2012 Volkswagen EOS

Some cars are designed to be one pure thing, like a minivan or a pickup. Other cars straddle the line between segments. Such is the case with the four-seat Volkswagen Eos. It's a retractable-hardtop convertible coupe, but it's not a sports car. It's fairly pricey, but I don't see it competing with the best of the luxury class.

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The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Eos is a small convertible that mixes good materials with a pleasant driving experience, but its price rubs up against some established luxury competitors.

What's New

Redesigned for 2012, the Eos gains the new Volkswagen "face" already seen on the Jetta. Most obvious is a narrower grille that's replaced the large, plunging chrome grille. There are also new taillights. The car has a more angular appearance overall, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it aggressive.

The 2012 Eos has the same 200-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as the previous Eos, but the manual transmission option has been dropped. The standard transmission now is a six-speed automatic with a manual mode that allows the driver to select gears. The 2012 Eos comes in three trim levels: Komfort, Lux and Executive. I tested the Lux version.

Convertible Attributes

The roof is where Volkswagen's attention to detail sets it apart from others in the convertible market. The Eos has a power retractable hardtop. More important, however, is the fact that it's well-designed. Where other tops shake the car when they open and slam shut, the Eos' top works as if it's doing something it's been designed to do. It takes about 25 seconds to open, but it feels like less time. It does require a fair amount of rear clearance for such a small car, so that's something to keep in mind, but overall I think it's nicely done.

Driving the Eos with the top down is enjoyable. There's a wind deflector that pops up above the windshield and a stand-up deflector screen you can install at the rear. I found I didn't need the rear deflector. There's very little turbulence in the cabin without it, but I suppose if you want to keep your hairdo just so, the deflector would come in handy. It's neither the hardest nor the easiest deflector to put in place, but either way it does block the rear seats from use.

With the roof closed, the Eos still feels pretty open. That's because the main roof panel over the front seats is glass and can also be retracted as a sunroof. There's an opaque shade that slides under the glass when you absolutely don't want any sun to enter through the roof. On a recent 100-plus-degree day, I found it to be superior to the mesh-like screens some carmakers put under their large sunroofs.

Visibility with the roof closed is decent. There's a large pillar at the rear of the car, but I didn't notice a major blind spot when passing on the highway. The view straight to the rear feels pinched; it's not that you can't see, it's just a bit claustrophobic. The good news is that there are standard parking sensors for the higher two trim levels. Komfort buyers can't get them.