Volkswagen South Africa has confirmed that the Polo Vivo Sedan has been removed from the Wolfsburg-based automaker’s local line-up, revealing that there are currently no plans to replace it.

The Polo Vivo Sedan range had comprised five derivatives, covering two engines and three specification levels, priced from R192 200 to R218 200.

VW SA told CARmag.co.za that while the Vivo Sedan was no longer part of its local line-up, the Polo Sedan (which we would have expected to be repackaged as the new Vivo Sedan) would remain available as is and “fill the niche between the previous Vivo Sedan and the new Polo” hatchback.

The local arm of the German firm also confirmed that it had “no plans as yet” to bring the new Polo Sedan (revealed in November 2017 as the Virtus) to South Africa nor to build it at its Uitenhage production facility.

VW SA explained that “the sedan segment is declining in importance rapidly”, with many customers moving to SUVs, adding that it will thus be “bringing a number of new SUVs to the market in the coming years”.

The Polo Vivo hatchback range (which has just been expanded with the launch of the new Vivo Maxx), meanwhile, would continue unaffected.

Late in 2017, Volkswagen SA confirmed that the next-generation Jetta would not be offered locally, with the nameplate set to exit the local market after some 38 years. At the time, VW SA said that it would continue selling the sixth-generation model until stock ran dry, which it tentatively predicted could be as late as early 2019.

Original article from Car