Positive mechanics / Volkswagen test drives

Currently in trend are convertibles with a hard roof that folds into the luggage compartment. Eleven years have passed since the Mercedes SLK became a pioneer in this segment. During this time, almost all automakers, from modest Daihatsu to solid Volvo, have acquired similar models. Volkswagen has not lagged behind either. The Germans presented the public with a true four-seat convertible with a folding CSC roof consisting of five sections. In addition, its front part features a fairly large sliding sunroof — before the Eos, no one in this class of cars had used such a design. The engineers of the Webasto company, who were entrusted with developing the folding mechanism, did their best.

Honestly, I have never seen such an intricate mechanism before. And it doesn't matter that transforming the coupe into an open car takes a full 25 seconds — for today's standards, that's quite long. The hinges moving back and forth, levers, the dancing trunk lid, echoed by the "petals" of plastic trim in the rear of the cabin — this is a sight that evokes admiration. Watching this transformation again, I caught myself thinking that the chief engineer who came up with this miracle could safely be awarded some international prize in the relevant field.

Thanks to the rigid folding top, the VW Eos can be viewed in three different guises, each attractive in its own way. When the roof is in place and the windows are up, it's a coupe on the fifth-generation Golf platform — with a dynamic profile, clean flanks, and elegant longitudinal stamping on the upper part. Almost nothing gives away that it's an open car. Outside, only a couple of "seams" on the roof hint at its convertible nature, and inside, only the special buttons on the central tunnel under the armrest.

If you lower the side windows, the Eos turns into a "hardtop," once popular in the USA — after all, it simply has no B-pillar. Well, the car looks best, of course, with the roof down. As does any other convertible. The wheel arches, the curve of the windshield, and the "bulges" on the hood at the sides immediately become more expressive. Plus, the view opens up to an elegant interior with seats and door panels upholstered in red leather. Many interior elements, like the trim materials, are borrowed from other Volkswagen models. For example, the front seats are an exact copy of the Passat's, and the controls and dashboard are quotes from the Passat and Golf.

Inside, everything is well thought out and harmonious. The front seats with power adjustments are, for the first time in VW history, equipped with the Easy Entry system, which returns the seats to their original position after passengers sit in the second row. And if you're driving with two people, a special L-shaped wind deflector can be easily installed in the back. The horizontal part covers half of the cabin above the rear seats, while the vertical part noticeably reduces air turbulence at high speeds. However, even without this device, in an open car with the windows up, there is almost no draft. Driving up to 140–150 km/h is quite comfortable. And with the deflector installed, you can safely accelerate to an impressive 180–190 km/h. Of course, you feel the breeze, and street sounds penetrate inside, but even at such speeds, you can talk to a passenger without raising your voice.

Volkswagen's Climatronic — one of the best climate systems — can change its operating algorithm depending on whether the top is up or down (by the way, the roof can be raised without removing the screen). So you can comfortably drive the Eos without a roof even in fairly cool weather — tested on myself. One night, there were a couple of hours without rain, and I couldn't resist lowering the top, even though the thermometer showed only 12°C. I drove with great pleasure at speeds up to 150 km/h towards the dawn. In any case, half a minute is not that long; you won't get too wet. And with the roof up, the Eos is a quiet car — like a regular Golf, warm and dry inside.

Roof up — time to evaluate the driving characteristics. The test Eos had a 2-liter turbocharged TFSI engine and a 6-speed manual gearbox. Much has already been said and written about this powertrain. Let me remind you that this is the world's first engine where turbocharging is combined with direct fuel injection. Over the past three years, this innovative engine has won the "Engine of the Year" competition three times in the 1.8 to 2-liter category. The turbo is only reminded by a characteristic whistle at high revs. There is no lag at all. As, indeed, there is no pronounced surge — the torque curve is very smooth. The 200 horsepower is quite enough to accelerate the rather heavy coupe-convertible (curb weight 1535 kg) decently — 7.8 seconds to 100 km/h. An excellent "civilian" engine with moderate appetite.

Long gears don't kill the Eos's agility. Although, given that there are six gears, they could have been made shorter. I, for example, engaged the highest gear only a few times, and then closer to 200 km/h. The gearbox shifts quite clearly, and the engine, despite meeting the latest Euro standards, willingly responds to throttle blips. The lever fits comfortably in the palm — click and click. Only occasionally, at the highest revs during a quick gear change, does the gearbox "stall," not allowing the desired gear to engage. But almost all stock manual gearboxes suffer from this.

Handling cannot be called sporty, but it can bring pleasure. The cornering behavior is close to neutral. With the ESP (partially) switched off, the car is easy to throw into a drift and then drive it sideways for a long time or stabilize it with the throttle and counter-steering. Everything is precise and predictable. The impression is spoiled only by the wonderful folding roof. More precisely, not the roof itself, but the insufficient body rigidity, which most convertibles suffer from to some degree. This is noticeable even with the top up. In a corner, you feel the body tense up and then sort of turn the car further. Hence more blurred reactions to steering inputs compared to the Golf or Passat, delays during sharp lane changes, and creaking of the sunroof at the junction with the windshield.

Well, without the roof, the huge windshield frame wobbles, the image in the rearview mirror shakes even on small bumps, and the doors "play" in their openings. But, having a "soft" body, the Eos just as softly overcomes various road imperfections. Other VW models could only dream of such. However, we didn't expect a car based on a regular Golf, and even with a retractable roof, to turn out to be a sports car. So the handling can be considered acceptable. In addition, there is the possibility of year-round operation, a high-quality interior with four full seats, and decent dynamics. But the main thing is, of course, the magnificent transformer roof, a source of good mood. Even just watching its mechanism work guarantees relaxation.

PRICES AND TRIM LEVELS

In Russia, the Volkswagen Eos is sold with four FSI engines with direct injection. These are naturally aspirated 4-cylinder units with a displacement of 1.6 and 2.0 liters, as well as a 3.2-liter V6. Also available is a 2-liter turbo engine, like on the test car. The power is 115, 150, 250, and 200 hp, respectively. For the 4-cylinder engines, only a 6-speed manual gearbox is offered. The top 3.2-liter engine is complemented by a DSG preselective gearbox. The base Eos trim includes exterior mirrors with electric adjustment and heating, power windows, Climatic air conditioning, a steering column with tilt and reach adjustment, central locking with remote control, and electric power steering. The list of additional equipment includes Climatronic, multimedia and navigation systems, iPod preparation, leather interior, heated front seats, heated washer nozzles, "parktronic," and much more. The price for a car with a 1.6-liter engine in the base trim is $34,876. The most expensive Eos with a 3.2-liter engine and DSG gearbox costs from $51,151.

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