The 2018 Volkswagen Polo Vivo – An Old Dog, With New Tricks

Thabiso Malimela

It is true what they say about numbers – they don’t lie. Anyone who, even for a second, is sceptical that a watered down, cheap and revised version of the already popular Volkswagen Polo will top the sales charts without fail every month, should definitely check the statistics!

With around 2000 cars sold every month, the Polo Vivo beats its newer, better kitted and more expensive sibling (or parent, this one is open for debate). With the dawn of a new age for the “main” Polo, the Vivo has once again stepped into the shoes if its forebear, and I mean that quite literally.

While the all-new Polo receives a brand new, well, everything, the Polo Vivo finds itself a new home in the outgoing Polo. The changes from 5th generation Polo to new Polo Vivo are really subtle and you’d have to have an eagle eye (or be a seasoned lurker) to be able to make them out without reading this article. Below are all things new and improved (lol) on the 2018 Volkswagen Polo Vivo Hatch.

Like most things under the Volkswagen stable, the Polo Vivo has been spread out across several models which differ in specification levels to suit each and every wallet. The new Polo Vivo is available in Trendline, Comfortline and Highline spec with the latter being able to be spec’d further into Maxx and GT models.

Interior

The benefits of inheriting components from the 5th generation Polo is that evidence of cost-cutting are not immediately obvious. In actuality, one can barely tell that the Polo Vivo is spec’d for the budget or entry level segment, such is the magic of Volkswagen group interiors. The only things that were found in the outgoing Polo but not in the new Vivo is the driver’s vanity mirror and padded roof lining. Cabin features that have been carried over include the soft touch dashboard, height adjustable cloth seats (except on the Trendline) and leather sports seats on the Vivo GT. Coming as standard from the entry level Trendline upward is a Bluetooth audio system. The Trendline receives a Radio 140G 4-speaker audio system with SD, USB and Bluetooth connectivity while latter models can be spec’d with a 340G touchscreen with App-Connect for an extra R2800. This uprated audio system comes with 4 speakers in the Comfortline and 6 speakers as standard on the Highline, Maxx and GT models. The steering too receives some much needed aesthetic vigour – the rake and reach adjustable steering wheel is now multifunctional on all models apart from the Trendline (lol). This means that you can expect to find buttons on the said steering wheel that control functions such as cruise control (for an extra R1800), audio settings and prompts on the multifunctional display. All but Vivo GT models receive a cloth seat treatment, however if you are able to fork out an extra R9300 for the leather trim option, items such as the seats, steering wheel, gearshift lever and knob are respectively covered in a leather material. This will most definitely give your Vivo a premium feel on top of what is offered as standard.

Engines and stuff…

If you’re trying to figure out places where Volkswagen has cut corners and saved money in making the new Polo Vivo, under the bonnet would be a good place to start. Under the belly of the beas…no, wait Vivo, you will find one of three engines that are available. A naturally aspirated 1.4 litre 4-cylinder power unit develops 55 kW and 130 N.m via a 5-speed manual gearbox in the Trendline, while in the Comfortline Manual, the same powerplant churns out 63 kW and 132 N.m mated to the same 5-speed manual shifter. Also on the Vivo engine line-up is a naturally aspirated 1.6 litre 4-cylinder, developing 77 kW and 153 N.m in the Comfortline Tiptronic (with a relatively old 6-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox) and also in the Highline, mated to a 6-speed manual. For now, VW doesn’t offer an automated transmission option for the Highline but one would be wise to expect one to be available not too far from now, possibly with a different and maybe even turbocharged engine option too! The GT variant receives a much more refreshing 1.0 litre 3-cylinder turbocharged power unit. The TSI engine produces 81 kW and 200 N.m, and is available along with a 6-speed manual for now. Polo Vivo owners will continue to be strangers at the petrol pumps seeing as how economical and fuel efficient these engines are. The 1.4 litre engines sip fuel at a rate of 5.7 l/100km and 5.9 l/100km on the more powerful tune. The 1.6 only uses 6.2 l/100km in the manual and 6.1 l/100km on the Tiptronic while the TSI is even leaner, boasting fuel consumption figures of 4.6 l/100km.

Safety and security equipment

Usually in the budget segment, safety is one those things that are overlooked in the pursuit of cost savings – check out the Datsun GO for more on this. However, anyone who is looking to buy the new Polo Vivo will be delighted to know that all Vivos will come with 2 front airbags (driver and passenger) and an optional electronic stability and tyre pressure monitoring system as part of the R2500 safety package (not available on Trendline). There are fog lamps as well to illuminate the road ahead in tricky conditions and a remote central locking system with an electronic immobiliser should keep Vivo thefts down to a minimum. Anti-Brake Locking System (ABS) brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) are all standard across the range as well. Seeing that the outgoing Polo, the car that the new Vivo is heavily based on, received a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating, the new Vivo is sure to keep all its occupants safe.

Exterior

Spoiler alert – not much new to see here! Like all Vivos before it, the newest iteration of the budget Polo continues the tradition of looking inherently like the car it’s based on. The new Vivo only receives subtle changes to the outgoing Polo, among which are a revised front bumper design, side indicators on the front fender instead of the mirror and a “Polo Vivo” sticker on the rear tailgate rather than a chrome name badge. Told you there’s not much that’s new.

Maintenance

The new Polo Vivo comes standard with a 3-year / 120 000 km warranty along with a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. If you’d like a 3-year / 45 000 km service plan, however, be ready to add an extra R4 779 to the price of your Vivo as part of the Volkswagen Optional & Extended Automotion Service Plan(s). (See Volkswagen Optional & Extended Automotion Maintenance Plans as well).

GT

At first, it seems as if the Vivo GT was destined to be a GTI, but some bright spark at the VW offices decided it would create conflict of interest and hence it would be a bad idea to pit a Vivo GTI against the much more expensive Polo GTI. And since they had probably already stuck the “G” and “T” of GTI onto the back of this Vivo, they decided toss the “I” into a recycling bin and called it a day – and such is the origin story of the Polo Vivo GT, reimagined by your’s truly.

What VW basically did while turning the Vivo into the Vivo GT

Never mind my fake origin story because the Vivo GT comes with some properly exciting features. Starting with the interior, we find some sporty cloth seats (take that with a pinch of salt), that fancy colour touchscreen audio system we spoke about earlier and a really neat multifunctional leather steering wheel. As mentioned before, the leather trim is R9300 optional extra. To make this Vivo a bit more conspicuous, VW has given it some GT lettering on the tailgate, sides and also on the front grille. The side mouldings are black and there is a rather cheeky spoiler on the tailgate, below which you will find a chrome-tipped exhaust. The Polo Vivo GT also receives lowered suspension (15mm lower) so that it hugs the corners evermore so tightly, and just like this statement, it wreaks of it being added as an afterthought to the GT to justify its superiority to other Vivos. The Vivo GT is powered by an the 81 kW TSI motor which is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox being operated by a trio of sporty pedals

Pricing

  • Polo Vivo 55 kW Trendline 1.4 Manual                                                                                                R179 900
  • Polo Vivo 63 kW Comfortline 1.4 Manual                                                                                            R192 000
  • Polo Vivo 77 kW Comfortline 1.6 Tiptronic                                                                                         R221 900
  • Polo Vivo 77 kW Highline 1.6 Manual                                                                                                  R214 900
  • Polo Vivo 81 kW GT 1.0 Manual                                                                                                            R245 000

Summary

For once, it seems that Volkswagen has made a real attempt at making the Polo Vivo an actually desirable product – I’d buy one too if had a normally functioning brain! And the best part of the Polo Vivo is that because it is based on a tried, tested and perfected platform (the outgoing Polo), the probability of something going wrong (mechanically at least) is brought down to a minimum. Will the new Polo Vivo outsell the new Polo? Its best you consult your sangoma or prophet because only time can tell, but what I can tell you is that it will surely remain as one of the best-selling vehicles in the country.

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