The Brazilian-designed Volkswagen Saveiro holds a certain fascination for South Africans.
It’s widely believed that this half-tonne bakkie would have been a hit on our market had it ever been offered here. Sadly its local introduction was never on the cards as the vehicle was engineered in left-hand drive format only and converting it to RHD for local production would have proven prohibitively expensive.
The same of course, will apply to the recently facelifted Volkswagen Saveiro that was unveiled in Brazil recently.
However, there is hope that its eventual replacement could make its way to Mzansi.
Earlier this year Engineering News reported that a new compact bakkie, developed in conjunction with the Brazilian division, was under consideration for local production.
Such a bakkie would almost certainly be spun off the new budget SUV product that the local division is aiming to introduce here in the second half of the decade. Given that the latter will share its platform with the current Polo, the right-hand drive problem would effectively be solved, or so it would seem.
Such a product would logically also replace the Saveiro in Brazil, although it could still be a few years away given that the Brazilian half-tonner has just been given a facelift.
So what’s new in the Saveiro’s zoo for 2024?
For starters, the front has been given a redesign, with new LED headlights and a large drooping grille resembling latest Tiguan and T-Cross SUVs.
New taillights with a darkened design appear at the rear end, along with a new tailgate with Saveiro lettering on the top versions, and a redesigned bumper.
The half-tonner is available in single cab and extended cab configurations with three specification flavours: Robust, Trendline and Extreme. The latter gets unique 15-inch Piano Black wheels with a diamond finish.
Inside, the Extreme model receives leather seats with Extreme embossing, while the dashboard has brushed steel garnishes.
Power comes from a normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, which produces 87kW. It powers the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.
The current Saveiro is based on the Gol hatchback, whose last all-new generation appeared in 2008. The Gol was recently discontinued in Brazil, replaced by a stripped down version of the current Polo, named the Polo Track, which could also provide direction for South Africa’s next Polo Vivo.