Volkswagen Eos Range
Its always a little humbling when you fall flat on a subject you held yourself to be rather knowledgeable about. I must admit to feeling a bit of an ignoramus when Volkswagen announced their Eos coupe-cabriolet model at the 2005 Frankfurt Show and, for just a moment, I wondered why it had been named after a Canon camera. I then figured that there was probably a little more to the name and so it proves, originating from Greek mythology. It was a new one on me.
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This is certainly a new dawn for Volkswagen. For many years the company has done without the sort of sporty, desirable coupe or convertible models that rivals were making some serious coin from. You probably arent possessed of a complement of rosy fingers with which to herald the sun, but Volkswagen have a decent back up plan with a folding roof that goes from overhead to out of sight in a matter of seconds. So much, so predictable, but Volkswagen claim to have another trick up their sleeve with this roof.
Not content with the normal concertina tin top, they have also managed to engineer a system that incorporates a sliding glass sunroof. If Helios is only putting in a half-hearted effort, theres no need to be kept in the dark.
"The Eos is an extremely polished coupe-cabriolet"
The acid test of any car of this ilk is how it looks with the roof in place, as many have curiously distended posteriors. There is a slight chubbiness to the Eos rear but its definitely more Jennifer Lopez than Johnny Vegas. With the hood down, theres no debate. The Eos aces all of the opposition in the affordable folding hard top class, the clean, wedgy hipline and restrained surfacing giving it a very mature yet elegant look.
To this eye at least, its the best looking Volkswagen since the Corrado. Coming on the heels of the slightly awkward Jetta and Passat models, this is a welcome return to form from a company that had hinted at a sharper design direction with cars like the Golf. At 4.41 metres long, the Eos (priced from £19,847) is a bit longer than a Golf, at 1.
79m a little wider and at 1.44m a tad lower. Its footprint is closer to the Jetta than the hatchback Golf and Volkswagen rather disingenuously claim that it occupies a position between Golf and Passat, therefore opening a new market sector. Volkswagen were late to this particular party and proclaiming theyve started a new one isnt going to wash.
The Beetle Cabriolet will continue, effectively usurping the old Golf Cabriolets role as the affordable and fun drop top in the range. Volkswagen have higher plans for the Eos. That, rather than any notion of creating a new market sector, is what will separate the Eos from humbler fare such as the Renault Megane CC and the Peugeot 307CC. In short, its a good deal pricier.
It wont surprise you to find that many of the oily bits are shared with the Golf. It would have been impossible to translate this car from the Concept C design study displayed at Geneva just 18 months earlier, were it not for the case that Volkswagen could pick as many off the shelf parts as possible. Therefore, youll find a similar multilink rear suspension set up, an identical electro-mechanical power steering assembly and many of the engines are familiar fare. The engine line up includes a 1.
4-litre TSI turbocharged 122bhp entry level unit, a high-tech 2.0litre FSI with 150bhp and the engine out of the Golf GTi, the turbocharged 2.0-litre FSI thats good for 197bhp. Pride of place in the petrol-powered line up goes to the 3.
2-litre 247bhp V6 that should make the Eos a real handful. Diesel customers are catered for with a 140bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel. The TDI system was once derided as being far less effective than the new wave of common rail diesel engines that have become popular and in terms of refinement, Volkswagens solution has lagged behind.
No longer: the difference is now virtually negligible and this 2.0-litre diesel is leagues better than the previous generation 1.9-litre units. Although Volkswagen have used a number of generic parts beneath the surface, theyve done a very canny job of giving the Eos its own identity.
It must have been financially tempting to slap in a Golf fascia and have done with it. The Golf unit is attractive, functional and cost effective to produce but instead, the Eos gets a different shape dashboard into which existing switches and dials are slotted. The door mouldings and rear seats are also unique to the Eos. As an option, buyers can select electrically activated easy-entry seats that memorise the driver and front passengers seating positions and return the seats to this setting when the rear seat passengers have entered or exited the car.
Another option is the rear latching system for the boot which closes the final few millimetres effortlessly. The boot itself is one of the more capacious for a car of this ilk, holding 205 litres with the roof cartridge in place and 380 litres when the car is in hard top mode. Standard equipment includes ESP, pop-up rollover bars, twin front and side airbags, plus specially designed thorax airbags. Sixteen inch alloy wheels are fitted to all models, bar the 3.
2 V6 which gets 17" rims and theres also air conditioning and electric windows. The Eos is the first Volkswagen that a new wave of customers will have considered buying. Its a very polished offering and one that points to a sunny prospect for the German giant.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Eos range
PRICES: £19,847-£28,797 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 8E-17
CO2 EMISSIONS: 181-219g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0 T-FSI] Max Speed 144mph / 0-60mph 7.8s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0FSI] 33.2mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags / ABS / ESP / rollover protection
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4410/1790/1440
