Sentimental and colourful trio are sexy in the Citi
NEW MODELS/ Volkswagen has added some nostalgia to its Polo Vivo with the return of the Citi name, writes Mark Smyth
Remember the Volkswagen Citi Golf? Probably a stupid question because the company sold hundreds of thousands of the things right up until production ended in 2009. The Citi morphed into various styles from the iconic two-tone versions, but all were based on the original Golf Mk1.
Now Volkswagen SA has resurrected the Citi name, although this time it is a limited edition of just 2,000 units and instead of the Golf, the name adorns the Polo Vivo.
It is not just the car that is different either because when the Citi Golf existed, it was a genuine budget vehicle offering value to the entry-level market.
These days entry-level pricing covers a wider range than at the turn of the century, but if you look at entry-level being between R100,000 and R150,000 then the Polo Vivo Citi at R177,300 is not the budget offering of its forebear.
You can choose from the same blue, red and yellow colours as the original and you get some Citi stickers.
“There is no better way to celebrate the success of the Polo Vivo as the best-selling passenger car in SA than to pay homage to its iconic predecessor, Citi Golf. The three colours of red, yellow and blue are synonymous with the classic Citi Golf and it was fitting for us to use them as the only colours for Citi Vivo,” says Stefan Mecha, director: sales and marketing at Volkswagen Group SA.
The limited edition model is based on the Polo Vivo 1.4i Conceptline but there are a number of Citi styling items. These include white 15-inch alloy wheels, white side mirrors and the door and tailgate handles are also painted in white.
Higher up the ladder from the Vivo, Volkswagen has added a new model to the proper Polo range in the form of the 81kW 1.0l TSI priced at R290,200 — see what we mean about entrylevel pricing? The engine is the start of a new era of downsized engines for VW SA and will also be used in the new Golf.
The additional model is also the first Polo to be fitted with an R-Line styling package, which includes 17-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler and diffuser and side sill extensions.
With an all-new Polo set to be unveiled this year and be launched in the country in 2018, expect to see a few more standard add-ons for Polo models as the current generation begins its drive into the sunset.