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Volkswagen Group South Africa took the vehicle registrations top spot for 2020 in the local market, with the Polo Vivo once again crowned the country’s most popular new car. A total of 19,750 units of Volkswagen South Africa’s entry-level model were registered in the pandemic-hit year, almost a third of the VW-brand’s 53,319 recorded registrations.

The sixth-generation Polo-based T-Cross SUV was South Africa’s most popular imported car, with 5,693 units registered. Now the country’s second most popular vehicle in the A0 SUV segment, the T-Cross has fast found favour, on sale in South Africa for less than two years.

A total of 63,482 vehicles were registered by Volkswagen Group South Africa in 2020 and the Volkswagen brand’s market share of 21.6 per cent is the highest in the company’s long history in South Africa. Audi also ended the year with an improved market share, up to 18.5 per cent, and even Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles enjoyed a record full-year 3.7 per cent piece of the light commercial pie. The Audi Q2 and Volkswagen Caddy were the respective star players.

‘A challenging year’
‘2020 was a challenging year not just for our brands but for the motoring industry as a whole and to come out of 2020 still holding onto our leadership of the passenger car market is an incredible feat,’ stated Mike Glendinning, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) sales and marketing director.

‘VWSA was severely affected by the pandemic which ground vehicle sales to a halt in April; our 2020 sales are down by 28.9 per cent year-on-year when compared to 2019,’ said Glendinning. ‘Despite the difficulties we faced, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand posted a record market share last year; the 21.6 per cent market share is 1.2 per cent higher than that of 2019 and is the highest market share in the history of the brand, as well as the highest market share of Volkswagen markets across the world,’ Glendinning added.

Production milestone
In November 2020, Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory celebrated the four millionth car to roll off its lines. Currently the home of the Polo for local and export markets, as well as the Polo Vivo, the plant built 75,521 Polos for export up until the celebratory milestone, as well as 12,804 units for local consumption. A total of 17,038 Polo Vivos were also produced for the local market, the only one in which it is sold.

It looks to be another busy year for Volkswagen South Africa, with the brand celebrating its 70th birthday in August 2021. The year will be kickstarted by the arrival of the eighth-generation Golf GTI, followed later by the new Golf R and refreshed Tiguan. New versions of the Caddy and T6.1 Kombi will also debut. In the wider group sphere, Audi’s new A3 will also appear, along with refreshed versions of the RS 4, RS 5, RS 6, RS 7, RS Q8, RS Q3, and R8.

Steffan Knapp has also replaced Martina Biene as the head of the Volkswagen Passenger Car Brand in South Africa, and joins from Volkswagen India where he successfully turned the brand around. The fifth-generation Polo and its Vento saloon sister were launched there in 2010.

Elsewhere in the world, the sixth-generation Polo was the eighth most popular car in the UK, with 26,965 units registered (with grey the most popular colour – what a very imaginative bunch the British car buying public is!). According to focus2move.com, up until December 2020, the Polo was also the third most popular car in Europe during the year, its 225,941-unit total down 27.5 per cent compared to 2019. Behind its second-placed Golf sibling (283,614 units) and the top-spot Renault Clio (314,357 units), over 14 million Polos have been produced since its introduction in 1975.

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As Volkswagen starts production of Model Year 2021 cars, a raft of changes have been introduced across the range, and the Polo benefits from small amendments to its specification and engine choices.

The largest external change to Volkswagen’s supermini is the the positioning of the ‘Polo’ model designation badge, which now appears spaced out under the ‘VW’ roundel on the tailgate of the car, as with the new Golf. The roundel itself has been revised, too, and now adopts the simplified VW logo which first first unveiled in autumn 2019.

‘Extra reassurance’
SEL trim now gains the choice of the three-cylinder, 1.0-litre TSI 93bhp petrol engine, while the Polo range now begins with SE trim. Across all Polo trim levels, Emergency Call Service has been added, which Volkswagen states ‘brings extra reassurance in the event of an incident’.

Further changes are set to be announced at a later date. The sound-optimised ‘Beats’ model is to be given a new exterior and interior treatment, which we suspect, is part of a wider-reaching round of revisions or mid-cycle refresh, given that the sixth-generation model has now been on sale for just over three years.

RDE2-compliant engines
Elsewhere, other Volkswagens receive new ‘VW’ and ‘R-Line’ logos, and all compatible models have been updated to include the latest ‘MIB3’ infotainment system, bringing the benefit of wireless Apple CarPlay – alongside streaming and internet – thanks to an integrated eSIM. Additionally, cleaner RDE2-compliant engines are being introduced on all models throughout the coming months.

The T-Cross, the Polo’s SUV brother – and Volkswagen’s smallest SUV – is also fitted with the new VW roundel, and MIB3, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity and a three-year subscription to We Connect Plus. The T-Cross range also gains fully RDE2-compliant engines, with the addition of a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre TSI 107bhp DSG unit. The existing 93, 112, and 147bhp options remain.

Sarah Cox, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen UK said: ‘Model Year updates usually bring a host of improvements, but the introduction of a new infotainment system, the stylish new badge for much of the range, and the latest RDE2-compliant engines rolling out across the rest of the year, on top of many other changes, combine to create a step above and beyond the regular update.’

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The Volkswagen Polo returned to the most popular cars in the UK chart in July, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). With 2,932 Polos registered, the small Volkswagen was in seventh place, marking the first time it had been in the rundown since February 2020. However, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Polo maintained its eighth position in the year-to-date top ten figures – 13,046 Polos have been registered since the start of 2020.

The Vauxhall Corsa topped the chart, with 5,455 registrations, no doubt a benefit of the all-new model now hitting the UK. The Ford Fiesta was in second place with 5,421 units, with another blue oval-badged model, the Focus, third, 4,981 cars finding homes. The Volkswagen Golf and Mercedes-Benz A-Class rounded out the top five cars, with 3,936 and 3,922 units respectively.

Pent-up demand
Unsurprisingly, UK registrations were down 41.9 per cent when compared to 2019 year-to-date figures. The SMMT reports that pent-up demand saw registrations rally in July with an 11.3 per cent increase to 174,887 vehicles. By the end of the year, though, it forecasts overall tallies to be down by 30 per cent, totalling £20bn in lost sales.* The UK’s top ten most popular new cars during July 2020 and the year-to-date (sales figure and position in brackets) were as follows:

1 Vauxhall Corsa: 5,455 (23,101, 3rd)
2 Ford Fiesta: 5,421 (23,126, 1st)
3 Ford Focus: 4,981 (23,126, 2nd)
4 Volkswagen Golf: 3,936 (21,825, 4th)

5 Mercedes-Benz A-Class: 3,922 (17,648, 6th)
6 Nissan Qashqai: 2,971 (17,777, 5th)

7 Volkswagen Polo: 2,932 (13,046, 8th)
8 Mini: 2,906 (15,146, 7th)
9 Volkswagen Tiguan: 2.880 (12,822, 9th)
10 Ford Kuga: 2,686

(The 2020 year-to-date top ten most popular car absent from July 2020’s UK registration figures was the tenth-placed Toyota Yaris with 12,646 units recorded.)

* Based on an expected shortfall of c708,000 units at an average cost from JATO of c£28,000 per vehicle.

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A new value-packed version of the Polo has been launched by Volkswagen UK. The Polo United kicks off a range of equipment-rich Volkswagens, and is joined by similarly named editions of the T-Cross and T-Roc SUVs. The trio of new VWs are all distinguished by special exterior and interior items, all of which equate to up to £1,760 of ‘added value’. Each gets bespoke styling, badging and extra kit.

The Polo United is based on the Polo Match and follows a German-market Polo United model which first appeared in January 2020. The Polo Match is already equipped with alloy wheels, App-Connect smartphone mirroring, and leather-trimmed, three-spoke multifunction steering wheels and gear knobs. The Polo United adds bespoke ‘United’ badging and door sill protectors, ‘Dublin’ alloy wheels, voice control and a Winter Pack, consisting of heated front seats and a low washer fluid warning light.

Bespoke interior
The Polo United also includes an 8.0-inch ‘Discover Navigation’ touchscreen infotainment system, a Light and Sight Pack (automatic dimming interior mirror, automatic headlights, manual coming / automatic leaving home lighting function and a rain sensor). Inside, all three models feature bespoke grey and blue seat fabric, brushed stainless steel pedals, decorative interior inserts, as well as front and rear carpet mats.

Two petrol engines are available for the Polo United. The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder 78bhp ‘Evo’ and 93bhp TSI engines are both coupled to five-speed manual gearboxes, with the higher-powered unit benefitting from the option of a seven-speed DSG. The Polo United starts from £17,350, ‘on-the-road’.

Sarah Cox, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen UK, said: ‘The Polo, T-Cross and T-Roc are three integral models in the Volkswagen UK family, and find tens of thousands of happy customers per year. Not only do the United models build upon the champion offering of those models, but they represent considerable value savings, with their affordable pricing and generous equipment boosts. The United editions are united in offering greater value, bigger equipment lists, and an even more enjoyable ownership experience.’

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RacingLine Performance has announced details of its new turbo inlet and high-flow filter specially developed for recent Volkswagen Group models fitted with a 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine. The performance components will fit both fifth-generation ‘6C’ Polos from 2014 as well as current, 2017 onwards ‘AW’ models fitted with VW’s three-cylinder, ‘EA211’ 1.0 TSI engine. The Polo-based T-Cross 1.0 TSI SUV will also benefit from the upgrade.

Turbo inlet kit
Compatible with both factory and aftermarket intake boxes, RacingLine’s turbo inlet elbow will complement the company’s upcoming cold air intake, too. Ready to support higher power outputs and even future turbo upgrades, the kit consists of a high-flow turbo silicone inlet hose and a ‘Turbo 90’ inlet. Increased airflow is said to be one benefit, resulting in faster turbo response and a ‘worthwhile’ jump in power.

Made from reinforced, high quality silicone to prevent deformation under boost pressure or heat, a formed lip on the joins of the inlet hose ensures smooth airflow transition. The inlet elbow is manufactured from ultra-thin wall 6061-T6 aluminium, and has a gloss black anodised finish with an enlarged and smoothed internal bore for optimised airflow. RacingLine quotes a combined fitting time for both pieces of just 15 minutes, and has published a handy fitting guide.

High-flow filter
RacingLine’s high-flow filter will fit the same versions of the Polo 1.0 TSI as the turbo inlet kit. The triple-layer filter is handmade in the UK from Trifoam to OEM standards of design, materials and quality for improved, higher air flow, as well as economy and power gains. Removing the restrictions imposed by the factory paper filter, RacingLine quotes increases in mid-range power, without damaging any remaining manufacturer’s warranty.

RACINGLINE HISTORY
Originally formed in 1997, RacingLine was originally named Volkswagen Motorsport UK, and was fully owned by the Volkswagen Group in Germany. Competing in the 1990s British Rally Championship, the company raced a 285bhp third-generation Golf ‘Kit Car’, and won the 1997 series. In 1999 the fourth-generation Golf ‘Kit Car’ brought a second place in the British Rally Championship, and in 2000, a TDI version was the first diesel rally car in the series.

In 2001, RacingLine focused its efforts on the new Super 1600 category, with the Volkswagen Motorsport-built Polo GTI S1600 fitted with a high-revving Lehmann engine. Rebranded as Volkswagen Racing, the team took second place in the rallying championship. In 2002, the Volkswagen Racing Cup Championship had its inaugural season and the inclusion of a Golf 1.9 TDI racer was unusual. So unusual in fact, the car’s first win at Thruxton entered the record books, claiming the world’s first ever victory in a sprint race format for a diesel car. A Caddy van racer replaced the Golf in 2004, and followed a Polo-based Caddy circuit machine, the first racing van which debuted in 2002. A fifth-generation Golf TDI racer was also the first of its kind, and the team switched to a GTI in 2005.

Fast forward to 2013, and the UK’s first Golf R was upgraded with every applicable RacingLine part to become a circuit safety car to support the British GT Championship, and in 2016 an Audi R8 24-hour race car joined the fleet. In a partnership to take on the World Time Attack world finals in Australia, another R8 followed, this time a twin-turbo V10 with over 1,200bhp! At the same time, RacingLine partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport, Audi Sport and SEAT Sport for race car sales of the TCR series, along with parts and engineering support.

Find out more about the 1.0 TSI turbo inlet kit and the high-flow filter at the RacingLine website.

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