INDUSTRY NEWS
In preparation for the third model that will be manufactured by Volkswagen Group Africa from 2027, Plant Kariega will spent four weeks in May installing and upgrading facilities throughout its Production areas
Vehicle production of the popular Polo and Polo Vivo was halted from 14 April to 12 May, allowing teams to perform the required work on the line in areas such as Body Shop, Paint Shop and Final Assembly.
During the VW Kariega plant’ s annual shutdown in December 2024, 60 % of planned upgrades were completed over 25 days. This included the installation of 38 new fixtures and seven new robots, along with other modifications. The current work expands upon this initial phase.
PLANT KARIEGA CONTINUES PREPARATIONS FOR A0 SUV ENTRY PRODUCTION
The remaining 40 % of the planned work involved completing installations in the Body Shop, modifying stations and programming robots in the Paint Shop, and adjusting conveyors in Final Assembly. Upon completion of these tasks, the commissioning phase of the A0 SUV Entry project began.
Preparations for the third model, announced with a R4-billion investment at the VW Indaba in February 2024, are progressing beyond Production. The Procurement team has finalized supplier nominations to meet localization targets for the new model’ s components. Simultaneously, the Product Development team is working with Volkswagen do Brasil, with a VWGA employee serving as the Technical Project Leader at the São Bernardo do Campo plant. The Production team is also collaborating with their Brazilian counterparts for the model’ s launch.
Additionally, the company will soon be issuing an invitation to customers across the African continent to help select the name of this new model.
VWGA Production Director Ulrich Schwabe expressed excitement about the upcoming vehicle project, anticipating a moment of pride for the entire Volkswagen Group Africa upon its production launch. He believes this new model will achieve iconic status, similar to the popular Polo and Vivo currently manufactured by the company.
www. abrbuzz. co. za 05 JUNE 2025