The new Volkswagen Polo Vivo Dune is pimped for the dirt

It looks ready for a continent-crossing expedition through Africa, it was conceived right here in SA, and it’s called the VW Polo Vivo Dune.

The concept car has its unveiling at this the Wesbank-sponsored Festival of Motoring at Kyalami from August 22-25.

Based on the Vivo Maxx crossover, the Dune has been pimped for the bushveld with accessories that include underbody protection, roof carrier with integrated LED light bar, and a snorkel, and off-road tyres. It’s destined to be one of the most noticeable vehicles in the sand dunes with its bright orange colour scheme, honeycomb grille, LED headlights, side styling bars with decals, and black wheels.

At the rear, a shark-fin antenna, tailgate spoiler, spare wheel on a carrier, chrome exhaust tail pipe and mud flaps add to the rugged look.

Interior pizzazz includes dash trim inserts in customized colour, accent stitching, orange leather seats with ‘Dune‘ embroidery, and sports pedals, while adventure capability is enhanced by off-road navigation and a two-way radio.

A project car built by Volkswagen SA’s product engineering department, the Vivo Dune is geared for adventure with its 40l fridge, a collapsible table and chairs, a storage box with a gas stove and fire extinguisher, and a water dispenser.

The Vivo Dune is a concept vehicle and won’t go on sale in its current form, but some features are likely to trickle down into special-edition versions of the locally-built Polo Vivo, which has been a great sales success for VW SA since its launch in February 2018.

A reborn version of the previous-generation Polo, the Vivo has gone on to become the country’s second best selling passenger car, behind the latest-generation Polo.