At last - 3 cheers!

ciden · Post by **ciden** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 12:09 pm

VWSA will be adding a 3-door Polo to the range in 2 weeks time. It will be powered by the 1.9TDi - this will now be the local Polo line-up's top of the range model.

From tomorrow onwards, a 3-door Golf 1.6 will also be available. This will be the cheapest Golf locally - and then in a months time or so, we will see the launch of the a 3-door GTi 132kW model.

Only problem I see with the 3-doors, in a couple of years when people start trading 'em in, they're not gonna get as much for them as with the equivalent 5-door model. I've seen this numerous times with other makes in S.A. - one of those strange things.

dxg · Post by **dxg** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 1:00 pm

From tomorrow onwards, a 3-door Golf 1.6 will also be available. This will be the cheapest Golf locally - and then in a months time or so, we will see the launch of the a 3-door GTi 132kW model.

I so hope you're talking about a Polo GTi when you say this

. Or do you mean that SA's just getting an MKIV GTi now??

Hmmm... 132kw = 177hp -- is that a 1.8T, then??

Deek.

ciden · Post by **ciden** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:51 pm

Nope, I'm refering to the Golf GTI - the 132kW one has been available for 3 months now, but only in a 5-door...and also a Jetta (Bora) version - and before that just had a normal GTi. Another strange thing they're doing, the GTi (Golf) now comes with a N. American style rear bumper - only a small no. plate can fit in there...odd actually!

KarlM · Post by **KarlM** » Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:47 pm

could it be excess stock left over from N America?

ciden · Post by **ciden** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:10 pm

Could be - I think it's the same story with the 3-door Golfs - they're trying to get rid of bodies. I mean VWSA will not bring in new presses which cost millions just to produce a few cars before next years local launch of the MKV.

Babe RuthLess · Post by **Babe RuthLess** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:42 pm

North-american spec cars are made in Brazil and there are actually 3 number plate space sizes for the Golf: the larger, European one, a medium size that's exactly the size of a Brazilian numberplate and the small one for American style number plates.

The last two are made here, and were probably exported to S. Africa to reduce costs (with the strong Euro and all).

THere are also Brazilian- and N. Marican-spec front bumpers, the difference being that the N. American bumper has the side marker lights and no space for a front numberplate.

You can get both from brazilian dealers and the US bumper is a popular mod (people seem to like the side markers, and it`s not that hard to fit a numberplate to the front, it`s a matter of drilling two holes).

As for Polos, only 1 bumper spec, same as in Europe - which looks kinda odd because our numberplates don`t fill the space set for them.

ciden · Post by **ciden** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 6:48 pm

Ok...but the question now is - why only fit the N. American style bumper only on the GTI? > Sporty character perhaps? The rest of the line-up is unchanged!