For the full 2018 calendar year, the Polo ruled the roost, outselling the Polo Vivo by some 2 471 units. The tables turned last month, with the Polo being pipped to the post by the Polo Vivo (the former notched up 1 887 sales, the latter 2 571). But which vehicle has the better resale value?

The answer, according to Darryl Jacobson, managing director of True Price, is the Polo Vivo. “This may surprise some people. The Polo is, after all, a much better-looking vehicle. It is also a more refined package, offering Golf-like ride quality, a comfortable and surprisingly spacious interior and great road manners. In fact, the Polo really doesn’t put a foot wrong. It is superior to the Polo Vivo in all departments – except resale value,” he reveals.

True Price attends vehicle repossession auctions each week in order to gather pertinent data. Its team records actual prices paid on auction. At any one time, the company has around 30 000 current statistics on its database (statistics are never more than six months old in order to ensure that the data is as current as possible). This data is then used in order to provide motorists with free vehicle evaluations.

In order to provide accurate resale values for the Polo versus the Polo Vivo, the True Price team analysed its data and then came up with resale values. These are reflected as a percentage of original retail sales price. All values are based on actual prices paid on bank repossession auctions.

And, while the difference between the two vehicles is far from massive, there is a clear winner in the resale value stake: the Polo Vivo. “It delivers a resale value of 70.66%, versus the Polo at 67.62%. This is quite incredible. It shows the power of the less expensive model. This is pure economy in action. The Polo may be the better vehicle, but – right now, in South Africa – affordability rules. This is undoubtedly the reason why the Polo Vivo comes up trumps,” he reveals.

South Africans wanting a free vehicle evaluation can obtain one at www.trueprice.co.za