It has been almost a year since Volkswagen made the official announcement that its Kariega plant will commence production of a third model but the German automaker has now revealed more information about the whopping R4 billion investment for its Kariega facility.
Image: Volkswagen
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The Volkswagen Indaba took place in the Eastern Cape a few weeks ago and while it serves as a platform to learn about the general road map of the vehicles the automaker is in the process of homologating for the local market, the German automaker has also confirmed that its local Kariega facility will be configured to manufacture a third model which is expected to have its first units rolled out by 2027.
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Following local and global market trends, the new Kariega-produced vehicle – the recently-revealed Tera, as it is dubbed in Brazil – will be a Polo-based crossover/SUV that caters to buyers in the budget-oriented crossover/SUV segment. During the Indaba, Volkswagen added that the new model is yet to be given a local name so it is unlikely that the Latin based Tera name will be carried through for Mzansi.
The significant news is that Volkswagen will need to close the entire assembly line for a month (between mid-March and mid-April 2025) to refurbish the plant for manufacturing the new model. However, all Polo iterations are expected to not have production shortfalls with strategic planning.
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All of this continues to bolster Volkswagen’s position in the South African market and reaffirms its legacy in the country. The Kariega plant, which has been building Volkswagens since 1951, stretches over 518 378m² and produces 710 vehicles per day (for now). Apart from manufacturing engines, the Eastern Cape plant currently builds the Polo Vivo and Polo, and is the sole manufacturer of the Polo GTI for the global market.
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The post VW’s Kariega Plant Will Pause Production in 2025 For R4 Billion Investment of Tera SUV appeared first on CAR Magazine.
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