POLO Vivo- eya vaya, as the slang goes!
A popular brand in SA, its no surprise in 2023 it sold 24 000 units.
Subtle but aesthetically pleasing facelift that is distinguishable mainly by its fresh front bumper with ‘boomerang’ elements, and “Vivo” lettering across the rear tailgate, among other detail changes, it was delivered to test-drive the manual newer compact.
I spent a week with it, and enjoyed its normally aspirated engine.
The normally aspirated Vivo, is packed with outputs of 55 kW/130 Nm and 63 kW/132 Nm 1.4-litre- (paired with a 5-speed manual transmission).
Though in terms of performance it is effortless, particularly if you try hard acceleration on the right foot, it does get a little noisy.
However, it does go smooth having indicated 5.4 litres per 100km after an 89km freeway stretch at around 120km/h, on an pen road.
The interior is not specced as you’d expect from VW but this a Vivo, folks!
A little rudimentary in places, such as the mirrors have to be manually adjusted using stalks, as do the rear windows.
It comes with redesigned 9.0-inch infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but it was a mission when trying to work on a volume, for any passenger. Ergonomics are simple and old-fashioned, although its facelifted…
Other standard features includes cruise control, multi-function steering wheel with height and reach adjustment, height-adjustable driver’s seat, reverse camera and a front centre armrest, and safety features associated with VW brands.
Enjoyed accuracy on the steering, a sign of quality on the road.
For me, considering my size, the cabin space is super, especially for the compact hatchback it is, and my driving position was hassle free, with too much leg room to manoeuvre.
The VW Vivo has a relatively deep 280 litre boot, that was evident when some groceries were packed without any issues.
This is SA’s all time fav brand, so expect to see much of it on the roads, as we fast approach festive season, since its built in South Africa, for South Africa, and is also exported to other African countries, such as Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Mauritius.
| Derivative | Price |
| Base Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Manual | R266 600 |
| Polo Vivo Life 1.4 63 kW Manual | R288 500 |
| Polo Vivo Life 1.6 77kW Auto | R320 200 |
| Polo Vivo Style 1.6 77kW Manual | R318 000 |
| Polo Vivo GT 1.0TSI 81 kW Manual | R356 000 |
The 2024 Polo Vivo is sold with 3-year/120 000 km general- and 6-year anti-corrosion warranties. Volkswagen has also added a 5-year/150 000 km engine warranty, but a service plan remains optional.
Verdict
Performance 1-10 (5)
Fuel 1-10 (7)
Image provided (The latest 2024 Polo Vivo).
