Kariega's ‘Home of Polo' accelerates into top gear
While the Kariega plant has been producing the Polo since 1996 and the Polo Vivo since 2010, it has only been the self-proclaimed Home of Polo since July 1 2024.
The Polo is exported to 38 markets around the world and accounts for 88% of exported vehicles through the Port of Port Elizabeth, with 119,336 Polos having been exported from Kariega to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in the last year.
The Polo was SA's most exported vehicle in 2024 with the majority of the units shipped to Germany, France and the UK.
VWGA production director Ulrich Schwabe said the Polo also performed strongly in the local market in 2024, selling 12,253 units and being named the top locally manufactured vehicle of the year at the Naamsa Accelerator Awards in October 2024.
That same month was also the busiest production period for the plant, with a record-breaking 13,930 Polos built.
'The Polo is unquestionably an icon, and we are proud to call Plant Kariega its home,' Schwabe said.
'Our first year as the sole exporter of the Polo was a strong one, and we plan to build on the foundation of this success continuously and consistently, with the Polo, Vivo and our upcoming third model, the Tengo.'
The plant celebrated a record production volume for 2024 with a total of 167,084 vehicles built in Kariega, of which 131,485 units were Polos for export, and 35,599 vehicles were Polos and Polo Vivos for the local market.
Volkswagen also recently celebrated five decades of the Polo hatchback, with the launch of the new Polo Edition 50.
However, the Edition 50 will only be available in European and UK markets.
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