Suspension kings Bilstein have recently launched a new sports performance suspension kit for the fifth-generation 6R Polo. According to the German company, the B14 kit brings motorsport technology to the small Volkswagen, and transforms ‘every Polo into a sports car, with perfect roadholding and optimum handling and steering.’ It also claims that the new kits offers the ‘perfect blend of dynamics and comfort,’ as well as improved safety and handling. The mono-tube gas pressure shock absorbers with upside-down technology and a flexible height control system also ensure increased lane-holding and braking stability.

A lowering range of around 35-50 mm on the front axle and around 30-45 mm on the rear axle is available. Made in Germany, the surface of the B14 kit is finished in Triple-C-Technology®, with spring plate and lock nuts of special aluminium alloy and high quality sports performance springs, making, the company claims, the suspension extremely strong, hardwearing and durable. Each sports and coilover suspension made by Bilstein is tuned and tested exhaustively by its engineers on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring or at the company’s own test center in Papenburg. Download the company’s latest catalogue to find out more.

[Image: Bilstein]

Timed while it is showing the latest accessories for the Polo at the AMI Leipzig 2010 motor show – which ends this week – Volkswagen has recently introduced a promotion for German customers who want to add that little extra style to their new Polo, Golf and Scirocco. From 1 April to 30 June 2010, the ‘Enter low, get out large’ promotion (yes, the English translation seems to make little sense, we know, but all will become clear) enables customers who drive three of VW’s most popular models to get ‘attractive discounts’ on styling products and lowered suspension kits.

Official products for the Polo which qualify include front and rear aprons, side skirts, roof spoilers, racing pedals and lowered suspension springs. In addition, Motorsport-style multi-spoke 17” alloy wheels and carbon fibre-effect interior trim panels are also available. From what we can translate from the German press release, there is also an online ‘backwards’ auction, from which the winner with the lowest bid will receive a full body kit, a complete set of alloy wheels and a lowered suspension package, all to be fitted by a Volkswagen retailer. The promotion runs both in retailers’ showrooms and online. Visit Volkswagen Accessories’ German-language ‘Stylingaktion’ microsite for further details of the incentive.

Volkswagen will be showing its official accessories and lifestyle ranges as part of its stand at the AMI Leipzig motor show from 10 to 18 April. The Polo will be a major star at the event, with lowered suspension and aerodynamic body kits promoted, all of which enhance the fifth-generation model’s sporty looks. As well as the official accessories for the Polo, visitors to the Lifestyle part of the stand will be able to look at the clothing and home accessories available with the model’s branding.

Among the Polo products on offer are T-shirts, iPods and model cars. Other brands promoted will be GTI, Scirocco and T5. Model car collectors can also grab miniature versions of the new Touareg, Sharan and Amarok pick-up. Volkswagen Accessories GmbH is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and develops accessories for the company’s passenger car and commercial vehicle ranges. There are over 8000 accessory products available in Sport & Design, Wheels & Tyres, Communication, Transport, Comfort & Protection, Service & Care and Lifestyle ranges, all sold through official Volkswagen retailers.

Click here for more information on the official Volkswagen accessory range or download the latest Polo accessory brochure (European specification).

German modifying firm Rieger Tuning has taken the latest 6R Polo under its wing and launched a styling kit for Volkswagen’s award-winning newcomer. Visual enhancements include a front spoiler with a carbon-look lip and a rear apron with carbon-look diffuser. There are also new sill extensions and 18-inch matt black/polished Barracuda Racing ‘Karizzma’ multi-spoke alloy wheels with 215/35-18 tyres. A suspension kit is also on offer. Want to know more? Download the PDF here.

Following their announcement last October that multi-spoke 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels and lowering springs will be available for the new Polo, German tuners JE Design have gone one better and built a tuned version of Volkswagen’s new baby. Primarily to promote the company’s new programme for the car, to our eyes, the striking JE Design striking fifth-generation Polo is similar in style to the Volkswagen Polo Cup India race cars.

The chaps from Leingarten have manufactured their own parts for the body kit from high quality ABS plastic to an original equipment specification. A unique CNC-milling process ensures a perfect fit and the carbon-look bumper inserts, together with the headlamp eyebrows, add a touch of menace. The body kit (which also includes deeper side skirts) is priced at €1528 including VAT, while the twin sports exhausts which poke out of the carbon-look rear lip are €599.

LED daytime running lights can be added for €399 and are fitted in the standard front bumper air inlets. JE Design state that they have two uses; when dipped headlights are turned on, the LEDs become parking lights while when main headlamps are engaged, traffic safety is improved as the LEDs are much brighter, like most modern-day Audis. At the moment, it appears to be more show than go, with no engine upgrades listed. Contact official JE Design UK importers Prestige Styling or JE Design direct for more details.

Eibach is the latest company to offer suspension upgrades for the new Polo and just like the donor car itself, comfort, enhanced dynamism and safety are all key requirements for any offerings from the German tuner. Acquired racing know-how from motorsport activities is felt in the company’s products and Eibach says that even with the lowered centre of gravity offered by its Pro-Kit Performance springs, there is no loss of comfort. Other (predictable) advantages are that the new Polo becomes more sporty and the road-holding is improved.

Ride height can also be altered to an individual’s taste with Pro-Street-S coil overs and together with the Pro-Spacer wheel spacers, provides even better handling. Made of high-strength aluminium, the spacers push the wheels out to the corners of the car, giving it a wider stance and adding extra stability. All Eibach suspension components for the new Polo (6R) are available through authorised resellers and are provided with high quality anti-corrosion protection and are fully TÜV-certified.

Back in September, German Volkswagen and Audi tuners ABT unveiled its latest take on the Polo, but, of course, this is just the newest in a line of Polo ‘specials’ the engineers and stylists at Kempten have produced. We found this smart (and we should think, rare) Series 2F coupé at German Polo fan site PoloMagazin.

Primarily concerned with chassis tuning and body styling, this set of ABT modifications were designed for Polos from 1991 to 1994. The body was lowered by 40mm by way of shortened springs and dampers, while 7J x 15 ‘A5’ alloy wheels (with an ET of 35) got power down to the road, as well as providing more kerbside appeal.

Finally, a different-looking (and sometimes ill-fitting) front grille made the ABT Polo 2F stand out, if taking away some of its identity. Inside, a sporty ABT steering wheel takes centre stage. With no further body add-ons and no engine upgrades, it was clearly much simpler 18 years ago and ABT certainly took a more restrained approach, unlike today.

Would-be modders of the new Polo will be delighted. The car has only just gone on sale, and already KW Automotive GmbH is offering several different coilover suspension kits for the model. ‘Variant 1’ with solid damping control and lowering heights of between 35 to 65mm offers ‘an optimal balance between sportiness, comfort and safety,’ say the tuning firm. This most basic version is also zinc-plated, making it not only perfect for winter use but also durable.

Stepping up, ‘Variant 2’ features adjustable rebound damping – ideal for drivers who seek adjustments on the basic lowering set-up, enabling a tailored, personal feel. ‘Variant 3’ is harder still, derived from motorsport, and, once again, can be tailored to the personal preference of the driver, offering both high-performance and comfort. The separate and independently adjustable rebound and compression damping allows individual suspension adjustments.

The unique patented system with its each two-stage valves allows a rebound damping (for comfort) and a compression damping adjustment (for driving dynamics) in low speed ranges, while the more responsible and saftety-crucial high speed ranges are fixed. Like the other two kits for the new Polo, ‘Variant 3’ features in-line stainless steel technology and is TÜV-approved.

Available from €799, the KW coilover suspension kits for the new Polo come with a certificate for trouble-free registration with the Technical Control Board (TÜV) (should you be an owner in Germany), as well as detailed instructions for assembly and adjustment. No prices or details have yet been confirmed for the UK market, but for more information about the extensive suspension kit programme offered by KW Automotive GmbH and application lists for other Polo models, click here.

While Volkswagen is still deciding on the specification and power of the new Polo GTI, renowned German tuner ABT Sportsline has stepped in and announced its own take on the hot Polo. They say they’ve created a car with ‘character’, and although based on the five-door bodyshell, the result is certainly striking.

A carbon-look rear spoiler and apron insert give the ABT Polo a racy look, while the twin exhausts signal its intentions. Anthracite-coloured 8J x 18-inch alloy wheels add to the visual appeal, and in a throwback to 1970s styling motifs, the bottom of the doors have ABT-branded decals.

To go with the show, there’s also more go. Careful tuning of the new car’s petrol and diesel units has produced more power, but left the emissions and fuel economy the same as the standard model’s. The top-flight 1.2-litre TSI engine produces 128bhp in the Allgaeu tuner’s hands (up from 103), while the 1.6 TDI sees increases in all its forms (73bhp to 88bhp, 88bhp to 108bhp, 103bhp to 128bhp). The tuner also claims increased dynamism, too, with lowered springs to give improved handling.

ABT has yet to give prices or availability for the UK market.