By Gavin Myers
Photos: Gavin Myers
The new VW Citi Golf is not a Citi Golf. Well of course it’s not, because that car has been discontinued, but VWSA has an uncanny knack for developing a separate brand around its entry-level models. Take for instance this: the new VW Polo Vivo.
It is based on the previous generation Polo, much like the Citi was on the MK1 Golf, and is VW’s new entry point to the brand, much like the Citi was. The Vivo gets the new VW face, and loses the old Polo’s bump-strips around the doors and bumpers. Obviously there has been some cost cutting too. Noticeable is more noise creeping inside when on the move (an indicator of less being spent on sound-deadening) and the hard plastic door paneling. But not that any of this detracts from driving the car at all.
The Vivo is available with two 1.4 and a 1.6 engine and we were lucky enough to sample the R127 465 1.4 Trendline (63kW) and the R142 320 1.6 Base (77kW) derivatives. Both motors have an eager willingness to rev and are very smooth through the rev range. While the 1.6 feels especially torquey and picks-up speed easily indeed, the 1.4 needs to be worked quite a bit more to make the same sort of progress. The least powerful 55kW model we would then surmise to be far too pap… Both cars we tested come standard with ABS and EBD (on the point of safety, all have standard driver and passenger air-bags).
But the Vivo is an easy car to pilot around town; visibility is excellent, the power steering is very light and so is the clutch. The car is comfortable and the ride (if memory serves) seems to have been softened compared to the car on which it is based, but this leads to it feeling quite floaty over uneven roads. The Vivo is definitely not a dynamically entertaining hatch, though it’s not meant to be.
Feature wise, only the top 1.6 Trendline model comes with front electric windows, but some good news is that you won’t have to wind-down those windows too often because air-conditioning has recently been made standard across the Vivo range. As a student, the option box you absolutely have to tick is for the upgraded sound system. This includes: MP3 CD compatibility, an auxiliary input, a USB input, an SD card slot and Bluetooth connectivity. The coolest part, though, is that the Bluetooth isn’t only a hands-free system for your phone, but you can also play music from your phone’s MP3 player through the system! It isn’t flawless though, the controls can take some getting used to and there is a slight difference in music quality when listening via Bluetooth vs a CD or Aux-in, for example. But overall the system provides some very good sound.
The Polo Vivo comes standard with a 3-year/120 000km warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty, but you will have to dish out extra for service and maintenance plans, which are optional through the range. However, this hasn’t stopped the Vivo from being a consistent top seller for the past few months. For us, the mid-range 1.4 Trendline at R127 465 represents the best value for money buy – it has all the same features as the 1.6 and you won’t really miss that car’s extra shove around town. It seems then, that the new Citi Golf, is the Polo Vivo.
Watch our video review and read alternative reviews at www.ujobservermotoring.blogspot.com!
Our sincerest thanks go to Gerrit Schoeman and Rui Fernandes from Hatfield VW Braamfontein for the Polo Vivo experience. Hatfield VW Braamfontein is located on the corner of De Korte and Henri Street, Braamfontein, and can be contacted on (011) 408-0000, or at www.hatfieldvw.co.za.
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