Volkswagen (VW) has an uncanny ability with ordinary cars, as its German name suggests. The iconic VW Beetle, for instance, was voted the fourth most popular car of the past century after the Model T Ford, the Mini Cooper and the Citroen DS.
In the comparatively smaller South African economy, 288 000 VW Beetles were sold between 1951 and 1979, when the car was discontinued. The Citi Golf has eclipsed this: 320 000 units have been sold in the three decades since 1985.
The launch of a new model, the Citi 1,8r, means the clock continues ticking and the numbers continue ballooning.
There are no plans at present to discontinue the Citi Golf, which in many ways is the quintessentially South African car. It is made locally and only for the South African market. It is a version of the original VW Golf MK 1 three-door hatchback that was last produced in Germany in 1983.
VWSA assembled the Golf MK 1 from the late 1970s to 1984 when it was replaced by the Golf MK2. VWSA, however, decided to continue production of the car as its entry-level model. Indeed, it is a favourite vehicle for many, including students who laud it for being fuel efficient and “easy to maintain”.
A student, Thomas Blaser, noted that “it is small which is good for city traffic, easy to drive, economical on fuel”, before quipping that a woman said that he looked good in one. “That was when I was renting one. So this must have affected [me] because I bought one later.” Another owner of the model, Thembisa resident Nkosinathi (he declined to give his surname), said the car was easy to maintain, but also admitted that it was a car popular with thieves.
Figures of hijacked vehicles for last year, provided by Netstar, show that in its segment the Citi Golf is one of the most stolen cars. More than 100 were hijacked last year compared to 35 units of the Toyota Tazz, one of Citi Golf’s closest competitors. One Citi Golf owner said the high number of thefts could be because there are so many of them around and that the security on the car in the past could be bypassed easily. In the past 10 years, the Citi Golf has been challenged by the Toyota Tazz.
The Tazz was a clear favourite with many in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, but the Citi is reclaiming its position. The Tazz has outsold the Citi by about 30 000 cars in the past 10 years, but the past two years have seen the Citi once again gaining ascendancy. National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) and Response Group Trendline figures show that it out-sold the Tazz last year by 24 774 to 23 601.
Even though more continue to be sold, cars are being built from older versions by ingenious people. Nkosinathi said it is possible to build the Citi Golf “from scratch” using parts from previous models.
He said another reason the car was popular was because its parts are easily interchangeable with earlier or later models and are quite cheap. “Any person who goes to work can afford to maintain the car,” he enthused.
This is borne out by the Kinsey Report from last years which says: “As ever, the least-expensive parts basket is that of the VW Citi 1,4i, taken both as a percentage of the selling price and in overall basket cost.” The report notes that costs of the motor vehicle parts are 16,7% to its selling price. For the Toyota Tazz it is 23%, for the Opel Corsa Lite it is 25% and 45% for the Tata Indica.
A VW dealer, Brian Jones, of McCarthy Volkswagen Constantia, said the car has neither changed nor aged over the years. “It has remained forever young, through continuous innovation and upgrading … the car remains a leader. There is nothing in the market that comes close to it.”
Jones echoed the sentiments of owners when he noted that the car is reliable, value for money and economical on fuel.
Jones noted that the car is an epitome of the South African nation, and appeals to a broad range of people: black and white, young and old, male and female. “It is as colourful and adaptable as our nation,” he said and then wondered whether it will become as iconic as the VW Beetle.
VWSA, in partnership with Volkswagen Financial Services, operates driving schools on university campuses nationwide, where it provides affordable tuition through AA accredited instructors. The programme trains about 2 000 driving students a year and has a pass rate of mroe than 70%. There are six Citiwise Campus Drivers’ Club on university campuses around the country.
With such a reach, it is no wonder the Citi Golf continues to outperform the majority of its competitors. In 1994 there were only four model types in the entry segment. Despite this growing to 20 models by last year, the Citi was able to achieve a 20% share in this segment that includes cars such as the Toyota Yaris and Daihatsu Sirion.
The competitively priced Citi Golf faces stiff competition from other entry-level cars under the R100 000 mark. It is also popular in the second-hand market, a 1985 model this week being offered for R10 000.
The car has been a hit with rental companies and the government — last year about 4 500 units were sold to rental companies and about 1 000 cars have been sold to the government in the past five years.
Like the Citi.com that was meant to be ordered over the internet, the new Citi R has an MP3 player, lowered suspension and six-spoke alloy wheels.
Those who doubt the car is really South African should know this. It is even available in a bakkie version, known as the Caddy.