Volkswagen Unveils New Polo Vivo in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 15 March, 2010 -- For the last 25 years the entry ticket to the Volkswagen brand was the much loved Citi Golf which retired in January 2010.

The Polo Vivo is the Volkswagen brand’s new entry-level car in the A0 segment and is more closely aligned to the international Volkswagen brand vision of being the “most innovative volume brand in the world”.

Polo Vivo is a unique Volkswagen offering that has been created with the aim of providing “affordable and accessible mobility” to the South African market.

Polo Vivo is German-engineered to exacting international quality standards, but it has a South African heart and a bright, bold and optimistic brand character.

The Polo Vivo is built at our Uitenhage Plant with 70% of parts provided by local suppliers. The localisation of parts for the both the Polo Vivo and the New Polo has resulted in the creation of hundreds of jobs and the establishment of a vast Supplier Park in Uitenhage.

The 70% localisation of parts will make the Polo Vivo more affordable to own and maintain – positively impacting on the retail pricing of the car, and the competitive pricing and availability of parts.

The cornerstones of the Polo Vivo brand are: affordability, quality, safety, space and comfort. The Polo Vivo represents outstanding value for money with no compromise on the product intrinsics that the market has come to expect from the Volkswagen brand.

The Polo Vivo is a car born out of South African ingenuity and represents the can-do spirit of the South African nation. It is a car for our time that celebrates opportunity and possibility.

The Polo Vivo will be available in two body versions, hatchback (2-door and 4-door) and sedan.

WHAT'S IN THE NAME?

The name Polo Vivo is an extension of the Polo brand as it was the case with the Polo Classic and Polo Playa models which were introduced in the early 90’s. The established brand equity of the Polo brand in South Africa encouraged Volkswagen to use the name in the new car.

The name ‘Vivo’ has strong South African resonance and is easy to remember and pronounce.

Vivo is about life and vitality. Vivo is new and unexpected. Vivo is a positive and vibrant attitude towards life. Vivo is about optimism, living life to the full. Vivo is about having a can-do attitude and a pioneering spirit.

Above all, Vivo embodies the winning spirit of South Africa.

KEY ATTRIBUTES

Cost of ownership: 70% localisation of parts in the manufacturing process has resulted in an attractive retail price and a low cost of ownership promise (competitive parts pricing and excellent parts availability).

Quality: German-engineered with integrity and built to international quality standards, the Polo Vivo represents outstanding build quality in an entry level car.

Safety: Featuring driver and passenger airbags, ABS standard from the 1.4 Trendline and outstanding safety credentials, the Polo Vivo offers uncompromising safety.

Space and comfort: The Polo Vivo offers benchmark spaciousness in its segment. Its refined, high quality materials, premium fabrics and soft touch plastics as well as the ergonomic design of the interior are class-leading.

Support: Volkswagen has been manufacturing cars in South Africa for over 60 years and with the support of a network of 105 Dealers nationwide, owners of the Polo Vivo can be assured of the best expertise and after-sales technical support.

Proudly built in South Africa: The Polo Vivo is built in our world-class manufacturing plant in Uitenhage with 70% of its parts sourced from local suppliers, thus making it a true South African success story.

POLO VIVO – THE MOBILITY SOLUTION

Polo Vivo has been designed to fulfil the core needs of the customer, namely affordability, reliability and low cost of ownership. When the end of production of Citi Golf became imminent, Volkswagen of South Africa looked at all possible and available solutions to maintain its competitive presence in the entry level A0 segment.

In the end, all alternatives were either expensive or out of line to what the South African market requires. The solution that had a solid business case for VWSA and our customers was the introduction of the re-specified, repositioned product in the form of Polo Vivo.

Polo Vivo is not a Citi Golf replacement. It is an affordable Volkswagen mobility solution for the first time buyers looking to be introduced into the Volkswagen brand promise of ‘Das Auto’. It is a sensible package offering customers a no compromise entry level car.

Polo Vivo’s low cost of ownership will set it apart from its competitors. The cost of its service parts makes it a strong proposition in its segment. Volkswagen general residual values will also gives Polo Vivo an edge over its peers in the entry level A0 segment.