Days before ending production for the year, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA), celebrated a production milestone when it reached the two millionth unit built locally of its popular Polo and Polo Vivo models.
The milestone-reaching vehicle, a left-hand-drive, Ascot Grey Polo destined for Germany, rolled off the production line on the morning of 6 December.
The Kariega plant has been building the Polo since 1996, through various generations of the vehicle, and the Polo Vivo since 2010. At the time the two millionth vehicle was built, the plant had manufactured 1 626 816 Polos (1 065 718 for export and 561 098 for the local market) and 373 184 Polo Vivos to date.
VWSA currently exports the Polo built in Kariega to 38 countries, building this vehicle for all right-hand-drive markets and supplementing production for left-hand-drive markets. The Kariega plant is also the sole manufacturer worldwide of the Polo GTI and builds the popular Polo Vivo for the local market.
“This is an excellent milestone with which to end off the year,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA. “My gratitude goes out to every employee as we would not be able to celebrate this milestone – and many others we’ve had this year – if it had not been for their consistent hard work and dedication. This achievement belongs to all the members of the VWSA family.”
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Volvo has confirmed that its vehicles will now integrate Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system. This development builds on the company’s existing collaboration with Google, which already provides Android Automotive OS and Google services in Volvo models.
New vehicle sales in 2026 continued their positive trend in April, with the 47 979 units sold marking the best April figure since 2013. This represents a remarkable performance by local automotive retailers despite a host of economic headwinds and a challenging trading environment.
April 2026 marked a turning point in South Africa’s economic landscape, as global energy markets were jolted by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, according to naamsa | The Automotive Business Council.
