2006 Volkswagen Eos

Based on the new Passat platform and containing many interior pieces from the Jetta and Golf, the coupe/cabriolet employs a folding metal roof that incorporates an innovative sunroof that slides open before the top actually starts on its way into to the trunk, should you only want limited sun exposure.

Features

The Eos will be available in the U.S. with a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbo four and a 250-hp 3.2-liter V6, with only the 2.0-liter to be available upon its March arrival and the 3.2-liter becoming available sometime thereafter. The four-seater also comes with a full complement of standard equipment: stability control, front and front side air bags, sport seats, and sixteen-inch alloy wheels on the four-cylinder models (V6 versions get seventeens). Pop-up roll bars are also fitted.

A five-piece, retractable hardtop roof is interesting in a car of this class, but we don’t imagine too many people will be excited about it. That said, the 2007 Volkswagen Eos is certainly practical in states that experience real winters and summers. The cornering-headlights option is another surprise for this market segment; Volkswagen is introducing technologies previously reserved for higher-end cars. Navigation is optional in the Eos, and the interface for it is fairly simple to use.

With the 250-horsepower V6, the Climatronic system is available, which adjusts the environmental controls depending on whether the top is up or down. Its 600-watt stereo system with 10 speakers should make up for even freeway noise with the top down. Another advantage of the V6 engine is the standard DSG double-clutch gearbox, an option with the four-cylinder, 200-horsepower FSI engine.

The body style of the 2007 Volkswagen Eos lies somewhere between bland and ugly. It’s very utilitarian, designed to accommodate passengers and its hardtop, with little thought given to aesthetics. Although the engine choices are more than adequate, the power train isn’t particularly revolutionary. Also, putting the hardtop down nearly halves the cargo space, taking it from 13.4 cubic feet down to 7.2 cubic feet. The Eos offers no Bluetooth cell phone integration or steering-wheel controls, forcing the driver to reach toward the center dash to make climate and audio adjustments.

The Eos will be available in one high quality trim level coming standard with stability control, front and side airbags, and a roll over protection system. Also available for the EOS are bi-xenon cornering headlights, and a ten channel audio system.

The hard top folds tightly together providing a powerful design

The CSC-roof opens or closes completely within 25 seconds and offers technical as well as visual finesse. Firstly: the front section is held in a transpa­rent glass look and can be used as a panorama sun roof opening it either completely or tilting it upwards by 35 millimeters. Even in the closed mode the roof creates a bright, friendly and fresh atmosphere in the interior. Second­ly: thanks to the wide CSC-roof span it was possible to design a short windscreen frame. This creates a pure conver­tible feeling. Thirdly: another benefit is that the proportions are streamlined, the roof line is elongated, the rear is muscular and the overall impression is one of high quality.

The clientele addressed by the Eos is comparatively large because the convertible-coupe is positioned between the A and B class. Example A-class (Golf-class): the Eos recommends itself as a vehicle with the overall impression of the higher quality B-class. In addition the Eos stands out from many of its competitors in the A-segment because of the higher end performance spectrum of the engines and high-end technologies such as the automatic DSG double clutch transmission, a Dynaudio sound system and of course the new CSC-roof. Example B-class (Passat-class): Even though the Eos is a little shorter than its com­petitors it offers a comparatively spacious and in any case comfortable interior. No top-end convertible in the B-class offers a glass sun roof, only one offers a folding steel roof. On top of this, the Eos has a clearly more favorable price. To put it differently: this Volkswagen transcends class borders.

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