When talking about the car culture in South Africa, it’s difficult not to mention the Volkswagen Citi Golf. Produced as a small, affordable entry-level car from 1984 to 2009, it became an icon of success despite no major design changes during its 25-year run.

In 2009, VW pulled the plug on its Citi Golf, and two of its main motivations were that it was no longer commercially viable and struggled to meet newer and stricter emission standards, which further complicated its production. 

That was the end of it. However, its successor came in the form of the Polo Vivo, which was introduced in 2010 as a model that had an identical ethos to the Citi Golf. Volkswagen was strategic with its move; it took the fourth-generation Polo as its starting point and added the ’Vivo’ suffix to denote its affordable orientation alongside the normal Mk5 Polo, which also launched in South Africa in 2010. 

Like the Citi Golf, the Polo Vivo was produced at the VW Group plant in Kariega, and just like its forebear, it was aimed at those who needed a frugal, well-built vehicle from a reliable marque like Volkswagen. The Polo Vivo adeptly carried forward the legacy of the Citi Golf, embodying the same robust and economical qualities that had made its predecessor a household name.

Fast forward some time, and the second generation Polo Vivo, which was first introduced in 2018, has recently undergone a nip and tuck in the surgeon's room. While the overall design has remained largely unchanged, the recent revisions have introduced minor tweaks such as updated headlights, grille designs, and interior features. These modest improvements are likely what also contributes to its continued success as the preferred entry-level vehicle.