Volkswagen South Africa produces 400,000th sixth-generation Polo
Volkswagen South Africa has celebrated a production milestone with the 400,000th sixth-generation Polo produced at its Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) factory. The landmark car built on 21 June appears to be a Flash Red Polo GTI – the sixth-generation Polo range has been built at Kariega since September 2017.
Of the 400,000 sixth-generation Polos built at Kariega over the past four years, 326,214 have been exported, the remaining 73,768 cars made for the local market. Polos built in Kariega are exported to all global right-hand-drive markets worldwide (including the UK), while the factory also supplements production for left-hand-drive markets.
‘Proud moment’
‘This is a proud moment for our team, who have proven their dedication to delivering for our customers abroad and in South Africa,’ said Ulrich Schwabe, production director at Volkswagen South Africa. ‘I would like to thank every employee, whether on the production line, in the office or working from home, for continuously striving for excellence. This milestone could not have happened without their contributions.’
So far this year, 61,635 sixth-generation Polos and 10,373 Polo Vivos (Volkswagen South Africa’s entry level model based on the fifth-generation Polo) have rolled off the Kariega lines. In 2017, Volkswagen South Africa celebrated the 1,250,000th Polo built at Kariega, which is situated 1,000km from Johannesburg.
Kariega is just one location where Polos are built. They also roll off Volkswagen production lines at Anchieta in Brazil, Pamplona in Spain – where production began in 1984 – and Pune in India.
