VW to continue producing petrol-only Polo in SA into next decade
With the all-electric VW Polo having made its global debut, what’s the future of the SA-built internal combustion model?
The Polo has entered a new era, with VW officially unveiling the ID. Polo – the first all-electric version of the German marque’s popular hatchback. However, what does this mean for its locally-built internal combustion engine (ICE) sibling? Well, at IAA Mobility 2025, which took place from September 9-14 in Munich, the Wolfsburg brand revealed to CAR magazine that the ICE variant will remain in production – at Plant Kariega – until ‘at least’ 2033. Speaking to CAR editor Ian McLaren, CEO of VW Passenger cars Thomas Schäfer quipped: “While they still play Boney M at Christmas in South Africa, this market will have Polo.”
As a reminder, while the ID. Polo, which was officially revealed on April 29, is set to be built in Spain, the petrol-powered Polo, along with its Polo GTI sibling, is exclusively produced at Plant Kariega – the so-called ‘Home of Polo’ – in the Eastern Cape for local and global consumption. In April, the 500 000th sixth-generation Polo built for export rolled of VW’s Kariega production line.
The current-generation SA-built Polo hatch claimed top honours in the ‘Small car’ category at our 2026 Top 12 Best Buys awards.
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Also read
- 500 000th current-Gen VW Polo produced at Plant Kariega in SA
- VW Celebrates 2-millionth Polo produced at Plant Kariega in SA
- VW celebrates 30 years of Polo production in SA
- VW South Africa celebrates 500 000th Polo built for export at Plant Kariega
The post VW to continue producing petrol-only Polo in SA into next decade appeared first on CAR Magazine.
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