Volkswagen do Brazil is apparently planning to replace its long-serving Gol entry-level model in 2004 with a new compact car based on the new Polo, writes Rogério Louro.
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The new ‘Tupi Project’ car will be built in the Volkswagen/Audi plant in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná state, for sale in Brazil and export to other South America countries.
The plant currently produces the Volkswagen Golf and the Audi A3 – the recently launched new Polo is made at Volkswagen’s main Anchieta plant, in São Bernardo do Campo city, São Paulo state.
The Tupi Project car will use the same platform as the Polo with different body styling. Like the current Gol, the new vehicle will be more basically specified than the Polo and aimed at the entry level market.
Given this broadline, Brazilian industry commentators believe that the Tupi Project will replace the unique locally-made Gol but Volkswagen has not yet confirm this.
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By GlobalDataThe Gol has been Brazil’s best-selling car for 15 years but will be repositioned in May solely as Volkswagen’s entry- compact following of the introduction of the new Polo which becomes the top model in the company’s compact car line.
The pundits think that VW will want to keep the Gol nameplate with its long history and good reputation and are convinced Project Tupi is in fact a fourth generation Gol.
In its first year, the new car will be built at the rate of 150 units a day, helping the São José dos Pinhais plant to reach its capacity of 550 vehicles per day.
The factory currently builds about 400 Golfs and A3s a day.
