This
car is the epitome of style
with a fully automatic
hardtop that gives it the
appearance of a regular
car. In fact, even while I
was checking it out online,
I was not convinced it was
a convertible.
The Eos offers not only
style, but is well engineered, making it useful as well as
fun. It is derived from the fifth-generation Golf and comes
in two choices: a 200-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four or a
250-hp version of the 3.2 liter, narrow angle VR6. The VR6
is similar to the V engine but has cylinders offset from
each other and tilted by 10.6 or 15° instead of the more
common 45, 60, or 90°.
I drove the 2.0-liter version and it definitely has get-up-and-
go. Unfortunately, for a relatively small car, mileage
isn’t that great at 23 mpg. I was lucky enough to have
three days in which I could drive with the top down
(although one of the days did require a hat and gloves).
Retracting the top took only the touch of a button and
about 1 min to complete the transformation.
This single button activates sensors in the rear bumper
to ensure there’s 16 in. of clearance behind the car.
The plastic deck then tilts up and moves rearward.
The multipiece hardtop unlatches from the windshield
header and stacks up in the trunk. A single electric motor
and eight hydraulic rams provide power.
To give the car more structure, Eos incorporates a
targa hoop that also braces the Cabrios body shell and is
found in the pedestal for the rear seat. In case a rollover
is imminent, a roll-bar, powered by pyrotechnics, not a
spring, deploys behind the rear seats in just 0.25 sec,
while both front and rear-seat passengers get air bags for
head protection.
It also has rear head restraints, front and rear
power-assisted disc brakes, all season tires, and antislip
regulation.
A problem, common for most small hardtop convertibles,
is the lack of storage space. There is only room for
a small suitcase in the trunk but one day I had to stow my
groceries on the seat.
The only option was a six-speed automatic transmission
for $1,075. It brought the sticker to $31,695.
— Julie Kalista
.