Automaker Volkswagen Group Africa has announced new models to be introduced to the market this year, including a special edition Polo Vivo for its fifteenth anniversary, a new T-Cross, the Golf 8, a seven-seater model called Tayron, a new Transporter and the Vivo Express.

The group, during its yearly indaba held at its Kariega plant, in the Eastern Cape, on February 5, also announced the addition of motorcycle company Ducati South Africa to its stable, which will start retailing in the country from May.

The Polo Vivo Edition 15, which the group intends to only manufacture 1 500 units of, will incorporate some of the model’s historical features such as black mirrors and black roofs, as well as special branding on the vehicle. This model will be available during the third quarter of the year.

The updated T-Cross will feature an eight-inch digital cockpit with App Connect, power-adjustable and heated exterior mirrors, a multi-function steering wheel, automatic headlight control and 16-inch steel wheels. With five variants to choose from, the T-Cross range starts with a 1.0 TSI 70 kW base version retailing at R400 700 up to a 1.0 TSI 85 kW R-line version retailing for R543 800.

Volkswagen Group Africa will also release the eighth-generation Golf early in the second quarter, after 47 years of selling Golf models in the country. The 1.4 TSI 110 kW Golf 8 will be available in the four “Life” and “R-line” variants, all with the same engine size. The variants start retailing at R580 900 up to R688 100.

The Golf 8 comes with an optimised user experience, new driver assist functions, new design features and ambient lighting. Notably, the vehicle will have a 12.9-inch screen with wireless connection and charging features.

Moreover, the all-new Tayron offers premium-class functionality in the interior of the car, a large boot space, adaptive cruise control and lane assist systems and a three-zone climate control system. The vehicle, which will be available from the third quarter, is positioned between Volkswagen Group Africa’s Tiguan and Touareg models.

The Tayron will also be available in the Life and R-line variants, each offering different wheel sizes and other design and interior details.

The new Transporter offers two new wheelbase sizes and a 2.8 t towing capacity, which will be available from the third quarter. The Transporter variants, which are produced in Türkiye, accounted for 25% of Volkswagen Group Africa’s sales in 2024.

The Transporter derivatives will include a panel van, crew bus, kombi and distribution centre pick-up, with fuel-efficient TDI engines ranging in size from 81 kW to 125 kW.

Additionally, Volkswagen Group Africa will introduce a facelifted Crafter model, which remains the largest 3 t to 5 t van produced in the Volkswagen portfolio.

These vehicles offer maximum personalisation with 90% of Crafters sold in South Africa being converted into busses for passenger transport, ambulances and patient carriers by government departments.

The facelift version offers revised interior for more comfort and greater ease-of-use, three powertrains and drive types, engine sizes between 120 kW and 130 kW as well as an eight-speed automatic gearbox for the first time on the Crafter 50.

To cater for increasing light delivery vehicle demand in the market, Volkswagen Group Africa will introduce the Polo Express this year to enable home delivery and small enterprise fleet businesses. It will feature a 490 kg payload and will be offered from the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Ducati South Africa plans on offering its Scrambler, Desert X, Diavel, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfigher, Hypermotaro and Panigale models in the country.

Volkswagen Group Africa will also launch its new Connected Car solution, which can provide trip history, remote location tracking and car health data, in the third quarter. By connecting the GoConnect device in-vehicle with an application on a driver’s phone, drivers will be able to access a live chat portal with dealerships.

In turn, dealerships will be able to access vehicle data, with permission, to offer predictive maintenance services, direct service bookings and early warnings of possible faults and failures.

NEW ENTRY

After earmarking R4-billion of investment into modifying its Kariega plant for the production of a new sports-utility vehicle (SUV), which is yet to be named, Volkswagen Group Africa MD Martina Biene confirmed that the plant started press shop and bodyshop integration in December, with an additional plant shutdown planned between April and May.

Volkswagen Group Africa plans to announce the naming convention of the AO Entry SUV in March, while production is planned to start in 2027.

So far, R1.6-billion has been spent to localise content for the new model that the group will manufacture in South Africa.

RECALL REMINDER

Volkswagen Group Africa reminded stakeholders during the indaba to bring defective vehicles to dealerships owing to a defective Takata airbag that is affecting more than 100-million vehicles globally, including Volkswagen models.

There have, however, been no injuries or fatalities reported in South Africa linked to the potentially faulty airbag inflators, but the company encourages users of the 190 000 affected vehicles in South Africa to visit a Volkswagen dealership for checks and repairs free of charge.

The affected vehicle model years range between 1998 and 2017, across the Audi, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial vehicle brands.