The Interior

The Eos cabin isn’t a bad place at all to spend those long summer days. It’s as black as a Russian sit-com but with brushed metal highlights and quality plastics, complimented by the optional leather trim and integrated six-stack CD, the cabin has a very classy feel.

The front seats are plenty comfortable and offer good support. Rear seat occupants will find the seat backs sit a little too upright, so they are better suited to kids rather than adults, and short trips rather than interstate journeys. The rest is typically VW, which means well thought-out, ergonomically correct and screwed together to last.

Despite having a boot that in good weather is likely to be full of roof, the Eos offers a reasonable amount of useable boot space, certainly enough for singles and ‘dinks’ to tackle their weekly shopping and keep the roof down. Roof up, the Eos offers 308 litres of boot space, which is reduced to 205 litres with the roof down.

Safety

As you would expect from Volkswagen, occupant safety is well catered-for. The Eos may be a convertible but it has a high level of body rigidity, a fact which explains its excellent on-road manners and absence of scuttle-shake. VW has used high-strength steels in the manufacture of the Eos’s platform to retain the structural rigidity lost by the absence of the B and C pillars.

In addition to its sturdy structure, the Eos is fitted with front airbags, head/thorax side airbags and a rear mounted roll bar (that will deploy in 0.25 seconds) to protect occupants in the event of an accident or roll-over.

The Verdict

Any convertible by its very nature is a compromise. Most lifestyle cars are and people shopping for cars of this type are generally prepared to accept the compromises if it means enjoying some roof-down motoring. In the case of the Eos, VW appears to have looked hard at the usual compromises and found answers for many of them.

The Eos offers a structurally robust, reasonably roomy, fun to drive, economical and well-built convertible – one that when the sun’s rays have taken their toll will convert to a solid snug coupe at the touch of a button.

Brilliant in its execution, the Eos offers the best of both worlds. As a package, it is an enjoyable drive, fun to live with and difficult to fault. It is worth a very close look if you’re in the market for this type of versatile lifestyle car.

The Last Word

A seriously good drive, in a fun filled summer package that offers convertible fans the best of both worlds. A triumph of good design, the Eos is both easy on the eye and effective in the way it offers its unique motoring experience.

Likes

• Good looks and petite rump for a CC
• Turbo-diesel torque off the line
• Impressive fuel economy
• Amazing folding roof
• Quality interior and ergonomics
• Solid body, lack of rattles and scuttle-shake
• Fun handling

Dislikes

• Upright rear seat back
• Black interior a little bland
• Attracted plenty of female attention, they just weren’t interested in the driver

The Competition

• Peugeot 307CC
• Renault Megane CC
• Holden Astra TwinTop
• Ford Focus CC

Gallery

GALLERY » volkswagen_eos-roadtest

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Specifications

Engine	103TDI Diesel
Capacity	2.0-litre / 1968CC
Fuel System	Bosch EDC 17 with common rail injection
Power	103kW @ 4200 RPM
Torque	320Nm @ 1750 – 2500 RPM
Compression Ratio	16.5:1
Performance	0-100km/h: 10.3 seconds (claimed Top Speed: 206km/h (claimed)
Transmission	6 Speed DSG (also 6 Speed Manual)
Steering	Electro-mechanical power assisted rack & pinion steering
Suspension	Front: Independent, MacPherson struts with lower A-arms. Anti-roll bar. Rear: Independent, four-link with coil springs. Anti-roll bar.
Brakes	Front: Ventilated Discs Rear: Discs
Wheels and Tyres	Alloy wheels (Le Mans) 17 x 7½” with 235/45 R17 tyres Alloy wheels (Akiros) 17x 7½” Alloy wheels (Azuro) 17x 7½” Alloy wheels (Velos) 18x 7½”
Kerb weight	6 speed DSG: 1581 6 speed manual: 1556
Economy	6 speed DSG: 6.9 litres / 100km (claimed) 6 speed Manual: 6.0 litres / 100km (claimed)
Price	Eos 103TDI 6 Speed DSG $50,490 Eos 103TDI 6 Speed Manual $47,990