Latest news with #MartinaBiene
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Volkswagen asks South Africans to choose a name for its new SUV: these are the four options
Tengo, Tavi, Tiva or Tion? What will VWSA call its new budget SUV? Image: Supplied Volkswagen South Africa is planning to build a new entry-level SUV at its Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape from 2027. Although the local division hasn't officially unveiled the product, all the evidence is pointing to it being closely based on the new Volkswagen Tera, a product of Brazil. VWSA CEO Martina Biene previously told the media that the product would be adapted for the African market and would also receive a unique name. Now it's time for South Africans to choose that name, with the company posting an online survey calling on members of the public to choose between four names: Tengo, Tavi, Tiva and Tion. The new vehicle was developed in Brazil, but will have local adaptations. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The fact that they all start with a 'T' is no surprise, of course, as this is the naming convention for all of Volkswagen's current SUVs. But the four options are not just random alphabet soup: VWSA has put a great deal of thought into the names and the meaning behind them: Tengo: Signifies rich cultural significance in African languages and describes qualities like strength, resilience and purpose. Tavi: A gender neutral word meaning good or beloved. In Latin, it also means eight. Tiva: This word means nature in Hebrew and is also associated with vitality, life, and energy. Tion: Signifies aesthetic appeal and evokes a sense of movement and change. You can CLICK HERE to cast your vote, but be responsible with it. Volkswagen's Polo was almost called the Bonito or the Mini Golf, as we touched on in our recent story on the Polo's interesting history. For the record, most IOL team members voted for 'Tion' in our internal poll, although all four names received votes. What to expect from the new SUV VWSA has already completed the necessary upgrades to its Kariega plant, to build the new 'AO SUV Entry' model, as it is code-named. Built on the MQB-AO platform, beneath the skin, it is closely related to the current Polo hatchback, albeit with unique interior and exterior styling and a taller stance. plied The interior bears some resemblance to the latest Tiguan and T-Cross models. Image: Supplied plied The interior bears some resemblance to the latest Tiguan and T-Cross models. Image: Supplied The Brazilian version is offered with normally aspirated and turbocharged versions of its 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. While the 1.0 TSI is practically a given for local introduction, it's likely that South Africa's entry-level models will use the current normally aspirated 1.4-litre MPI engine, which is locally produced. In terms of pricing, the new model will slot beneath the T-Cross, which currently starts at R399,900. This new SUV's success will be crucial to the future of the Kariega plant, as the current Polo, which is exported to major markets such as Europe in prolific volumes, is likely to be discontinued at the end of this decade. Although the new SUV will be exported into Africa, it remains unclear whether the locally built model will be shipped beyond the continent. IOL
The Herald
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Closure of any business spells disaster for Nelson Mandela Bay
With unemployment in the Eastern Cape nearing 40%, the closure of any business is more than just an economic setback — it is a community crisis. On Thursday, Goodyear SA announced plans to shut down its plant in Kariega, with 907 jobs at risk. VW Group Africa MD Martina Biene said every business closure spelt disaster for the manufacturing city. She spoke at the Women Empowerment Network event hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber at the Boardwalk on Friday. 'It is sad for everyone when a business has to close, even more so in the Bay,' Biene said. 'We still have an unemployment rate of 40%. 'Every business that closes in the Bay is a disaster.' In its report on liquidations in SA, Stats SA revealed that the country had seen 109 business liquidations in April 2025 and 482 business closures since the beginning of the year. Biene said this spoke to the early signs of deindustrialisation in SA. She said VWGA purchased tyres from Goodyear, but the majority were imported to keep manufacturing costs down. 'We are looking at buying tyres from India. 'VW needs to keep manufacturing costs low. 'We all must look at local is lekker , but lekker sometimes comes at a higher price.' Asked what conversations were being held at a national level to ensure the manufacturing business in SA remained sustainable, Biene said a review of the SA Automotive Masterplan 2035 had to happen sooner rather than later. 'On the automotive industry side, we will propose some short-term measures to probably take away the burden. 'Some of the assumptions of the automotive plan in SA and how the sector grows in SA, as well as how much the domestic market plan grows, have not been met.' Out of the seven OEMs operating in SA, Mercedes-Benz SA in East London is the only one now exporting directly to the US However, Biene said that due to the interconnected supply chain, any disruption threatened the broader industry. 'We have common suppliers; we share suppliers because the suppliers are not viable if they manufacture for one of us. 'As much as we compete in product in the market, specifically manufacturing, we're all in this together and we need each other and eagerly look forward to more coming in, such as Stellantis, to stabilise the local industry. 'What we're seeing in SA now is that the local automotive industry is on the verge of being replaced and becoming an import market. 'From a VW perspective, I know we're perceived as being expensive, and this is not because we make a lot of money in this country. 'Manufacturing costs a lot in SA. 'The domestic market is small. 'Last year, Suzuki in India produced two-million cars while all seven OEMs here in SA manufactured 600,000. 'Previously, we were competing with products from Europe 15 years ago, under European labour costs and European standards, but now we're competing with Indian and Chinese labour costs. 'The competitive landscape has changed, but we remain the same with our labour costs. Looking at Indian labour costs, then I'm not so sure if I'm competitive. 'If something were to go wrong with us, the Bay would be in deep trouble.' Chamber CEO Denise van Huyssteen said while investors needed to come to SA, the government needed to retain those already here. The Herald
Zawya
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
Volkswagen considers Egypt as African production hub amid shift from Europe
Arab Finance: Volkswagen AG is exploring plans to produce cars in Egypt as part of a broader strategy to expand across African markets while scaling back operations in Europe, Bloomberg reported, citing Martina Biene, Managing Director at Volkswagen Group Africa. 'We are very interested in Egypt as a production hub and hopefully, we can announce a business case anytime soon,' Martina Biene said. The German automaker is considering starting with an assembly unit using existing facilities in Egypt, with the possibility of building a dedicated factory at a later stage. The move comes as Volkswagen cuts production capacity and jobs in Germany in response to rising costs, subdued demand, and intensifying competition from lower-cost Chinese brands. Sister companies Audi and Porsche are also reducing their workforce to curb expenses. Egypt is positioning itself as a manufacturing and export base after enduring a prolonged economic crisis. The government sees the auto sector as a key growth driver, estimating local demand at over $8 billion annually over the next decade. Biene highlighted Egypt's appeal not only due to its large domestic market but also its strategic location for access to consumers in the wider Middle East and Africa. This contrasts with Morocco, Africa's current automotive leader, which is heavily geared toward exporting to Europe. 'In Morocco, the car business is very much focused on exporting to Europe,' Biene noted. 'We are currently not looking for expanding our footprint with plants to export to Europe, because we've just closed plants in Europe.' Volkswagen plans to reduce its German production by more than 700,000 units and cut 35,000 jobs by 2030. The company has long faced challenges in cost-sensitive regions such as Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, where it competes with leaner rivals like Toyota and Hyundai. VW currently operates a full manufacturing facility in South Africa and assembly plants in Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya. It aims to establish up to five production sites across Africa over the next 10 to 15 years, each tailored to different models and export markets within the continent. © 2020-2023 Arab Finance For Information Technology. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
News24
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- News24
Volkswagen wants to build cars in Egypt to sell across Africa
• For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. Volkswagen is considering producing cars in Egypt, part of plans to tap new African markets as it grapples with weaker demand at home. 'We are very interested in Egypt as a production hub and hopefully we can announce a business case anytime soon,' Volkswagen Group Africa's managing director, Martina Biene, said in an interview. Under the possible moves, Europe's largest carmaker could first establish an assembly unit by using existing facilities. A potential next step would be to build a local factory in the Middle East's most populous nation, Biene said. VW is cutting production capacity and jobs in Germany due to increasing costs, weaker markets in Europe and the rise of cheaper Chinese competitors. Sister brands Audi and Porsche are also shedding workers to reduce costs. The deliberations come as Egypt strives to attract foreign investment and boost local manufacturing and exports after emerging from a grueling two-year economic crisis. The auto industry could be a key driver, with the government estimating local demand at more than $8 billion per year over the next decade. Egypt's domestic market and its proximity to consumers in the rest of the Middle East and Africa may be among the draws for the location. That makes it different from Morocco, currently Africa's leading passenger-car manufacturer and largest exporter, Biene said. In Morocco, the 'car business is very much focused on exporting to Europe,' she said. 'We're currently not looking for expanding our footprint with plants to export to Europe, because we've just closed plants in Europe.' VW, which plans to trim German production capacity by more than 700 000 units and cut 35 000 jobs by 2030, has traditionally struggled to compete in cost-sensitive markets like Africa, India or Southeast Asia against leaner rivals such as Toyota or Hyundai. The company currently has a full-fledged manufacturing plant in South Africa and assembly facilities in Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya. It targets operating as many as five production facilities across Africa over the next 10 to 15 years, with each producing different models and exporting to other markets on the continent.
Bloomberg
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Volkswagen Looks at Making Cars in Egypt to Sell Across Africa
Volkswagen AG is considering producing cars in Egypt, part of plans to tap new African markets as it grapples with weaker demand at home. 'We are very interested in Egypt as a production hub and hopefully we can announce a business case anytime soon,' Volkswagen Group Africa's managing director, Martina Biene, said in an interview.
