Countless movies, TV shows and pop songs have captured the spirit of open-top motoring – an open top, an open road and nice summer weather do make for one of the best automotive experiences.
Volkswagen’s EOS coupe and other hard-top convertibles are providing high-tech solutions to the sometimes problematic roof-opening operations that plagued earlier-generation convertibles (including the Golf convertible).
What You Get
A five-part hard top with an integrated slide/tilt sunroof is the highlight of the EOS (Volkswagen claimed it as a world-first). Volkswagen calls it a CSC (convertible, Sliding and Coupe roof) and with a battalion of electro hydraulics in action - accompanied by considerable whirring and clunking - the EOS changes from a coupe to a convertible in just 25 seconds.
Passers-by stop and stare at the engineering masterpiece - which comprises 470 components - in operation as the bootlid slides backwards to accommodate the roof folding (the system is linked to the rear parking sensors which block its operation if they sense you’re too close to an obstacle which might impede the bootlid’s movement).
With the roof closed, the EOS presents a beautifully styled European coupe with the ‘corporate’ Volkswagen chrome grille and contemporary wedge silhouette. This is without doubt one of the best-looking coupes on the market.
Under The Hood
Volkswagen provided Car Showroom with a 103TDI EOS fitted with the six-speed DSG direct-shift automatic.
Volkswagen’ 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a beauty with 103kW of power and 320Nm of torque. The mapping to the six-speed DSG is excellent and ensures the EOS delivers spritely acceleration around town and on the freeway for quick overtaking.
EOS is also available with the 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine which delivers 147kW/280Nm.
Some have said the sound of a diesel engine does not capture the ‘spirit’ of convertible motoring – a point of view we can’t agree with as modern diesels are a lot better than those of bygone eras.
The EOS we tested is claimed by Volkswagen to deliver fuel economy of 6.9l/100kms and the petrol version is good for 8.2 l/100kms.
The Interior
Very reminiscent of the fifth-generation Golf, the EOS interior is typically Volkswagen – stylish, efficient, nice instrumentation and good driving position thanks to the electronic seat adjustment and steering wheel that is adjustable for rake and reach.
The Volkswagen Group’s usual stalk-mounted cruise control operation is simple and easy to use.
With no B-pillar, the front seat belts’ top strap comes from behind and Volkswagen has cleverly included a strap in the seats’ side to hold the belts in place.
Our EOS was fitted with the standard in-dash six-CD sound system although Volkswagen offers an optional upgraded system that can include a CD Changer, Media Device Interface or even a 600W Premium system. Satellite navigation is also an option.
Rear seat space is not terrific – after-all this is a coupe. The Car Showroom juniors (ages 5 and 4) clambered in for a weekend trip to the country, but the driver and front seat passenger had to compromise their seating positions to adjust.
Exterior & Styling
Standard wheels are 17” alloys but you see a number of EOS on the road fitted with the optional 18” models and they do enhance the purposeful stance of this stylish German coupe.
It’s all very streamlined and elegant but incorporates a lot of sophisticated engineering, stiffening and strengthening to provide excellent chassis dynamics when cornering and also crash protection.
Like Volkswagen’s New Beetle Convertible, the EOS is equipped with a roll bar behind the rear seat which activates in just 0.25 seconds when sensors detect the angle of the car is heading for a rollover.
On The Road
Previous soft top convertibles have teased us with their good looks but after purchase sometimes let us down by being too noisy as the roof does not have the soundproofing of normal passenger cars – those buses and trucks in the freeway lane next door sure sound loud!
Not so the EOS – thanks to that clever hard top convertible design, soundproofing is reasonable and in our test car there was no scuttle shake or other vibrations and rattles that accompany open top motoring.
Sure it’s no Golf GTi or R32, but the EOS is a car drivers will enjoy – turn-in is sharp, ride and handling are top shelf…and of course when the sun shines and the twisty road beckons, you can drop that roof.
As you would expect from Volkswagen, safety features are extensive, including multiple airbags (including a clever combination head-thorax/side airbag design), ABS anti-lock brakes and Electronic Stability Program (ESP).
Challenges
While the roof design is a work of art, the boot space does suffer (Volkswagen says 380 litres with the roof closed and 205 litres when folded). A major obstacle is a hard plastic protective cover right smack in the middle of the boot which prevents the contents from being damaged in the roof is folded by a forgetful driver when the boot is loaded.
But coupes are selfish cars and only coupe buyers who play golf or travel with extensive luggage will be inconvenienced.
The Verdict
Entry to the EOS lineup is manual version which retails for $47,990 however the automatic transmission adds $3,000 so our car had a base price of $50,490. In addition, our car was fitted with the optional Bi-Xenon headlights with cornering lights (an extra $2,000) and leather upholstery (an extra $3,300) - so as-tested, our EOS was priced at $55,790.
That’s a lot of coin, but check-out the opposition and the EOS is actually reasonable value-for-money.
The EOS succeeds because Volkswagen has major ‘smarts’ in its design and engineering teams back there in Wolfsburg, Germany. It looks great, is easy to live with and is beautifully built.
The Competition
Peugeot’s 308CC is the most obvious rival and offers some exciting new technology (including the ‘Airwave’ to keep necks warm when the air gets a little frosty). Similarly the Saab 9-3 and Volvo C70 could be on your shopping list (more interior space than the EOS but a bit more expensive).
Renault’s Megane might be a consideration. It is price competitive but ultimately doesn’t deliver the driving dynamics of the EOS. Same for the Holden Astra TwinTop.
Thumbs-up:
Nice looks; clever roof; beautifully-built
Thumbs-down:
Compromised boot layout; small rear seat
