Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has reached a major production milestone after manufacturing the one millionth current-generation Polo at its Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape.
VWGA says the milestone vehicle, a smoky grey right-hand-drive Polo GTI, is destined for the South African market.
VWGA’s Plant Kariega began production of the current-generation Polo in 2017. Since then, the model has become one of the company’s most significant export products, with about 86% of the vehicles shipped to international markets including Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The remaining 14% were produced for the local market.
The current-generation Polo accounts for nearly 21% of the 4.8 million vehicles manufactured at the Kariega plant over the past 75 years.
Volkswagen says the latest generation Polo also represents 48% of all Polo models ever produced at the plant, underlining the importance of the vehicle to the company’s operations in South Africa.
VWGA has been manufacturing the Polo locally since 1996 and has produced four generations of the model.
Plant Kariega is currently the sole global production and export hub for the Polo, supplying 38 countries across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Germany and the United Kingdom remain the biggest export destinations for the locally-built model.
The milestone comes as VWGA celebrates 75 years of vehicle manufacturing in South Africa and 30 years of Polo production at the Kariega plant.
“This milestone is a proud moment for all of us at Volkswagen Group Africa and reflects the dedication and passion of our employees over many years,” said VWGA Production Director, Urich Schwabe.
“Producing one million Polos in Kariega highlights the trust that global markets place in the quality of vehicles built in South Africa. It also reinforces the Polo’s legacy as one of the most loved and successful models produced at our plant,” he added.
