Volkswagen of South Africa has started exporting right-hand-drive versions of the new Polo following investment at its plant in Uitenhage, near Port Elizabeth.
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Speaking at the opening of the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park (NMBLP), VW South Africa managing director David Powels said the company will export 19,000 New Polo’s to RHD country destinations around the world by end 2009 and will export a further 55,000 to countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore in 2010.
This will result in the doubling of total exports from approximately 28,500 in 2009 to 55,000 in 2010.
Volkswagen of South Africa’s investment programme commenced in 2008 when the company embarked upon a complete plant renewal process including the installation of new technologies, facilities and equipment to enable Volkswagen to build cars to worldwide quality and process standards.
Powels said: “By the end of 2009, VW of South Africa will have invested ZAR3.5bn (USD470m) in new plant, local content development and new product. A further ZAR500m (USD67m) will be invested in 2010 to complete the process and ensure that the Company is well placed to capture future opportunities both in the South African and global markets.”
Production of the all New Volkswagen Polo started at the Uitenhage plant in July 2009. The New Polo hatch will be introduced to the South African market early in 2010 and will replace the current Polo, which has consistently been South Africa’s favourite passenger car in recent years.”
Powels said that one of the key factors enabling VW of South Africa to capture the Group Polo RHD global market contract has been the investment on the part of a number of suppliers in the NMBLP.
Collectively, Rehau, Benteler, Flextech, Faurecia and Grupo Antolin have invested approximately ZAR600m (USD80m) into the Park enabling VW to take local content levels in the New Polo to 70%.
Historically VWSA built cars on five platforms. This was reduced to three platforms in 2008 and will from 2010, reduce to two platforms. One platform will be the all New Polo for both the domestic and export markets and the second platform will be a new A0 entry level car to be announced towards the end of the first quarter of 2010.
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