Volkswagen Polo now made exclusively in South Africa

In a later than expected announcement, Volkswagen, this past weekend, confirmed that European production of the Polo officially ended at the July, and that assembly, since August, solely takes place at the Kariega Plant in the Eastern Cape.

After Polo

This comes after the Pamplona plant in Spain officially produced its 8.4-millionth and final Polo at the end of said month after 40 years.

ALSO READ: Volkswagen details 2024 product roll-out and future of Polo

One of the original Polo assigned factories, the plant will continue to produce the T-Cross and Taigo for the foreseeable future, along with two electric SUVs from 2026.

According to Automotive News Europe, the models in question will be the production version of the ID.2all SUV teased back in December, and sister brand Skoda’s equivalent that will wear the Epiq nameplate.

Similar to the incoming ID.2all hatch that had been expected to replace the Polo outright after 2025, the ID.2all SUV and Epiq will ride on the updated all-electric MEB Entry platform with drive going to the front wheels only.

Polo continues

The Pamplona plant’s retooling and move of Polo production to the plant located in the town formerly known as Uitenhage, comes just over a year after the European Union’s relaxing of the controversial Euro 7 emissions regulations that will still be implemented as the less stringent Euro 6e in 2025.

While no details about the nature of regulations’ revisions were ever made public, the announcement effectively allowed Volkswagen to continue with exports to Europe instead of halting production completely.

“We will keep it fresh. The car runs well. It’s a good entry into the brand,” Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schäfer told Britain’s Autocar after the announcement of the regulations.

What Spain’s demise means for South Africa

Back in February, Volkswagen South Africa, renamed Volkswagen Group Africa, said the mandating of the Kariega Plant as the only Polo production facility would add an extra 10 000 units to its roster, and guarantee the future of the Polo until 2029 in both left-and-right-hand-drive configurations.

At the time, the marque said it expected European production to end in June, a month later than predicted.

As per the Automotive News report, a blue 70 kW 1.0 TSI Life example, fitted with the five-speed manual gearbox, departed the Pamplona at the end of July as the final EU assembled Polo approved by Wolfsburg.

Kariega’s future

In addition to the Polo and Polo Vivo, a third model will enter production at Kariega from 2027 as the newly teased SUV made in conjunction with Volkswagen do Brasil and Skoda India.

On-track to be revealed in the latter markets in 2026 and 2025 respectively, the still unnamed SUV will ride on the same revised MQB Entry platform as the Polo, and derive motivation from a combustion engine slated to be the current 1.0 TSI.

Part of a R4-billion investment into Kariega, the SUV, which will wear the Skoda Kylaq name in India, will make its world premiere next month, but present a clearer image of what the South African version will look like when the Brazilian example goes on-sale in 2025.

More soon

For the time being, exact details about the SUV continues remains under wraps, however, expect more to become available with the unveiling of the Kylaq in October.

NOW READ: Volkswagen celebrates 100 000th Polo produced for SA