What you need to earn to afford VW’s cheapest hatchback, crossover, and SUV

Motorists need to earn anywhere from R30,000 per month to R72,000 per month to afford the cheapest VW hatchback, crossover, or SUV on a finance plan in South Africa.

VW has long been one of the country’s most popular brands, but its sales have begun to dip in recent years as the average price of its vehicles continue to climb.

Today, the cheapest Volkswagen in South Africa is the Polo Vivo which will set you back a minimum of R266,900.

For this price, you can expect a 1.4-litre petrol engine, which produces 55kW and 130Nm. This is paired to a five-speed manual gearbox, resulting in an average fuel consumption of 5.5l/100km.

The base Vivo also brings amenities such as 14-inch steel wheels, a multifunction steering wheel, manual aircon, cloth seats, four speakers, and a 9-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If you’re in the market for a crossover, you’ll have to spend at least another R200,000 to pick up the T-Cross, which goes for at least R462,200 as of 2024.

To be fair, this hefty sum is not reflective of the mini SUV’s true base price, as only the higher-spec units are currently available in our market, with a lower-tier and by extension, lower-priced model to arrive in 2025.

Anyone who splashes out for the current selection will receive a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol block with 85kW and 200Nm.

Mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT), the T-Cross will consume roughly 5.3l/100km.

Furthermore, the T-Cross is delivered with automatic LED headlights, 16-inch alloy rims, a digital driver display, paddle shifters, six speakers, and parking sensors, in addition to the sort of equipment seen on the Vivo.

It is also 163mm longer, 111mm taller, and 45mm higher off the ground than its hatchback stablemate.

Finally, there’s the midsize Tiguan SUV, which needs owners to part with at least R651,500.

This model has access to a 1.4-litre turbocharged mill with 110kW and 250Nm, which also uses the seven-speed DCT and averages 7.6l/100km.

Owners of the Tiguan are then treated to 17-inch alloys, a leather steering wheel, ambient lighting, and three-zone climate control.

The SUV is also 99mm longer than the T-Cross, though they end with the same roofline, and the Tiguan’s ground clearance is actually 30mm lower.

What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on each VW:

• Car price – R266,900/R462,200/R651,500
• Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
• Interest – 11.50%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this, you’ll need to pay at least R5,965 per month for the Vivo, R10,261 per month for the T-Cross, and R14,424 per month for the Tiguan.

Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.

This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R29,825 per month to R51,305 per month to R72,120 per month to afford VW’s base hatchback, crossover, or SUV on a finance plan in South Africa.

Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which must all be factored into your budget.