New 2007 Volkswagen Eos Exterior Review [ 2009 , 2008 ]
Volkswagen Eos Exterior Review
Exterior - 7.8 (Good)
The Volkswagen Eos, with its retractable hardtop, is both versatile and conservatively stylish, but reviewers don't agree if it looks better with the top up or down. Edmunds reports, "Whether we had the steel top in place, powered it back to a top-down and wind-in-your-hair convertible, or were kicking it with the open sunroof, its 'CSC' coupe-sunroof-convertible design adapts to any situation with style."
The Eos' exterior, explains Autobytel, "is a blend of crisp, clean lines and VW's emerging trademark drooping headlights and circular taillamps." For its part, Motor Trend is "not sold on VW's new gaping-maw grille and droopy-eyed styling; the rear is the more attractive and well balanced angle for sure." The Detroit News, meanwhile, finds, "The coupe-style body looks very substantial without being bulky."
Car and Driver thinks that the car "looks better with the top up. Notice in the side view how deftly the roofline carves down into the lower body as a cut-line for the decklid." Auto Mall USA isn't as impressed, but concedes: "When the top is up on the Volkswagen Eos it doesn't look anything like a soft-top convertible. Admittedly it's not eye-popping attractive or truly sexy looking, but it's acceptable." The Car Connection judges the Eos "slick roof up or down," saying it "has a dynamic look to it, especially with the top down." Road and Track agrees, saying, "The B-pillarless semi-elliptical windows do a good job of keeping the side profile flowing, but the car looks best in full drop-top mode."
Despite reviewers disagreeing on if the Eos looks better with the top up or down, most are impressed with the operation of the retractable roof. As CNET puts it, "The Eos' retractable hardtop is, of course, its showcase feature. Dubbed 'Coupe-Sunroof-Convertible' (CSC), it works flawlessly and feels as if it will continue for the car's lifetime." USA TODAY explains that the "front pieces slide under the rear pieces as the top is lowered and stored under the trunk lid," and adds that the process is "[n]eat to watch. Impress the neighbors, wow the kids." Road and Track reports, "The roof, operated by eight hydraulic cylinders and a multitude of mechanical linkages, stows away in about 25 sec. with the push of a button." Cars.com points out one design quirk that some reviewers dislike, writing, "One shortcoming is that its trunklid, when opening to accept the folded top, pivots backward farther than I've seen on such a car -- a couple feet from the body and about a foot beyond the bumper." An optional sensor system, however, will alert drivers to any rear obstacles that may interfere with the hardtop's retraction.
The feature that distinguishes the Eos among retractable hardtops is its sunroof. It's "huge (the glass measures 17 in. by 38 in.)," says BusinessWeek, "making this little car seem roomy and airy inside" when the top is up. "For something between top-up and top-down, the Eos' sunroof is just the ticket," argues Kelley Blue Book. Other features include what the New York Times calls "carefully designed wind baffles atop the windshield bar" that "keep the cockpit enjoyably calm during top-down motoring." The result, says Automobile Magazine, is that "as a top-down environment, the interior is as calm as a spring day."
