2007 Volkswagen Eos Review

The Worlds First Coupe/Sunroof/Convertible Top

Hardtop convertibles are great. Offering all the comforts of a coupe combined with the fun of open air motoring, theyre a great alternative to the traditional cloth-topped convertibles; and as such most manufacturers are rushing to convert their conventional convertibles to the more desirable retractable hardtops.

Those of us in colder climes especially love the coupe-like feel of a hardtop convertible, for the thought of cruising around with nothing but a scrap of canvas separating us from the freezing elements during a cold northern winter isnt one many people relish. And with even Mazdas little MX-5 Miata being made available with a retractable hardtop option, it should come as no surprise that the makers of the peoples car have caught onto the trend with their newest convertible; the Eos.

Named after the Greek Goddess of the Dawn, the Eos represents Volkswagens first model that was designed as a convertible… and a hardtop… and a targa. You see, the Eos is the worlds first four-seat car to possess a five-piece sliding and folding roof that can be fully extended to form a hardtop, and then slide open to form what is almost a targa top, and finally, fully retract to a convertible.

In the first position the roof, called a CSC (coupe, sunroof, convertible) roof by Volkswagen, forms a very graceful profile that curves down gently from the windshield to almost resemble what we suspect a coupe version of the Passat would look like. Volkswagen took pains to make sure that the Eos would both share familial VW styling, while making sure to leave no doubt that the Eos is not based on another VW model, and in that theyve succeeded.

The taillights and grille are unmistakably VW, while the angled beltline and short windshield are traditional convertible cues not seen on any other VW in history. Yet as unique as it appears, the Eos is far from exciting: tall, uninterrupted doors and only moderately flared fenders make its profile view somewhat boring, and the trunk and taillights look too much like every other VW to warrant a second glance. The front end is one of the few views that could be described as interesting, with large, wide-eyed headlights giving it some character. On the other hand, the hood could be lifted right off the Golf. To be honest, while it certainly couldnt be described as ugly, the Eos styling is so conservative that its hard to imagine even an owner maintaining any level of excitement over its looks in the years to come.

The powertrain options that reside under that Golf-like hood are a different story, with a full five different engines available to those abroad, including four that are gasoline-powered, ranging from 115 horsepower all the way up to 250 horsepower, plus a turbodiesel producing 140 horsepower and promising excellent economy from this already sensible drop-top. In North America we make do with only two engine options, a 200 horsepower 2.0L direct-injected four-cylinder and an even more impressive 250 horsepower direct-injected variant of VWs successful VR6 engine that also comes backed by the very tasty dual-clutch DSG F1-style sequential manual gearbox with paddle-shifters thats also optional on the 2.0L unit.

That turbocharged four-cylinder is said to lack the power required by the relatively heavy Eos, and as such performance reportedly suffers with the lesser of the North American models, taking an agonizing 9.7 seconds to reach 60 mph. The 3.2L V6 variant with its cool sequential manual gearbox improves on that figure substantially, knocking more than two seconds off of the previous time; completing the sprint in a more respectable 7.2 seconds. The Eos, mind you, was never intended to be a backroad burner, instead content to coddle its occupants along miles and miles of pavement with just enough power and performance to satisfy during those instances where its required.

With that in mind, it makes sense that the Eos would have such an uncluttered, comfortable interior. Possessing the same clean look as the rest of the Volkswagen lineup, the Eos dashboard is one long expanse of seemingly high quality black plastic, with a singular piece of aluminum trim separating the upper and lower portions. The center display descends from the upper portion, appearing to lay over top of the lower dash and its strip of aluminum, putting the radio and climate control interfaces right where they should be.

Likewise, the shifter looks like it should fall easily to hand, although the narrow center console is conspicuously devoid of storage cubbies; surprisingly, the rest of the interior is spartan. Perhaps some of that expansive black space would be put to better use with a few bins; all there is currently is an exposed pair of cupholders, a center console bin, a cubby under the center stack, and of course the obligatory glovebox and door pockets. It sounds like a lot, but with todays demanding world requiring almost constant electronic companionship, to build a modern car that touts itself as useful every day of the year without outfitting it with a cell phone pocket and/or spaces for PDAs, MP3 players, keys, wallets, etc, is just plain weird.

On the good side, the drivers side of the dashboard is wonderfully simple, with a half-circular gauge pod housing two big dials to keep track of engine and vehicle speed, and a few others to maintain an eye on the engines vital statistics. The only complaint I can see coming from future customers is that the gauges really blend into the black dash; white or silver faced units would definitely be both easier to read and stand out more on the monochromatic dash.

The steering wheel is typical VW, with only a few ancillary controls scattered on the spokes. Interestingly, while these first photos seem to show a relatively low-end interior, the accompanying press release cites new wood and aluminum trim that should brighten it up, however, in order to move upscale youll have to buy the VR6 powered version.

Likewise, the leather covered steering wheel, shifter, and handbrake are all optional, as is the automatic climate control (that actually changes its airflow paths to compensate for the roofs position), 12-way power drivers seat, heated front seats, windblocker, center armrest, and 10-speaker, 600-watt Dynaudio stereo system. Finally, 18-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights with static cornering lights, park distance control and DVD navigation round out the option list.

But one thing all Eos will share is a long list of safety equipment. Underpinned by many of the same components that make up the very safe Golf and Jetta, the Eos should do comparably well in crash tests, as it features a few specialized safety features to make up for its lack of a solid roof. First and foremost on any modern convertible, the Eos incorporates deployable roll bars. Lifted from the New Beetle convertible, they eject from behind the rear seats in a maximum of 0.25 seconds when the lateral acceleration or vehicle angle parameter has been exceeded, while front seat occupants are protected by strong reinforced A-pillars.

Also protecting front seat occupants are active headrests that dissipate energy during rear impact, helping to prevent the most common injury among accident victims; whiplash. Finally, the Eos also benefits from four airbags, two of which would normally be made up of four due to being new head/thorax airbags. Deploying parallel to the front airbags, these unfold vertically and horizontally, covering the full width of the side windows and essentially taking on the role of conventional side airbags that are, of course, impossible to install in open-topped cars.

With a base price of $27,990, the Eos plants itself surprisingly high on the Volkswagen food chain, surpassing even the Passat in terms of its entry-level price. This said, there isnt much that comes near it in terms of competition (Pontiacs G6 retractable hardtop is probably closest with the Volvo C70 next in line), and therefore its bound to be a hit with those looking for comfortable, sensible transportation that also allows the feeling of freedom only a convertible can provide. And thanks to the unique roof, the Eos will finally satisfy those who want a convertible, but only have room for one car in the driveway; now able to replace their coupe with a drop-top without suffering through the cold and dampness that hamper some cloth-topped convertibles.