Kariega - Volkswagen South Africa recently celebrated a milestone with the production of the 100 000th current-generation Polo Vivo, which was introduced back in 2018.
However, if we include the previous-gen Volkswagen Polo Vivo then the total production number for the nameplate stands at 350 289. This means it’s relatively close to outselling the much-loved Citi Golf that came before it, and which racked up around 377 000 unit sales in the 25 years that it existed.
What makes the Polo Vivo’s sales performance particularly impressive is that it has only been around for 12 years, and assuming it continues to sell in excess of 2000 units a month, it should comfortably surpass the Citi’s production numbers before the end of this year.
The Volkswagen Polo Vivo’s best sales year was in fact in 2019, when it found 29 618 homes, an average of 2468 units a month. Its top sales month however was October 2018 when a total of 3009 were sold.
“This (100 000) milestone means a lot to our team, both in Production and in the rest of the company,” said VWSA Production Director Ulrich Schwabe.
“Given the challenges of our industry and of the Covid-19 pandemic, this achievement is a proud moment that sets the tone for a successful year ahead. I am grateful to every VWSA employee for their dedication, and the part they played in making this milestone a reality.”
The Polo Vivo was first introduced in early 2010 as a replacement for the Citi Golf, but unlike the latter - which continued with the same body shell for 25 years - the Vivo has seen two generations (each one behind the latest Polo of the time).
The Citi Golf was first conceived in the early 1980s in anticipation of the second-generation Golf moving upmarket, and thereby vacating its traditional space in the entry-level market. Not keen to invest in the first-generation Polo, VWSA decided to repurpose the first-generation Golf. The initial prototype was called the Econo Golf, but during a presentation attended by VWSA execs and personnel from the RS-TM advertising agency, it was decided that the new entry-level creation was just too dull.
Thankfully, RS-TM later came up with the bright ‘red, yellow and blue’ theme that was eventually given the green light, and the rest - as they say - is history.