Officially revealed at the brand’s 75-year-in-South Africa celebrations, Volkswagen Group Africa’s new Tengo entry-level offering is based on VW Brazil’s Tera, yet there are key differences between the two products.
With a mandate to export locally assembled products in significant markets on the African continent, including, of course, South Africa, the first cog in Volkswagen Group Africa’s long-term plans for this region is the Tengo compact SUV/crossover. Key to this strategy is a positive working relationship with other stronghold VW markets, including Brazil.
Penned by the Head of Design for Volkswagen Americas, José Carlos Pavone, the Tera, and by default the Tengo’s profile is shaped to add a sense of presence and height compared with cars like the Polo. This includes more robust-looking wheel arches, a taller bonnet, sharper strake lines and a (modest) 30 mm raise in ground clearance compared to the modern Polo hatch.
Sharing its MQB underpinnings with the Polo, Volkswagen Group Africa’s plans to incorporate the Tengo on the existing Plant Kariega assembly line allowed it to retain up to 75% of the Polo’s componentry – crucial to supporting the established local supply chain – which subsequently allowed the local office to replace the roof of the Tera with one from the Polo hatch. Significantly, this change meant the functional roof rails from the Taigo could be accommodated, as opposed to the purely cosmetic items fitted to the Brazilian product. With myriad road conditions on the African continent in mind, the Tengo adopts an altogether more robust, yet more compliant, rear suspension arrangement than the Tera.
While the Tengo’s bespoke seats are developed from the R-Line items available in the Polo hatch’s parts basket, a 25 W (ventilated) wireless mobile phone dock is borrowed and adapted for purpose from VW Group’s Skoda brand.
Another key consideration with Tengo sharing its assembly line with the European-spec Polo hatch is that VW Group Africa can add TSI powertrains to this compact SUV. While the lower-tier (more affordable) Tengo models will use the Brazilian-sourced naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, paired with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, that allows it to be tuned to accept so-called “dirty fuel” in some African markets, we know that the flagship Tengo will be sold with VW’s 1.0 TSI powertrain. This flagship model will also be available with the popular Black Package.
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