A Global Success

With more than 20 million units built, the Polo is one of the world’s most successful small compact vehicles.

Production

Wolfsburg, Mosel, Bratislava, Brussels, Martorell, and finally Pamplona: the Polo was produced in Europe for over four decades. Since summer 2024, the small car has been coming from Kariega in South Africa. This is not a major change for the plant in the Eastern Cape province – after all, the Polo has been produced there for markets outside Europe since 1996.

At home everywhere

The plant in Kariega, an industrial town about 750 km east of Cape Town, has been building Volkswagen models since 1951 – the Polo since 1996. In 1996, production of the Polo Classic began at Volkswagen Argentina. Production continued for a total of 12 years at the Pacheco plant, about 40 kilometres north-west of the capital Buenos Aires. Production of the bestseller also started in South Africa in 1996. In Kariega (formerly Uitenhage), the small car was initially produced for markets outside Europe, and from 1998 it was also supplied to the UK. Since summer 2024, the plant in the Eastern Cape province, around 1,000 km south of Johannesburg, has been the world’s main production site for the Polo.

In addition to the Kariega site, the Polo has also been produced in Thika (Kenya) on the African continent since the end of 2016. SKD-based assembly started in Kigali (Rwanda) in 2018 – another production facility followed in 2020 with Accra (Ghana).

Pamplona in northern Spain was the main production site for the Polo for more than 40 years. From 1984 onwards, more than 8.4 million units of the small car were produced there. The sixth generation of the five-door car is now being produced in Kariega.

The maximum capacity of the plant per year is 171,000 Polo models, with a maximum of 30,000 Vivo models. “This makes us one of the smaller Volkswagen plants,” says Martina Biene, Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA). However, according to Biene, in South Africa it is about more than just manufacturing vehicles and creating jobs: “It’s about community, it’s about Ubuntu.” The term comes from the Nguni languages of Zulu and Xhosa and means ‘I am because we are’. “Ubuntu encourages us to appreciate our humanity and respect each other as human beings,” says Biene.

In Kariega, icons such as the Beetle and the Transporter once rolled off the production line, and, until 2009, also the Citi Golf based on the Golf I. The Polo GTI has also been built there for years. “Our team is very proud of this car,” says Biene. “The Polo has a long tradition with us – especially the Polo GTI.” The plant in Kariega was and remains the only one that builds the Polo GTI. From South Africa, the vehicle is exported to 30 markets worldwide. The Kariega plant covers an area of 518,378 m². In addition to the Polo and Polo Vivo, engines for the Polo Vivo are also produced there.

The company also has two parts distribution centres in Cape Town and Centurion near Johannesburg, as well as the National Sales Organisation (NSO) in Johannesburg, which is responsible for vehicle sales on the domestic market and in Sub-Saharan Africa. With a market share of 15.6 percent (2023), Volkswagen is one of the three leading passenger car brands on the South African market and one of the country’s most popular vehicle brands. In 2023, the Polo Vivo was the best-selling car in South Africa and the Polo South Africa’s most exported vehicle. With almost 4,000 employees, VWGA is the largest private employer in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan region, which also includes Kariega.

Functional, Timeless, Unmistakable

When the Polo came on the market in 1975, hardly anyone suspected that “the little one” would have such a successful career. This is also due to its design that remains timeless.

There are many more elements today than in the 1970s, but the clarity of the previous eras serves as inspiration for the design team. A feeling of well-being like in 1975, paired with high-tech from the 21st century. The proportions of the Polo have always been right, and the light design is its hallmark. And so the designers have moved with the times, while also invoking the design of the previous generations.

The Polo has always been designed with a focus on compact proportions, practicality, and timeless style. From the first generation onwards, the Polo has been designed to be understated yet refined, with clean lines and a robust character. Over the years, these qualities have been continued with every new model, making the Polo not only a practical choice, but also a car with a unique and recognisable identity in our portfolio. It’s about simplicity with purpose – a philosophy that is still continued in the Polo today.

When Andreas Mindt, Head of Volkswagen Brand Design was asked about the future of the Polo in terms of design and digitalisation, he said:

“We see a bright future for the Polo. We are excited to bring a new design, advanced digital features, and a new level of connectivity to this iconic model, while remaining true to the qualities that have characterised the Polo for 50 years. I still have a few secrets up my sleeve, but there are definitely some exciting things coming. It is an honour to build on this heritage and continue to develop such an iconic design.”