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- The 100 000th unit of current Polo Vivo was produced on Tuesday 25 January
- Over 354 000 Vivos have been built in Kariega since 2010
Kariega – Starting 2022 off on a strong note, Volkswagen Group South Africa celebrated a production milestone this week, with the 100 000th unit of the current Polo Vivo rolling off the production line at the plant in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage).
This milestone, which was achieved on Tuesday 25 January, comes in just over four years after the plant began manufacturing the current Vivo model in 2018. Before this, VWSA built the first generation Vivo from 2010 to 2017, with a total of 254 683 units built in this generation. This means the plant has built just over 354 000 Vivos to date.
The Vivo is built exclusively in Kariega for the South African market. In turn, South African consumers have shown their appreciation consistently for this uniquely South African vehicle: the Vivo has been the best-selling vehicle in the passenger car market every year since its introduction in 2010. A total of 350 289 Vivos have been sold between 2010 and 2021, of which 251 726 were during the first generation and 98 563 of the current model (up until December 2021).
The best annual sales performance for the current Vivo model was recorded in 2019 when VWSA sold a total of 29 618 Vivos in one year. In terms of monthly performance, the Vivo proved most popular in October 2018, when 3 009 Vivos were sold in a single month.
The Vivo is one of two vehicles currently being built at the Kariega plant, the other being the Volkswagen Polo. The Polos built in Kariega are exported to all right-hand-drive markets worldwide, while VWSA also supplements production for left-hand-drive markets.
“This milestone means a lot to our team, both in Production and in the rest of the company,” said Ulrich Schwabe, Production Director at VWSA. “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.”
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