Except, after around four days of living with it, it really feels like a 2017 Polo. There’s not much in it really, a sticker here, a badge there, some minor trim details and that’s about it. And that’s not a complaint since for R192,000 you could be driving this, a very complete 1.4l Comfortline. That engine is good for a city-friendly 63kW and 132Nm and comes mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. Together they conspire to achieve a lowly 12.2 second sprint to 100kph but with the enviable payoff of a 5.9l/100km fuel cycle and a moderate carbon footprint of 140g/km. Top speed, should you hang on long enough, is 177kph. If you find yourself at a racetrack you should consider leaving. But for everywhere else, the little 1.4 Vivo is a charm.
The looks are what you’ve become used to over the last few years or so, business casual and with 15 inch Estrada alloy hoops at each corner to add some extra appeal. Ours is resplendent in Pure White, as opposed to appliance, and while I enjoy a white car there’s simply no finding our Vivo in a parking lot. Anonymity aside, the cabin is also hauntingly familiar, and covered in cloth material at this trim level. It’s spacious too with 280 litres of luggage capacity.
But how does it go?
Well, give us another day or two to do a full report but early results are highly favourable. We’ve already covered the fact that it’s not about to light your pants on fire with its performance, but as a highway and urban cruiser with sufficient get-up-and-go, the Vivo got up and went with the best of them.
