Polo (VW)

On March 18, it was announced that Volkswagen has officially discontinued the Polo GTS in Brazil, a model that will be replaced by the Nivus GTS.

The Polo GTS has been removed from the website, and its production ended in November 2024 at the São Bernardo do Campo plant.

The Nivus GTS will take its place as the brand’s new sporty compact SUV. Its series production is expected to begin in March 2025, at the same Anchieta plant. This facility is also set to take on production of the Polo Track, in order to free up space at the Taubaté plant to ramp up manufacturing of the Tera.

The Nivus GTS model is expected to cost around BRL 170,000 and will share the same 1.4-liter turbo 250 TSI engine as the Polo GTS, delivering 150 hp and 25.5 kgfm of torque, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The interior is expected to feature sport-inspired trims with red stitching and carbon-fiber-style finishes.

(Auto Esporte on March 18, 2025)

Baidu Apollo announced that Leapmotor’s LEAP 3.5 technical architecture features its LD (Lane-level Data) map data for debut in the B10 SUV.

Baidu Apollo’s more than 3.6 million kilometers of LD map data covers more than 360 cities, 2,800 districts and counties, and more than 38,000 villages and towns in China, breaking through technical bottlenecks of conventional HD maps in terms of coverage, cost, and dynamic update. By virtue of precise lane-level topology, lane-level properties, and real-time dynamic data update for the entire road network, Baidu Apollo’s LD map data enables Leapmotor’s intelligent driving system to precisely recognize hundreds of complex scenarios. With beyond-visual-range perception capabilities, Baidu Apollo’s LD map data provides efficient lane selection support for intelligent driving systems, reduces errors in system decision-making, and enhances driving safety and intelligent driving experiences. (From a Baidu Apollo press release dated March 17, 2025)

On March 14, VW Brazil announced the start of production for the subcompact SUV Tera at its Taubaté plant .

The Tera was designed, developed, and manufactured entirely in Brazil, and is considered Volkswagen’s most significant model in South America in recent years. It debuted during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival and will launch in Brazil in the first half of 2025, followed by exports to over 25 Latin American and African countries.

The Tera production is helping economic growth by generating jobs and boosting local suppliers, with 80% of its parts sourced from Brazil. For its manufacture, VW hired 260 direct employees, out of which 40% are women, and expects to create up to 2,600 indirect jobs.

The Taubaté plant has undergone extensive upgrades, including new automation technologies and sustainability initiatives, such as using biogas to cut CO2 emissions by 99% in the painting process.

The Tera is part of VW Brazil’s BRL 16 billion investment plan through 2028, which includes 16 new models. With the Tera, VW strengthens its leadership in the region’s SUV segment, building on the success of models like the T-Cross, Nivus, and Polo.

(VW Brazil on March 14, 2025)