Stylish new VW Polo for South Africa – Photos and specs

VW is working on a new visual package for the fan-favourite Polo called the Copper Style Package.

The carmaker recently showcased a pre-production model at the Festival of Motoring (FoM) in Gauteng, where staff were on hand to explain the thought process behind their latest concept.

Style on a budget

Unlike most vehicle cosmetic packages seen across the industry, the Copper Style Package will be offered on the base Polo, rather than one of the top-spec units like the R-Line.

This is not the first time that VW has introduced a visual bundle for one of its models, as South Africans will likely be familiar with options like the Black Style Package for the Polo Vivo.

Like the Black Style Package, the reasoning behind the Copper is to give customers of the more affordable Polo derivatives a budget-friendly way to spruce up their wheels with eye-catching visual enhancements from unique rims to decals and more.

It will be a little while before motorists will be able to take ownership of the shiny new hatchback, however, as the Copper is still at the drawing board stage in terms of development.

Consequently, the new iteration does not have a release date and is unlikely to appear before the end of the year, according to a VW spokesperson.

The silver lining to all of this is that VW is opening up the design process to the public, who will be able to submit ideas and requests for what the Copper package will entail.

This does mean that the pre-release model shown off at FoM is likely to see significant changes by the time it hits showrooms, but it gives a good sense of what Volkswagen is aiming for with this visual overhaul.

As the name implies, copper is the main colour theme that will be applied to various components, from the door mirror caps to the striking 14-inch alloy wheels.

For this concept, the automaker has also added Copper decals to the back doors, a two-tone black roof, and additional black lines running along the front bumper and tailgate that accentuate the hatchback’s proportions.

Thus far, the inside is mostly the same save for Copper lettering on the passenger-side dashboard, but more items could be added to the product based on public feedback by the time it goes on sale.

Since it’s based on the starter Polo, the stylish model comes with a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which generates a total of 70kW and 175Nm.

It also bring all of the hatchback’s standard equipment, like LED headlights and daytime running lights, cloth seats, manual aircon, a digital driver display, and a 6-inch infotainment system.