Viva, Vivo, viva to a top car!

LEGACY OF CITI GOLF IS FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH NIMBLE, CLASSY POLO Good looks, safety ratings and practicality – that’s why VW gets my vote.

If an addictive drug were a fusion of metal and fibreglass it would come in one of three Citi colours. Some will recall that VW SA in 1984 produced its own version of the successful MK1 Golf in Red, Yellow and Blue.

That date marked the birth of the Citi Golf, which had 70% of its parts sourced within the country. This was a smart tactic by VW SA, who needed an entry level vehicle that wouldn’t cost as much as the MK1’s successor.

A good 25 years went by and VW SA put a stop to a legend in 2010… but the legacy continues with the Polo Vivo, which is still made in VW’s Uitenhage factory alongside its newer generation stablemate.

But now the Citi story has another chapter as the same concept that made the Citi Golf popular will continue with the bestselling VW in SA.

I never wanted to own a VW Polo Vivo. I pondered on what my generation loved about owning a Vivo. It’s no hot hatch, it’s the same variant of the 2005 Polo… just cheaply made and there are so many on the road.

Not so long ago I was handed one of 2000 of the last Vivos in production, which goes by the name of the Citi Vivo. Does this look familiar? The red, yellow and blue that marked the beginning of the Citi Golf’s 25-year reign will end the seven-year reign of the Vivo.

Surprisingly, though, I grew fond of the car, partially due to the Citi’s rich history and also because it was a rare version of its kind.

I had no hopes that ladies would turn their heads at me, but they did – even though it’s not a GTI.

At home, my siblings were first to notice the white touches on the side mirrors, rims and the decals, while the car basked in the adulation for its legroom. My folks got hysterical when they saw the Vivo mistakenly thinking their son had finally purchased a decent car for his age.

On a long drive, I noticed it lacked some things my lazy side would enjoy, like a multifunction steering wheel or a voice-controlled radio like the Fiesta … but I could activate cruise control.

Gadgets like an SD card slot and a USB port are available if you hate scratching CDs. The Bluetooth stereo system took me two days to figure out, but once activated I’streamed music with ease.

This is no GTI so I did not expect power from this 1.4 litre. But it was great not having to look down at the fuel gauge. Mind you, with 55kW at 5 000rpm for the engine, the Citi Vivo can get cheeky when given an opportunity to overtake. In dire situations, the ABS or

EBD are a

I threw my hypocrisy and fanciness out of the window when we parted ways as I realised I was actually driving a quality vehicle.

safety measure with passenger and driver airbags.

I also noticed how far away the electric passenger window switch was and the side mirrors are controlled manually, so its owners are not easily distracted.

I threw my hypocrisy and fanciness out of the window when we parted ways as I realised I was actually driving a quality vehicle. Yes, I feel R178k for a bright coloured Vivo is a fair amount of money… but it is worth it when compared to the likes of a Datsun GO at R126 558.

It boils down to cheapness and shady safety vs looks, good safety ratings and practicality: in my opinion the VW is my preferred

choice.