Volkswagen Polo-Vivo vs Toyota Yaris

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Toyota Yaris Discontinued model
Volkswagen Polo-Vivo in South Africa

Volkswagen Polo-Vivo

1.0 TSI GT 81kW Manual Petrol Current
ZAR 363,300 ex-showroom
⚡ 81 kW 🔧 200 Nm ⛽ 22.2 km/l
VS
Toyota Yaris in South Africa

Toyota Yaris

1.5 XR CVT Petrol CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 359,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 145 Nm ⛽ 15.1 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Volkswagen Polo-Vivo vs Toyota Yaris: the short answer

Polo-Vivo and Yaris are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Polo-Vivo: current from ZAR 271,900 · Yaris: last listed from ZAR 289,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Polo-Vivo Yaris
Maximum Power Polo-Vivo81 kW Yaris88 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque Polo-Vivo200 Nm Yaris145 Nm @ 4800 rpm
Engine Size Polo-Vivo1000 cc Yaris1496 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Polo-Vivo22.2 km/l Yaris15.1 km/l
Ground Clearance Polo-Vivo143 mm Yaris160 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Polo-Vivo

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

Yaris

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance

Which One's Right for You?

Polo-Vivo

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Yaris

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Polo-Vivo Yaris
Model Introduced Year 2010 2020
Generation Long-running locally produced hatchback Current generation on Toyota's TNGA-B platform
Facelift History Periodic feature updates over years Regular updates with improved safety and features
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version 2021
Facelift Version Ending Current 2024
Body Style Hatchback Hatchback
Color Note White, Black, Silver, Grey, Blue, Red Not confirmed
Dealer Stock Note Flagship grade in the South Africa lineup Not confirmed
Drivetrain Note 4x2 configuration for the local line-up Not confirmed
Model Year Current 2021
Production Status published discontinued
Segment Hatchback Hatchback
Tare Mass Kg 1108 kg 1110 kg
Vehicle Type Hatchback Hatchback
Spec Polo-Vivo Yaris
Length 3972 mm 4180 mm
Width 1682 mm 1745 mm
Height 1462 mm 1500 mm
Wheelbase 2470 mm 2550 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 143 mm 160 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 45 l 42 l
Boot/Cargo Space 280 l 286 l
Kerb Weight 1108 kg 1110 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1570 kg 1515 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) - 125 mm
Payload Capacity - 405 kg
Towing Capacity - 1600 kg
Number of Rows - 2 rows
Minimum Turning Radius - 5.1 m
Front Headroom - 991 mm
Rear Headroom - 940 mm
Front Legroom - 1039 mm
Rear Legroom - 881 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Polo-Vivo and Yaris comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Polo-Vivo 35 vs Yaris 37.

Efficiency index: Polo-Vivo 80 vs Yaris 61.

Safety-equipment index: Polo-Vivo 59 vs Yaris 98.

Practicality index: Polo-Vivo 54 vs Yaris 53.

Ownership-cover index: Polo-Vivo not separately scored vs Yaris 43.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Yaris leads by 4 points

Polo-Vivo and Yaris are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 59 /100
Lead 4 points
Data 90% source coverage
59
#1 Evidence leader

Yaris

90% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Performance 37
Performance 37
Efficiency 61
Safety 98
Practicality 53
Ownership 43
Leads by 4 points
55
#2

Polo-Vivo

60% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Efficiency 80 Check Performance 35
Performance 35
Efficiency 80
Safety 59
Practicality 54
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Yaris +2 Efficiency Polo-Vivo +19 Safety Yaris +39 Practicality Polo-Vivo +1

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Yaris

Performance 37/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 53/100
Ownership 43/100

Polo-Vivo

Performance 35/100
Efficiency 80/100
Safety 59/100
Practicality 54/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota Yaris leads the specification evidence index with 59 pts vs 55 pts for Polo-Vivo

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Yaris leads. However, Polo-Vivo may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Polo-Vivo vs Yaris questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.