BY Motlatsi Kekana

There was a time when entry-level cars offered few features and were affordable. The consumer’s expectation from this segment was not much – four wheels, a steering wheel, and a car that took them from A to B without hassles. That mentality became history as we got offered more value in the small vehicles category due to inevitable modernisation. Prices also went through the roof. Then entered the evolution of the VW Polo range in the group chat. 

The range-topping VW Polo Vivo GT I recently got to drive left me doubting my choice for my next car. Any car that can cross provinces and still maintain a full tank does that to you. Sounds unreal right? It is real, and numbers don’t lie. The Polo Vivo GT averages about 4.6 litres per 100 kilometres, that’s equal to very little fuel used for daily use or long trips, mahala.

This cool Vivo GT comes in five vibrant exterior colours including my test model’s wild cherry red metallic, which makes it look extra cool. The silver mirror caps, with the GT letters on the body and 17-inch Mirabeau wheels, made heads turn everywhere I went. The interior also has some feature upgrades that make it a not-so-ordinary Polo Vivo. The new red cloth inserts and stitching, the grey stitching on the gear lever, and the handbrake ties in with the grey exterior accents. 

Let’s face it, being a Polo driver has a negative stigma attached to it. Most of us regard Polo drivers as a nuisance on the road. They tend to drive at unnecessarily high speeds and maneuver in ways that make other road users uncomfortable. We even blame them for the high rate of accidents on our roads. But, maybe we shouldn’t be so harsh on them. The drive in the Polo Vivo GT was an absolute joy. The 1.0-litre TSI engine is agile and allows for any kind of movement with smooth gear shifts, thanks to the 6-speed manual transmission. Don’t come for me now, I am not here to validate the “Polo” driving habits. Just saying ‘I understand them, I was them for one week’.

The verdict? You get a lot of car for an entry-level vehicle, even with a price tag of R332,800. Yes, this is not ‘little money’ by any stretch of imagination, especially in Ramaphosa’s economy. But cars have gotten expensive, hence we want value to justify the hefty price tag. And, I believe that’s exactly what the Polo Vivo GT offers – lots of value. If only we could remove the stigma by adopting new safer driving habits for our Polo driver, we would live in harmony.