2007 Volkswagen Eos Review

Specifications

Getting the Best Of Both Worlds

I dont know about you, but the first thing that pops up in my mind when the words “Volkswagen Convertible” are mentioned, is something along the lines of a 1988 Mk.II Golf Cabrio. Preferably a white one, white vinyl seats, white roof, and those white 14-inch snowflake alloy wheels. For some reason, thats always been the quintessential Volkswagen convertible, perpetually cute, just like the Cabrios and the New Beetle Convertible that followed it. But these cars never really strayed far from the effeminate girly nametag, which poses a problem for Volkswagen. This reputation of being toys for college-age girls or gifts for high school graduates, makes it so they arent taken seriously by VWs regular enthusiasts, despite being wholly good and properly engineered.

But Volkswagen doesnt want its convertibles to be forever associated with being overtly girly (who would?), a stereotype thats as condemning (even by women) and hard to shake as any. The solution theyve opted for is to start from a clean slate with a new name and image. Luckily, the fortification of Volkswagens brand name from the upscale push of the Passat, Touareg and Phaeton hasnt done any harm. If anything, its shown that Volkswagen is equally good at building fun economical cars as those for more grown-up tastes. And while the Volkswagen name doesnt carry the same weight as Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, the brand new Eos looks to be a perfect match against Volvo and Saab, two companies with heavy investment in the convertible market.

What sets the Eos apart from all the other cars on the premium convertible shortlist, except the Volvo C70, is its roof system. Its a folding hardtop and its Volkswagens first to boot. But the Eos shares more in common with the Swedish droptop than its particular roof-type status; the system on the VW was designed and engineered by the same people that did the C70. Volkswagen outsourced the design of the roof not to Karmann, its usual coachbuilding experts, but to OASYS (Open Air SYStems), the new joint venture between German roof manufacturer Webasto and Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina. Between the two brands, Volkswagen looks to be the one that had deeper pockets; Volvos version is less complicated, slower and lacks the glass sliding panoramic sunroof, something that VW can boast as a world first.

Operated by a two-piece lever made from hefty feeling polished metal and plastic, the whole roof can be opened in 25 seconds, or the interior panel in much less time. Its a completely automatic system, with no headliner latch to fiddle with, leaving the overhead console free of clutter. The five-piece roof is a stunning feat of engineering and a sight to behold even for those who are familiar with these dramatic events. Operated by a total of eight electric-hydraulic cylinders, the roof goes from open to shut and vice versa in practically no time at all. After the windows are dropped, the sunroof slides back, followed by the decklid, which hinges to accept the collapsible ceiling. The rear glass panel magically peels itself up and away from the side pillars, before ever so gracefully folding down and away into the trunk. Time and time again it never ceases to amaze, nor operate without drawing a small crowd.

It takes only a brief look around the car to give an idea of the lengths that Volkswagen went to perfecting the roof and its operation. Inside, VW tried to make the convertible top as close as possible to a standard coupe, which means plush fabric lining, and a soft, rolling sunroof cover. The trunk hasnt been spared any of the details either, completely lined in carpet, and with the majority of the sharp, oil-covered bits hidden from sight by panels or more carpet. You wont even find such attention to detail in Mercedes finest SL-Class convertible. With heavy-duty struts holding the trunk lid up, Volkswagen also gave the trunk a self-closing feature that grabs and locks the lid shut to avoid unwanted slamming.

Cost and rocket scientist complexity aside, there are many benefits to opting for a five-piece design, for reasons rooted in the heart and head. It restores the ability of auto designers to build a convertible with a folding hardtop roof, instead of building a car around the roof system. It also helps out in the styling department as rear overhangs also need not be excessive, and front A-pillars so sharply angled and outstretched. The complex divided and folded roof also yields a decent sized trunk. Drive it as a coupe, and you get coupe-like trunk space of 13.4 cu-ft, but the surprise comes when the roof heads south. Not only is there still 7.2 cu-ft of space, it remains accessible through a somewhat small aperture. Though suitcases can fit, put them in first before lowering the roof to save the struggle and possibly breaking something. Longer objects can also be carried on board, as a ski-pass thru is standard.

Based off the words youre reading here - about the roof, about the marketing pitch and technology - without looking at photos, a long, lean and graceful car is to be expected, particularly since its named after the Greek goddess of dawn. In actuality, the Eos is a bit different. Rather, it looks squat and remarkably compact, appearing just as small as the Rabbit. This can be explained by the illusionary effect of the wide body width. Lineage observed, I must say that the Eos filled out well, with flared hips and a pert little tail, but its more girl next door, than outright supermodel. Cute still rules in VW design. Nevertheless, there is nothing less than forward progression in the category of folding hardtop convertibles. Its derriere isnt at all dumpy looking, XXL-sized nor does it look like its wearing a box, and the shape of the roof line is more natural looking than what it runs up against in Europe.

Along those lines of being something different, if theres one thing that Volkswagen is capable of stressing, its that the Eos is not a Golf convertible (or, would that be a Rabbit convertible?). The brand has been extra vocal about this, pointing out that not a single body panel on the Eos is shared with any other Volkswagen, and theyre not making this up either. But under the skin, its a case of technicalities. The front suspension system is a carbon-copy from that of the Rabbit/Jetta/GTI, as is the length of the wheelbase, while the rear suspension is from the Passat. But then again the Passat is a spinoff from this main compact front-wheel drive platform. Regardless, that still makes the Eos a made-to-measure vehicle, a branch on the platform-sharing tree thats sprouted only for this car, and kudos to VW for taking the plunge on development costs.

Underneath and inside, the Eos provides a visual blend of Passat and Jetta/Rabbit too. Like the grille, teardrop HID headlamps and mesmerizing LED tail lights, the upper dash and the door castings may look like theyve been borrowed from VWs bigger sedan, but theyre actually bespoke pieces, custom-made for the Eos. Inside theres more flashes of silver trim, unique knurled metal finished vents, and generally more angular and curved surfaces than the Rabbit, but at the same time it somehow seems less sobering than the Passat. Theres undeniable family lineage in the design, with the fissure that runs a ring from the door panel and dashboard, and the shared climate control, instrument panel and all the other main switches, knobs and stalks. Slight reservations exist with the Eos; part of it goes to the tan interior scheme which seems to take on stains and dirt marks far too easily, and the hard plastic thats used on the inside of the windshield surround. The rest of the roofs pillars and sunshade blind were all lined in cloth, so why not the A-pillars? I might be nit picking, but I remind you that this is the only VW not to feature cloth-lined A-pillars.

The stereo system is also excellent; powerful without sacrificing warmth or depth. This particular car had the upgraded Premium system - not the optional mind-blowing Dynaudio system (which, by the way, is available on the C70 too). Its a shame that the stock headunit is so ugly, with tasteless silver-contrast painted buttons.

Where most four-passenger convertibles only accept rear passengers for emergency use, the Eos provides adequate rear seat comfort. Its not as spacious as the G6 Convertible, which has the luxury of a wheelbase thats just less than a foot longer, but its commendable no less. The seating position in back is much more suitable for humans than most rivals rear quarters, thanks to a decently reclined backrest, unlike those in the Eclipse Spyder or Ford Mustang, although shoulder room is a tad tight, especially with a couple of broad-shouldered people on board. But legroom is good, as is headroom when the roof is up, so much so that on the occasion where I was vetoed to ride in the back seat, I hadnt a reason to complain. With proper headrests and reasonably angled rear glass, those 62″ and under can fit in without too much difficulty, something that Volkswagen should be applauded for accomplishing.

For now, the only engine available with the Eos is the excellent 2.0T, right out of the GTI. In truth, its an odd match; a high-performance engine with such a relaxed, laid-back looking vehicle, but the pairing couldnt be better. As with the Passat, this application demonstrates the flexibility and refinement of the motor, but theres little loss in terms of performance. With a different exhaust system, the four goes from having a throaty growl to one thats less imposing. By nature of its never-off-guard torque delivery you know it could be nothing other than a turbo, yet, the turbine can neither be heard, nor the pressure grow and drop. The result is that you dont have to stir the slick six-speed manual gearbox as often as in other cars. The six-speed DSG sequential-manual automatic is available as an equally appropriate option, complete with paddles behind the steering wheel.

Not that the Eos needs to be any quicker, but a 3.2-liter narrow angle V6 engine will also be available. The 250 horsepower engine, with 232 lb-ft of torque is similar to the one featured in Audis TT 3.2 and the forthcoming Golf R32; aside from being able to overtake the likes of Pontiacs G6 and Volvo C70 folding hardtop convertibles all that much easier, the main point is to provide even more refinement, plus a wonderful song that only a six-cylinder engine could make. There is one catch: 4Motion all-wheel drive thats normally paired with this motor isnt available as the Haldex couplings and shafts that shift power to the rear wheels could not be accommodated, being that much of the space had been consumed by the underbody reinforcements.

Theres an inclination to believe that the Eos has all sorts of GTI DNA flowing through its body, but it is not a sports car. Its quick, as we established, but not particularly sporty. That roof, and the components that go with it make the Eos about as dense as a black star. Can you figure out how a car the length of a Jetta weighs more than 220 lbs greater than a Passat? The roof shifts what is otherwise a perfectly balanced chassis two notches back; the cars center of gravity is higher, and that makes the Eos feel taller and less connected. The structure is sufficiently rigid, mind you, confirming it as one of the better convertibles in its class. Drop the roof and the coupe-like strength dissipates slightly; the steering quivers and its scuttle does shake, but only in miniscule quantities. On the plus side, Volkswagen has blessed it with a fantastic ride thats both uncannily smooth, yet not too rolly-poly, remaining consistently compliant from low to high speeds.

Instead of hunting for apexes, I spent much of my time in the Eos reveling in its remarkably airy and open-feeling cabin. The big sunroof which goes right up to the front and side edges of the roof lets light pour in, a lack of B-pillars reduces any sense of traditional convertible top-up claustrophobia. And, as the temperature dips below the point of comfort with the heated seats, lowering the windows and cracking the roof open gives the same luxurious convertible experience at a couple of notches down the fun meter. I did find that the shape and size of the panoramic sunroof caused more buffeting than expected at low to mid speeds, which can be eliminated by lowering the windows to equalize the pressure.

With a price tag that starts at $27,990, the Eos is hardly the toy that early-generation Golf convertibles were. But then again, its definitely not too much to pay for such a great car, and one that people are much more likely to take seriously. As far as four-seater folding hardtop convertibles go - and regular convertibles too -  the Eos is a safe bet; not only is it one of the more affordable of its type, but its also one of the best and one of the most user-friendly. And while I havent yet driven the 3.2, the 2.0T is just about all the motor that the Eos would ever really need. The ratio of performance to economy, or performance to price as a consideration is simply unbeatable in this class. But what really makes the Eos work for me is the fact that it not only talks the premium car talk, but walks and flaunts it too, something Volkswagen must surely be satisfied with.