VW plant Kariega enters next phase for production of new SA-built crossover
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As Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) continues to prepare Plant Kariega for production of its third South African-built model, the automaker has announced the Eastern Cape-based assembly facility has entered the commissioning phase for the highly-anticipated entry-level compact crossover/SUV.
Related: VW's Kariega Plant Will Pause Production in 2025 For R4 Billion Investment of Tera SUV
This announcement comes after VWGA halted production at Plant Kariega earlier in 2024 (from April 14 to May 12) to complete the upgrades, notably to the body shop, paint shop and final assembly areas, made to the manufacturing line in December 2024.
Noteworthy, with the aforementioned upgrades completed, production of the Polo Vivo and Polo has returned to normal, while the commissioning phase is carried out over the weekends. The latter phase comprises the processes of bringing the new equipment online and carrying out the necessary checks to ensure it operates optimally.
Related: VW Finally Unveils New SA-built Compact Crossover
Built alongside the aforementioned two cars, the automaker's upcoming product will serve as the opening gambit to the company's local crossover/SUV portfolio, which currently comprises the Polo-based T-Cross and Taigo, T-Roc, Tiguan and Touareg.
Positioned below the T-Cross, the Tera — as it is named in Brazil, where it is also manufactured — will officially be introduced in 2027. Locally, however, this model will be known by a different yet unannounced name. The German marque's SA arm has, however, confirmed that its moniker won't necessarily adhere to its 'T' naming convention.
Related: Polo Production Halts at Kariega for Tooling of New A0 SUV
VWGA production director Ulrich Schwabe said:
'We are happy to be back to normal production, with the knowledge that we are one step closer to our future of building three models in our plant.'
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