Volkswagen EOS

Enjoying the open-air has never been easier than in the retractable design, which combines the wind-blown experience of the traditional ragtop with the all-season comfort and security of the fixed roof. Introduced as the replacement for the Golf Cabriolet, the Eos was the first production coupe for Volkswagen since the last Corrado in 95. Debuting in 2006, Eos, which is Greek for the goddess of the sunrise, was a four-seat retractable hardtop coupe convertible.

Incredibly unique and the only hardtop of this kind, the five-piece folding roof called the CSC (coupe-sunroof-convertible) features an integrated and independently sliding glass sunroof which folds automatically in a quick 25 seconds. The roof is popular with kids, who enjoy watching the folding roof lift up, separate into five panels that settle inside each other, before retracting to drop itself into the trunk compartment. The sunroof is large and includes a heated glass rear window. The trunk space goes from 10.5 cubic feet down to 6.6 cubic feet once the roof is put away. The design and the construction of the roof came courtesy of OASys, which was a subsidiary of Webasto, Germany. The Eos competes with the MINI Cooper S and the BMW 1-Series Convertible.

The 2004 Geneva Motor Show was where the Concept C was officially unveiled to the public. The design team was led by Peter Schreyer, Head of Volkswagen Design in Wolfsburg. Slovenian Robert Lešnik also had a big role in the design of the Eos. In September of 2005 the production Eos that was produced at the AutoEuropa plant in Portugal was debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The following January the model was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Cabriolet that it was replacing was a convertible version of the Golf Hatchback while the Eos is its completely separate model with brand new body panels. However it does share a platform and some components from the Volkswagen Golf. The wheelbase is the same as the Golf Mk5 and Jetta models. The Eos is manufactured at Palmela, Portugal in Volkswagen's AutoEuropa factory. Production began late in 2005 and the initial deliveries were actually delayed because of a wind noise issue. During the first part of 2006 the Eos was introduced in Europe, and during the latter part of the same year it was introduced in North America. In October of 2006 the right-hand drive market hit Japan, closely followed by Australia and New Zealand in January of 2007. The Eos was debuted in South Africa in mid 2007.

Typically higher priced when compared to other mainstream convertibles, the Eos does come with plenty of standard equipment, a high-quality interior and the unique hardtop design. Initially the Eos was available with either the turbocharged four engine or a narrow-angle 3.2-liter V6 engine producing 250 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. The trims were base Eos, the 20T and 3.2L. The base model and the lavish 2.0T featured the turbocharged four joined to either a six-speed manual or the DSG. The 3.2L featured the V6 mated to the DSG along with a full host of accessories. Highlights of the Eos include a pretty spacious trunk, a power trunk that won't descend if anything is in its path, a sizeable backseat with room for children, or shorter adults. All models came with a pop-up roll bar plus head and thorax side air bags.

The next year the Eos trim levels were Turbo, Komfort, Lux and VR6, with the Turbo and Komfort taking over the previous years base and 2.0T trims. The Lux trim kept the turbocharged-4 engine and featured additional features. The VR6 trim was nearly identical to the previous 3.2L model but sported 18-inch wheels and sport seats. For 2007 and 2008 models a DVD-based navigation system was offered as an option.

For 2009 the Turbo and VR6 trims were discontinued. New this year was an updated touchscreen navigation system with multimedia inputs.

In 2009 a very unique edition called the White Night introduced. This edition featured custom black interior complementing the black and white color scheme package. The roof was Deep Black Pearlescent-colored while the body was Candy White-colored. The White Night came with custom wheels, 18-inch Budapest wheels & cherry-red LED taillights. This exclusive model also sported black mirror covers, black nappa leather seats, radiator grille and trim strips, door and side trim, trim strips and radio trim painted in special Candy White, a black steering wheel with light-colored seams and Sill panel strips with White Night letters. Heated front seats, Climatronic climate control system and sports chassis that was lowered 15 mm rounded out the rest of the extra special features. The White Night was priced around $43,000 U.S. and was available with all non-V6 models.

In 2012 the Eos received the front-end styling from the Jetta. The DSG transmission was made standard and a variety of new features like keyless ignition/entry were added. Climate controls and infotainment were updated for this year. All new for 2012 was the Executive trim level.

Just one engine is available for the current front-wheel-drive Eos, the energetic 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 200 hp wand 207 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to the six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), which features clutch-less ease of an automatic with the all of the perks of a manual transmission. The base Komfort model featured 12-way power driver seat, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and Bluetooth. The Sport trim features 18-ich wheels, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, paddle shifters and a sport-tuned suspension. Ultra luxurious, the Lux model comes with all of the above features and keyless ignition and entry, navigation system, 12-way power front passenger seat and leather upholstery. Sitting pretty at the top of the lineup, the Executive features an upgraded navigation system, unique 18-inch wheels, a 10-speaker Dynaudio sound system and a rearview camera.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Eos
http://www.edmunds.com/volkswagen/eos/
http://www.edmunds.com/volkswagen/eos/2013/#fullreview
http://www.edmunds.com/volkswagen/eos/?ps=used
http://www.thecarconnection.com/cars/volkswagen_eos#mainReview

By Jessica Donaldson