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Volkswagen Polo Vivo Unveiled in South Africa

The South African division of German carmaker Volkswagen revealed today the new Polo Vivo for the local market, bringing with it somewhat of a disappointment for those who were expecting a more new Polo-like version.

The successor of the 25-year-old CitiGolf is however a breath of fresh air for the South African automotive market. VW's new entry-level car in the A0 segment, with prices starting at R101,500 ($13 688), will be available in two body versions, hatchback (3-door and 5-door) and sedan and will come equipped with three engines, all petrol-powered.

The entry level unit will be a 1.4i 75 hp unit, followed by the 1.4i 16v 85 hp and the top of the range 1.6i 16v 105 hp. All units will be paired with a
five-speed manual transmission. No automatic gearbox, nor any diesel-engined Vivo will be offered.

From the emissions levels standpoint, the new Vivo offers 147 g/km for the 1,4l 85 hp unit, enough to help the car avoid the government's new carbon levy set at 120 g, to be implemented in September.

The car will be manufactured in Volkswagen Uitenhage Plant with 70 percent of parts provided by local suppliers. Volkswagen takes extreme pride in this latter fact, saying the "localization of parts for the both the Polo Vivo and the New Polo has resulted in the creation of hundreds of jobs."

"The Polo Vivo is a car born out of South African ingenuity and represents the can-do spirit of the South African nation. It is a car for our time that celebrates opportunity and possibility," Volkswagen says in a release.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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