First drive: VW Eos

Newswheel staff :: 28 May 2006 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Coupe, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Eos, Europe & UK,

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Just another bonce-buffing barge?

Folding hardtops. They’re heavier, more complex, more expensive to engineer and manufacture and rob you of more luggage space when stowed than a conventional fabric roof. That’s not terribly clever. But sod the intellectual argument: a folding hard top is sexier than a swarm of silicone-enchanced C-list celebs, right? Possibly. And there are at least security and safety advantages. More importantly, however, coupe-cabriolets are simply what Joe Punter wants. And who is VW to deny him? Give it up, therefore, for the Eos, VW’s first folding hardtop model…

Architecturally, the Eos’s oily bits are largely lifted from fifth-gen Golf  hatchback, with a smattering of Passat parts, including the rear suspension, thrown in for good measure. But unlike the marginally more mass-market competition, such as the Ford Focus CC, Vauxhall Astra Twintop and Peugeot 307 CC, the Eos gets its very own set of clothes. Consequently, it’s seriously sleek and certainly better executed and more polished than any chop-top Golf of yesteryear. But funky styling and fast-moving five-piece folding hardtop aside (just 25 seconds are required for the roof to open or close), does the Eos add up to much more than a fancy Golf?

Well, it’s certainly no lightweight, with the entry-level 1.6-litre model only just squeezing in under 1,600kg. Still, a mild case of elephantitus is never a bad thing for ride quality, and the Eos is nothing if not a smooth and accomplished cruiser. As for corner carving, it steers and grips adequately, doesn’t roll much and copes with well with bumps at speed without ever betraying a hint of enthusiasm for press-on driving. In short, the Eos is a typical modern front-drive motor: effective for getting from A to B, but you certainly won’t bother making the detour to C just for the hell of it.  It’s also pretty solid barge for a chop-top, displaying relatively little shudder, judder, rattle or hum over broken surfaces. OK, it’s not absolutely impregnable in that regard (we think we noticed one extremely minor instance of dashboard movement over the lumps), but it’s a competent enough piece of engineering all the same.

Engine-wise, at launch the Eos is available with a range of awfully familiar 2-litre four-pot VW lumps: a 148bhp FSI petrol, the 197bhp T-FSI turbo as per Golf GTI and a torquey 138bhp TDI diesel. Later this year, a poverty-spec 1.6-litre 113bhp petrol four will be added, along with the flagship 3.2-litre model, which packs 247bhp from V-Dub’s popular narrow angle V6. All models barring the 1.6-litre will be available with VW’s twin-clutch DSG auto box.

In the metal, the 2.0 FSI is as the 2.0 FSI does in nameless other VW group cars. It’s a pretty soulless contraption, but adequate for most purposes barring traffic light jockeying. The turbo petrol, meanwhile unit does a nice job of exposing the tracton control’s cut-in limits but can’t quite come to terms with the Eos’s portly kerb weight. Make no mistake, even with nearly 200bhp it never feels fast and doesn’t sound remotely sporty. That’s modern four-cylinder motoring for you. You’ll have to wait for the V6 model if you want an Eos with a drivetrain classy enough to do justice to the rest of the car.

The Greek press launch: an exaltation of Eoses. Probably…

But if the Eos fails to earn any award nominations in the showbiz performance and handling categories, it’s hardly a headline maker for the more mundane consideration of practicality, either. Stingy legroom that ensures the rear seats are no more than short journey material is faux pas number one. However, it’s boot space that could be the deal breaker for those considering the Eos for intercontinental cruising. At best, it offers just 380 litres of stowage with the roof up. With the roof lowered, it drops to just 210 liters. To put that into context, the new BMW 3 Series four-door saloon packs 460 litres.

For the record, the Eos is available in two trim levels, Standard and Sport. At minimum, all models boast VW’s ESP stability programme, twin front and combined curtain and side airbags front and rear, semi-auto aircon, front fog lights, electric windows and door mirrors, a radio/CD player, parking sensors and 16 inch alloy wheels. Sport models add 17-inch rims, stiffer suspension and the odd cosmetic addenda inside and out.

So, that’s it folks. The Eos is competent, well built, short on character and has bugger all boot space. Certainly not one for well-schooled car lovers and not masterpiece by any metric. But with prices kicking off at £19,410, still the classiest sub-£20k coupe-cabriolet around.

The boring bit: