VW has built 2 million Polos in South Africa

The Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has hit a significant milestone in the country, with the two-millionth unit of its popular Polo model rolling off the production line at its Kariega plant in Uitenhage.
The Kariega plant has been building the Polo since 1996, through several generations of the vehicle, and the Polo Vivo since 2010, said VWSA.
The Group also revealed that the two-millionth vehicle, a left-hand-drive Ascot Grey VW Polo, is destined for Germany.
The manufacturer said 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,” said VWSA.
“The Kariega plant is also the sole manufacturer worldwide of the VW Polo GTI, and builds the popular Polo Vivo for the local market,” it added.
According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa’s (Naamsa) latest New Vehicle Sales report, VW is the second best-selling vehicle brand in South Africa – selling 6,406 units in November 2022.
These total sales represent a significant month-on-month growth of 30.6%, selling 4,904 units in October 2022.
Additionally, Both VW’s Polo and Polo Vivo models featured in Naamsa’s list of the top 10 vehicles sold in South Africa in November 2022. The VW Polo Vivo ranked sixth with 1,741 units sold, while the VW polo came in at seventh with 1,724 units sold.
These models also saw decent month-on-month growth in sales. The Polo Vivo increased 10% from 1,583 units sold, while the Polo increased a whopping 113% from 809 units sold in October 2022.
“Hitting the two-millionth unit produced is an excellent milestone to end the year,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA.
“My gratitude goes out to every employee because we would be unable to celebrate this milestone – and many others we’ve had this year – if not for their consistent hard work and dedication. This achievement belongs to all the VWSA family members,” he added.
VW Polo – starting at R329,300
VW Polo Vivo – starting at R243,600
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