Black Style package gives Polo Vivo some extra swagger

It’s easy to understand why the Volkswagen Polo Vivo is popular among the younger generation.

And in what I believe, in diminishing order of importance from unmatchable street cred, pretty cool looks and relative affordability are the main reasons why this hatch has always been either at the top or very close to the top of South Africa‘s sales charts.

To reinforce this statement, my daughter and her boyfriend immediately claimed the Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline fitted with Black Style package that arrived at my house to spend a few days with The Citizen Motoring for evaluation. Why? Because they liked the way it looked.

ALSO READ: Polo Vivo GT timely reminder of how much fun driving can be

Polo Vivo with swagger

A Polo Vivo Highline fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox retails for R304,700. Being a Black Style Edition means that for only R8,900 extra, you get black 16-inch Portago alloy wheels, gloss black mirror caps, a gloss black painted roof, gloss black B and C pillar covers, black side sill covers, body-coloured boot spoiler, privacy glass, chrome exhaust tip as well as anthracite headliner and sun visors.

Climbing inside, the love affair with the Polo Vivo continued thanks to the ergonomic and visual improvements. These include a three-spoke steering wheel and a new instrument cluster look.

ALSO READ: R4k a month can buy you a VW Polo, Polo Vivo or Ford Fiesta

All the controls are easy to reach and use, and the six-speaker Colour Touchscreen audio system offers App-Connect for the likes of Apple CarPlay – something which is non-negotiable to anybody under 30 these days.

The relationship hit a bit of a bump when the kids realised that the rear doors had these weird-looking “rolly handles” to open and close the windows.

ALSO READ: Class act Volkswagen Polo and Polo Vivo show their worth

Easy driving pleasure

This omission was almost forgiven by the fun driving experience the easy-revving 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine offered. The equally easy-shifting five-speed manual box used 77 kW of power and 153 Nm on tap.

It has a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of 10.8 seconds and a top speed of 188 km/h. And a real-world fuel consumption of 6.5 litres per 100 km. What more could any Gen Z kid want?

While the Polo Vivo with Black Style package might not be the cheapest compact hatch on the market or offer the highest grade of spec, it is the one many youngsters want to be seen in. And it will continue to top the sales charts.