The Kariega plant of Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) kicked off March by reaching yet another milestone: the 100 000th unit of the current Polo for the local market.
This special milestone vehicle rolled off the production line on 1 March during the night shift.
The Kariega plant has been building the current Polo since January 2018 and began production of the facelifted Polo in August 2021. Of the 100 000 vehicles, 80 644 were pre-facelift Polos and the remaining 19 356 were facelift Polo models.
VWSA celebrated several Polo milestones in 2022, reaching its one-millionth Polo built for export in May 2022, the 500 000th Polo (including the facelift and the model launched in 2018) in July 2022, and the 100 000th facelift Polo produced in August 2022. More recently, the company celebrated two million units of its popular Polos and Polo Vivos in November 2022.
VWSA currently builds the Polo Vivo for the local market, and the Polo for all right-hand-drive markets and certain left-hand-drive markets. The Kariega plant is also the sole manufacturer worldwide of the Polo GTI.
“Though the majority of our Polos are built for export markets, we are incredibly proud of how popular this vehicle is among South African customers,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA. “This includes our employees, who build these high-quality vehicles with pride and whose dedication and love for our vehicles have made this milestone possible.”
With a solid foundation in the parts division of a dealership, and having worked his way up through the ranks across several departments, Hyde Park Toyota's new Dealer Principal says he is ready for the challenge ahead.
Mitsubishi Motors has revived the Pajero name with the launch of the fifth generation Pajero Cross Country. The new model does not simply replace the previous Pajero that disappeared from the market in 2021. Its relationship with the Pajero Sport is equally important, particularly for markets such as South Africa.
Range Rover, long regarded as the original luxury SUV, has introduced its first electric model. The vehicle is built at the Solihull plant in the UK, where Range Rover production has taken place since 1970.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Cars are the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and individualism. They offer the freedom to ‘go anywhere,’ whenever it suits and with whom one chooses.
Sarah Redshaw
The Toyota Starlet has improved from zero to a four-star rating for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP's latest #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results. This follows a safety upgrade to make six airbags a standard fit.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has released a new corporate manifesto that sets out its commitment to the country, its customers and its dealer network, alongside a renewed push to champion industrialisation as central to South Africa's future.
South Africa's new vehicle market sustained strong momentum in August 2026, with aggregate sales increasing by 11,4% year-on-year to 57 898 units, says the Automotive Business Councill | naamsa.
