Volkswagen completes first factory updates for ‘Tera' production
The first phase of Volkswagen Tera production readiness in South Africa has been completed. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil
Volkswagen has entered what it describes as the next phase of its factory overhaul in preparation for the commencement of local production of its still unnamed MQB A0 Entry SUV in 2027.
Shutdown
Last month, the automaker confirmed a four-week shutdown of its Kariega Plant in Eastern Cape for the installation of 100 robots, revisions to conveyor belts in the final assembly area, and upgrades to the body shop and paint shop for the newcomer that will become the third model assembled locally alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo.
ALSO READ: What South Africa can expect: Volkswagen Tera detailed in Brazil
While well known to be a South African-market version of the Tera that went on sale in Brazil this week, a different name will be used. Volkswagen hinted that its annual product Indaba in February will have a distinctly African-flavoured moniker.
The next phase
In its latest update about the plant being back in operation, Volkswagen stated that the 'Tera' has entered the 'commissioning phase', which it defines as 'a systematic process of bringing the new equipment online and performing necessary checks to ensure these are functioning optimally'.
It added that this will be implemented over weekends to avoid delays in the regular three-shift running of the plant located in the town formerly known as Uitenhage.
It remains to be seen whether the interior, apart from the shift from left to right-hand drive, will undergo any additional changes for South Africa. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil
The result of an R4-billion investment into the plant last year, the joint venture between Volkswagen Group Africa, Volkswagen do Brasil and Skoda India has seen South Africa take the lead on project development, despite it being the final market to receive it.
Unveiled last year in India as the Skoda Kylaq, the 'Tera' will seemingly be positioned between the T-Cross and Taigo, although it could become Volkswagen's smallest SUV locally as production of the former, in Europe, is anticipated to end next year in readiness for its all-electric replacement, the ID.2X.
What to expect
In Brazil, the Tera occupies the position below the Taigo's South American sibling, the Nivus, with pricing ranging from below R330 000 to a smidgen over R440 000 when directly converted from reais to Rands.
While normally aspirated and turbocharged versions of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder are offered, South Africa is likely to receive only the latter combined with either the five-speed manual gearbox or the optional six-speed Tiptronic.
Tera's name will be dropped for South Africa. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil
'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,' Volkswagen Group Africa's Production Director, Ulrich Schwabe, said in a statement.
'I would like to thank every employee who has played a part in the process of preparing for this future icon in our Volkswagen line-up, and I look forward to working with these colleagues, as well as our Brazilian counterparts, as we continue on this journey'.
More soon
Hinted at the Indaba possibly being showcased in pre-production form early next year, speculation has stated that assembly will start late 2026 before the onset of sales in 2027.
As it stands though, this is purely speculative and could well change over the coming 18 months or so.
NOW READ: Volkswagen halts local production in preparation for 2027 SUV
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Why the VW Golf TSI proves legends never die: a timeless hatchback review
After 50 years the Volkswagen Golf still manages to impress. Just like the VW Beetle had a place in every family story generations ago, so too does the Golf since its local introduction in 1978 with the Mk1 (first generation), then assembled at the Volkswagen production plant in Kariega. After testing a string of SUVs, when the 8.5-generation Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI arrived, I could not have been happier to get behind the wheel of the car that is such an integral part of the company's DNA and has been putting smiles on people's faces for the past 50 years. Top of the pile Our test unit was the Golf 1.4 TSI R-Line Plus, which stands on top of the four-car lineup, the others being the entry-level Life, followed by the Life Plus and then the R-Line. While hatchbacks continue to take a backseat to SUVs, Golf sales are ticking over in relatively healthy numbers, justifying VW's decision to bring them to our shores. I understand people's preference for an SUV, but having spent a week with the Golf, I couldn't help thinking that this is just so much more enjoyable as an overall experience, especially in the handling department. Anyway, consumers have spoken, but it's good to see that VW still sees the Golf very much as part of their offering. Exterior There's no confusion about its design. Unlike many SUVs, if you had to remove the badging, it would be difficult to tell one from another. At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking it's a GTI with its R-Line Plus front end fitted with IQ Matrix LED Headlights with a snazzy illuminated VW front logo and 18-inch 'Leeds' alloy rims. Interior Sliding in behind the steering wheel, the first impression is one of quality. Soft-touch surfaces, stitching, door card fitment, and everything else pass close scrutiny with flying colours. The multi-function steering wheel is heated and with enthusiastic driving you may accidentally push the button with your thumb, there are brushed stainless steel shifting paddles, heated and cooling front Vienna leather seats with power adjustable driver seat, three zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, Park Assist with Park Distance Control, brushed stainless steel pedals and a 30-colour ambient lighting system. The 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system works like a charm. It's easy to reach, intuitive, with quick reaction and crisp graphics. Behind the wheel is VW's 10-inch digital cockpit that can be set to your preferences with equally good graphics and display. There's also a hallelujah moment on entry with the previous generation's haptic buttons on the steering wheel having been replaced with physical buttons at the behest of former VW South Africa MD and now CEO of Volkswagen passenger cars, Thomas Schäfer. The interior is one of the most ergonomically perfect cars that I have experienced in a while.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Blacked-out Audi A3 sedan stands out from the usual suspects
With SUVs all starting to look the same, this pedigreed product is a sure-fire head-turner. Not that long ago the fancier derivatives in a car's model line-up featured body colour and chrome touches everywhere. The cheaper the model got, the more black trim it got. These days, the opposite applies as the trimmings get darker the higher you move up in a range. Case in point being the facelifted Audi A3. While the entry level models come standard in Ingolstadt's familiar S line trim that was previously an option, the Black Edition is now the one you need to fork out extra to get more street credit. The Citizen Motoring recently sampled the sedan version of the Audi A3 1.4 TFSI Black Edition. Priced at R849 500, it comes at a R26 300 premium over the S line sedan and R15 000 over the Sportback Black Edition. Audi A3 gets dark touches The exterior darkened elements are small, but they do make a huge difference to the overall picture. At the front, it starts with the Audi logo, grille motif garnish and foglight bezel housing all being blacked out. Around the sides, the 18-inch alloy wheels changes from aluminium to Black Metallic, the rubbering around the window frames goes from matte to gloss black and the side skirts swop brushed chrome for black. The Black Edition rides on gloss black 18-inch alloys. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe At the rear, the dark grey motif on the diffuser and tailpipe housing is blacked out. Like at the front, the Audi logo also turns black. ALSO READ: Refreshed Audi A3 priced along with red-hot RS3 All the windows get dark privacy glass, while the black side mirrors caps are quite strangely offered as an optional extra at R2 100. That is the premium you pay nowadays when you don't want people to see you in a car with body colour trim. Although the Mythos Black Metallic our tester was clad in is a stunning colour, we felt that it doesn't quite do the Black Edition trim the kind of justice the bright yellow, red or white on offer will. S line interior The Black Edition hardly brings any changes to the cabin, which already features all the S line trim which includes sport seats and sports steering wheel. The seats were clad in a combination of Pulse cloth and artificial leather in red and black with red contrast stitching. The latter being a R8 100 option. The biggest change inside the update Audi A3 sees the inclusion of a new centre console, which swop out the gear lever with a toggle switch. Standard features include a 10.1-inch MMI Plus infotainment system, 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control and Sonos sound system. The Audi 3 Sedan Black Edition features a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol TSI engine, a familiar stalwart in the Volkswagen family. It sends 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque to the front wheel via eight-speed Tiptronic transmission. Notice the gear selector toggle switch. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe Pleasure to drive While we learned nothing new from this mill that we haven't already knew, it was just another timely reminder of what a pedigreed powertrain feels like. Proper throttle calibration, power delivery and gear changes make any trip in the A3 smooth sailing. ALSO READ: More striking and aggressive new Audi Q3 officially revealed Handling is as good as you'd expect from a brand with serious racing studs in its stable. And a sedan's lower centre of gravity compared to an SUV just makes the weigh distribution so much better. Fuel consumption can come it anything from the mid six litres per 100km to the low nines if you misbehave. Our roads have become so saturated with similarly styled SUVs these days that a compact premium sedan with dashing good looks like the Audi A3 Black Edition manages to stand out from the crowd. Add to this Ingolstadt's pedigree and a rock-solid powertrain and we have an odd-on winner.
The Herald
13-08-2025
- The Herald
SA's auto sector hit by job losses and company closures
Low domestic sales of locally made cars, an influx of imports and low local content have led to 12 company closures and more than 4,000 job losses in the South African motor industry over two years, the trade minister said on Wednesday. South Africa, a market long dominated by the likes of Volkswagen, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz, saw sales of 515,850 locally produced cars last year, far below the South Africa Automotive Masterplan 2035 target of 784,509, minister Parks Tau told delegates at an auto parts conference. About 64% of vehicles sold in South Africa are imports. Additionally, localisation — the level of local assembly, labour and components — remains stagnant at 39%, well short of the 60% target, while US tariffs now significantly affect the country's R28.7bn automotive exports, he added. 'These pressures have triggered 12 company closures and more than 4,000 job losses in two years,' Tau said. South Africa's automotive industry employs 115,000 people directly, with more than 80,000 in component manufacturing alone. Experts say that with the US tariffs on cars and parts that were imposed from April, jobs are under threat as some companies are set to lose contracts in America. South Africa on Tuesday submitted a revised offer for a trade deal with Washington, in an effort to lower the 30% tariff US President Donald Trump imposed last week. To help respond to the challenges in the industry, an incentive scheme for local manufacturing now includes electric vehicles and associated components, Tau said. 'Localisation is not merely policy compliance, it is existential. A 5% increase in local content would unlock R30bn in new procurement, dwarfing the R4.4bn US export market,' Tau said. International manufacturers such as Stellantis and China's Chery are looking to localise production in South Africa, with Stellantis ready to break ground in the Eastern Cape.
