with 117. The Volkswagen Polo RX Supercars of Sondre Evjen and Peter Hedström – who finished fifth in Germany – are ninth and tenth with 46 and 37 points respectively.

[Images: FIAWorldRallycross.com]

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Volkswagen Polo continued its run as one of the most popular cars in the UK during July 2019. A total of 2,568 Polos found new homes last month, putting the small Volkswagen in ninth place in the top ten passenger cars chart. With a figure of 26,173, the Polo also held firm as the seventh most popular car in the 2019 year-to-date figures.

Electric car volumes triple
Higher up July’s chart, the Volkswagen Golf was in second place behind the ever-popular Ford Fiesta (4,288 vs 5,646 units respectively), while the Tiguan SUV nudged into the list, too, one place above the Polo, in eighth position. Overall, the market declined again by 4.1 per cent to 157,198 registrations, and was the lowest July market since 2012. But, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations almost tripled and took a record monthly market share. A new BEV forecast also suggests that in 2020, their full year share could double.

The Polo’s supermini sector dipped 12.1 per cent, bucking the trend of recent months, where it was the most popular. However, the Polo has also been announced as the UK’s fastest-selling used car by AA Cars, and is the car which spends the shortest amount of time being advertised before being sold.

As drivers seek to maximize the utility of their Polos, outfitting them with accessories like the Overland Roof rack emerges as a natural choice. Renowned for its durability and versatility, the Overland Roof rack is a sought-after addition for drivers looking to expand their cargo capacity without compromising on style or performance. As the automotive landscape evolves, accessories like the roof rack complement the enduring appeal of vehicles like the Polo, further solidifying their position as favorites among drivers seeking both robustness and flexibility.

The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during July 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 5,646 (48,943, 1st)
2 Volkswagen Golf: 4,288 (35,781, 3rd)
3 Nissan Qashqai: 4,047 (33,227, 4th)
4 Ford Focus: 3,863 (36,102, 2nd)
5 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,702 (31,606, 6th)
6 Vauxhall Corsa: 3,079 (33,061, 5th)
7 Ford Kuga: 2,921 (23,346, 8th)
8 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,624
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,568 (26,173, 7th)
10 Kia Sportage: 2,292 (21,194, 10th)

(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular car absent from July 2019’s registration figures was the ninth-placed Mini, with 23,001 units recorded.)

Polo Vivo still popular
Once again, the Polo Vivo was South Africa’s most popular passenger car in July 2019, with 2,621 examples registered according to the latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures. The sixth-generation Polo was runner-up again, too: its 2,076 units put it in second place.

Continuing its now long-standing trend, the Volkswagen Polo was one of the UK’s top ten most popular cars during June 2019. According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 4,592 Polos found new homes in June, putting it in eighth place, one place higher than in May. That takes the 2019 year-to-date tally up to 23,605, which holds the Polo in a steady seventh place. The Volkswagen Golf was the fourth most popular car in June, and sits third in the year-to-date figures.

Superminis the most popular
While UK new car registrations fell for the fourth consecutive month in June, with year-on-year demand slipping 4.9 per cent to 223,421 units, superminis like the Polo were the most popular car, and made up 31 per cent of all registrations in the first half of the year. The Ford Fiesta is still the most popular car in the UK with 43,297 units leaving forecourts so far in 2019, with 7,507 of those in June.

The UK’s top ten most popular cars during June 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 7,507 (43,297, 1st)

2 Vauxhall Corsa: 5,164 (29,982, 4th)

3 Mini: 5,535 (21,037, 8th)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 5,473 (31,493, 3rd)

5 Ford Focus: 5,450 (32,239, 2nd)

6 Nissan Qashqai: 5,333 (29,180, 5th)
7 Toyota Yaris: 4,954 (19,147, 10th)
8 Volkswagen Polo: 4,592 (23,605, 7th)
9 BMW 1 Series: 4,465
10 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,953 (27,904, 6th)

(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular car absent from June 2019’s registration figures was the ninth-placed Ford Kuga, with 20,425 units recorded.)

Polo Vivo still a success
The Polo Vivo continues its amazing success story in South Africa, and was the country’s most popular passenger car in June 2019. The latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures show that 2,571 Polo Vivos found new owners last month, while the the sixth-generation Polo once again propped up the Vivo with 1,887 units in second place.

The Volkswagen Polo held firm as one of the UK’s top ten most popular cars during May 2019. A total of 2,902 Polos found new homes putting it in ninth place for May, and with an overall tally of 19,013, seventh place for the year-to-date. The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recorded a third place for the Golf with 4,655 units, while the Tiguan SUV had a tally of 2,785 registrations, placing it in tenth spot. The same two popular Volkswagens were also mainstays of April’s SMMT figures.

Superminis and small family cars most popular
The Ford Fiesta once again topped both charts, with 6,710 and 35,790 units in the May 2019 and year-to-date rundowns respectively. The Ford Focus was second in both lists with totals of 5,556 and 26,789. The Golf was also third in the year-to-date figures, recording 26,020 units.

As with April, overall, UK registrations declined again in May. A fall of 4.6 per cent gave a total of 183,724 units, and while superminis and small family car demand also slumped, these types still account for a majority 56.3 per cent of the market. Alternatively-fuelled vehicle numbers grew again, up 11.7 per cent, and battery electric cars saw demand surge by 81.1 per cent, but these still only account for 0.6 per cent of the overall new car market in the UK. Petrol-powered cars enjoyed a modest one per cent rise.

The UK’s top ten most popular cars during May 2019 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Ford Fiesta: 6,710 (35,790, 1st)
2 Ford Focus: 5,556 (26,789, 2nd)
3 Volkswagen Golf: 4,655 (26,020, 3rd)
4 Vauxhall Corsa: 3,993 (24,368, 4th)
5 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,735 (23,951, 5th)
6 Nissan Qashqai: 3,636 (23,847, 6th)
7 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: 3,387
8 Nissan Juke: 2,978
9 Volkswagen Polo: 2,902 (19,013 7th)
10 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2,785

(The 2019 year-to-date top ten most popular cars absent from May 2019’s registration figures were the eighth-placed Ford Kuga, the ninth-placed Kia Sportage and the tenth-placed Mini with 16,724, 15,893 and 15,502 units recorded respectively.)

Polo Vivo rides a sales wave in South Africa
In what is now a very familiar story, the Polo Vivo surfed the dizzy heights of the sales wave in South Africa during May 2019. Topping the South African new passenger car registrations chart, the latest National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) figures point to 2,478 Polo Vivos finding new homes last month. The sixth-generation Polo once again provided a support act in second place with a total of 1,390 units.