Pretoria News

Mswenko has swag but has its work cut out

THEY’RE like doves in the CBD. Everywhere.

Small wonder though, because the Volkswagen Polo remains a best-seller for the group and is closing in on 300 000 units sold since its introduction almost 11 years ago.

The Mswenko is a twist to the South African melting pot and found only within our borders. Loosely translated it means swag, so VW have added a couple of extras to make it stand out from the standard run-of-the mill Polo.

First things first. The Mswenko is not aimed at me or most of the people I know, we prefer swank to swag, but I know enough young people to understand the marketing around the car, because after all, the Mswenko does stand out from the safe and mundane.

Based on the Polo Comfortline, it sports the same underpinnings with a naturally aspirated 1.4-litre engine producing 63kw and 132Nm driving the front wheels via a five speed manual gearbox. It’s a perky combination and provides a spirited drive through the first couple of gears especially, because it doesn’t mind the rev counter getting close to the red line, while highway driving proved equally comfortable, although it did require a shift down to fourth gear when overtaking slower traffic – not a biggie though.

It doesn’t mind tackling the twisties either, with light and direct steering giving you enough feedback to keep it safe. It’s the exterior and interior trimmings though that give it its swagger.

Outside, tastefully placed “Mswenko” decals set it apart from the standard fare, a chrome tip exhaust, 16-inch anthracite alloys, anthracite side mirrors and a black roof round off a well-thought out package.

The interior couldn’t be more different to its rather outdated and slightly boring sibling, with the Ocean Blue seats and anthracite headliner.

They certainly add to the cool factor. | Willem van de Putte

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2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://pretorianews.pressreader.com/article/281900186083564

African News Agency