VW’s Citi Vivo brings back ‘red, yellow, blue’

Johannesburg – If you were around in the 1980s, and South Africa was your home, then there’s no way you won’t remember the red, yellow and blue Volkswagen Citi Golfs and the catchy ads that marketed them.

Citi Vivo brings back the colour

If that gets you feeling all nostalgic then we have good news for you – Volkswagen South Africa is bringing that theme back with the Polo Citi Vivo, which is available in Cornflower blue, Flash red and Sunflower yellow. Like the original CitiGolf of 1984, the Citi Vivo also has white wheels (though alloys instead of pressed steel in keeping with the times) as well as white decals on the lower doors and boot. Unlike the original, this one also sports white side mirrors.

The Citi Vivo has yet to be officially announced by VWSA, apparently that happens next week, but some cars have arrived at dealers and they're doing the rounds on social media. The model had been partially loaded onto VW’s local website at the time of writing, and a little digging on the configurator reveals the vital info.

For starters, the Citi Vivo might be cheerful but it’s not exactly cheap at R177 300, although it is still the second most affordable Polo Vivo passenger model, slotting between the 55kW Conceptline (R172 300) and 63kW Trendline (R181 900). The Citi comes with the 55kW version of VW’s normally aspirated 1.4-litre petrol engine, which is also good for 132Nm.

Key standard features, according the VW website, include air conditioning, a four-speaker audio system, remote central locking, dual front airbags and ABS brakes. There’s not much brightwork in the cabin, but the seats do get some blue and orange patterning. Power windows and fog lights will cost you extra, and cruise control has also found its way onto the options list.

VW repurposed the first-generation Golf as the CitiGolf in 1984 in order to avoid vacating the entry-level market when the bigger and more upmarket ‘Jumbo’ Golf 2 appeared. The first prototype, called the ‘Econo Golf’, was rejected for being extremely dull but thankfully VW’s ad agency came up with the bright, colourful Citi theme and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fittingly, the Polo Vivo is a recycled previous-generation Polo, which sort-of replaced the CitiGolf after it died in 2009.