Volkswagen has started production of the all-new Nivus crossover coupe at its Anchieta plant, in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil.
It’s a big deal for Volkswagen do Brasil as the Nivus is the first model developed in Brazil that will be produced and sold in the European market. While the Nivus built in Brazil will be exported to countries in Latin America, the subcompact crossover will also enter production next year in Pamplona, Spain.
The location is not surprising as the Pamplona factory also makes the Polo hatchback and the T-Cross crossover SUV, both closely related to the Nivus. According to Volkswagen do Brasil, about 30 people from the Spanish team are involved in the Nivus project and some of them have been visiting the facilities in Brazil to learn more about the development of Nivus before European production begins.
See Also: 2021 VW Nivus Debuts In South America As Brand’s Smallest Crossover Coupe
Interestingly, the VW Nivus was developed without the need for a physical prototype in any of its phases, with designers and engineers using virtual reality and augmented reality instead.
“Today we start production of the VW Nivus and we are the first of the VW Group to develop a 100% digital project. As a result, we reduced the project time by 10 months, by performing tests and validations virtually, and made the processes more efficient and with significant cost savings, ” said Pablo Di Si, Volkswagen president and CEO for Latin America.
The Nivus is made at the Anchieta plant alongside the Polo hatchback and Virtus sedan, with all three models sharing the MQB-A0 platform.
To prepare the factory for the new model, Volkswagen bought 419 new equipment including 90 state-of-the-art robots and a new ‘Extra Large’ press. The facility was also expanded by 24,000 square meters (258,333 sq ft) and now totals approximately 105,000 square meters (1,113021 sq ft).
The VW Nivus will go on sale in Brazil in the coming weeks, followed by Argentina later in the year and other South American markets in 2021. From the second half of next year, it will also become available for European customers.
Check out the following video to see how the VW Nivus is made at the Anchieta plant, Volkswagen’s oldest production facility in Brazil.
