With VW EOS, top stars
Volkswagen has a new hardtop convertible it calls Eos, for the Greek goddess of the dawn.
The name is meant to imply sunshine but the name works as well as a metaphor for the new day dawning at VW.
With its base price of $30,620, including destination, the Eos is a return to form for VW. The company built its reputation on affordable fun then squandered it on cars that were too pricey or not sufficiently reliable. Or both.
Like the new 2007 Rabbit, the Eos is a value proposition pure and simple. Value with fun-with-a-capital-F.
What could be cooler than a convertible that buttons up tight as a screw-top lid when the weather turns sour?
There’s a lot to like here. The Eos is built on the Rabbit/Passat platform and is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four or a 3.2-liter V-6 (a not-cheap $37,480). Like those cars, its suspension is tuned to provide a taut, controlled ride and lively handling. Cabin design is vibrant and fresh and materials quality is beyond reproach.
But the top is the real attraction here, an animated slice of mechanical ballet. Just touch a button, and the top lifts, separates itself into three stacking sections and deposits the works into the trunk. The operation takes 29 seconds, in either direction, and transforms a coupe into an open-air boulevard cruiser.
With the top up, the trunk offers 10.5 cubic feet of storage; when it’s stowed, storage is reduced to 6.6 cubic-feet.
The top includes a panoramic, tinted-glass sunroof that slides open at the touch of a second, console-mounted button.
Rear-seat passengers must make do with minimal leg, head and shoulder room. At 5-foot-10, I squeezed in but it wasn’t pretty. Daintier types will fare better.
Extra bracing throughout the structure exacts a toll on interior space, but substantially increases body rigidity. The Eos exhibits virtually no cowl shake over railroad tracks or other intrusions.
A big concern for Volkswagen is whether men will accept the Eos, a fair question as previous VW droptops have appealed primarily to women. The answer seems to be an only-time-will-tell proposition. The car looks more buff in some colors than others, but who can predict the behavior of the testosterone-addled mind?
While the four-passenger Eos won’t crash the roadster party, the 2-liter four makes a willing 200 horsepower, the base six-speed manual knocks off rapid shifts and the steering, suspension and braking systems conspire to produce an invigorating ride-and-handling package.
The six-cylinder Eos will make 250 hp, although it’s hard to say how a heavier engine will affect the car’s front-to-rear balance. Oddly, it may neutralize it; with the top stowed in the four, the balance skews slightly rearward.
If they give it a chance, I expect more than a few men will find something to like here.
Although the segment is exploding in Europe, States-side drivers have precious few hardtop convertibles to choose from. A lengthy standard-features list and come-and-get-it-price range should draw fun-seekers by the score.
VW plans to sell only 12,000 to 13,000 copies a year, so get yours while the day is still young.
•Don Adair is a Spokane-based writer and Web developer. He may be contacted at don@dadair.com.