VW Eos

IT ALWAYS strikes me as faintly ridiculous that we Brits buys more soft-tops than any other country in the whole of Europe.

I mean, why bother when our overcast weather is so damn miserable for such a large part of the year?

Canvas tops have so many drawbacks.

They are noisy, handle poorly, are easier to break into and look about as sexy as one of those old silver cross prams when the roof is in place - which is most of the time.

About the only exception to the rule that cheap canvas tops are rubbish is the excellent Mazda MX5.

So it's no surprise to me that canvas roofs have been pretty much replaced by folding tin-tops these days.

At least a hard-top which can fold into the boot for sunny days makes a bit more sense in the UK. The dropdown metal roof system makes a coupe-cabriolet,as they are known, bearable in bad weather, quieter at high speeds and almost as hard to nick as a normal tin top.

They still have some drawbacks, the biggest two being the chronic lack of boot space with the roof stowed and the ungainly proportions that are the result of having to stash such a lot of heavy metal behind the passenger compartment.

But sales figures do not lie and they show that coupe-cabrios are an enticing and affordable option for drivers wanting the best of both worlds.

The EOS is a late entrant to this market. Built at VW's factory in Portugal, it was scheduled to go on sale in late 2005. Those early deliveries were delayed when engineers discovered a wind noise problem late in the development process. About the same time the boss of VW decided that the cabin wasn't special enough and ordered a rethink.

So the EOS went on sale in late 2006 just as the first snow flurries of winter turned parts of the UK a seasonal white. Not the ideal time to bring out a drop top.

Named after the Greek goddess of dawn for obvious reasons, the EOS roof system is actually manufactured and built by a subsidiary of Webasto, the sunroof company. VW just came up with the specification.

That's not so unusual in this class where the majority of combatants have roofs made by third parties.

At least the extra time taken to bring the EOS to market allowed VW's stylists to think about how they could making their car better looking.

It still has a boot that seems to stick out further than it should, but the shape is far more pleasing to the eye than the unsightly rump that blights the Peugeot 307CC, for instance.

It's par for the course that VW had to find somewhere for the sandwiched metal panels to live aft of the C pillar and that means a longer boot than one would aesthetically like.

The boffins at Webasto helped out by creating a five-piece roof rather than the more usual, and cheaper, threepiece design. A five-section construction takes up less length, although the stack is taller and eats up a lot of luggage space.

Those five sections are moved by eight hydraulic cylinders powered by an electro-hydraulic pump that does its stuff in less than half a minute.

You press a chromed lever to lower and raise the roof.

When this operation is complete the EOS flashes up a message on the LCD display between the speedo and rev counter.

A smaller switch within the chrome lever operates the EOS' sunroof, an unusual addition that's handy for a spot of fresh air on uncertain autumnal days.

There are various open-air combinations: roof down with the side windows in place for a bit of wind protection, roof /windows down and blast deflectors erected to keep the howling gale from blowing your wig off, and totally topless for true wind-in-thehair motoring.

The wind deflectors do work but they have to be stowed in the already limited boot in a special zip up bag when not in use. I took them out and ended up forgetting about them at the end of the test and, I suspect, many owners will do the same.

It's doubly important you dump the deflectors if you plan on using the boot with the roof down. There isn't a huge amount of room when the roof panels are stashed away and the gap that's left for loading/unloading luggage has a lot in common with a post box!

To the uninitiated, the EOS may look like a Golf minus its roof. In fact, the two models have hardly anything in common.

Every body panel is different and, although the front suspension is the same, the EOS uses a variation on the Passat's set up at the rear. It's longer than a Golf and the wheels are further apart.

That roof extracts a hefty weight penalty, though. The EOS is actually 100kg heavier than the much larger Passat and its centre of gravity is higher too.

The wide range of engines includes a 150bhp 2.0 petrol and a 200bhp turbo. The test car was fitted with a 2.0-litre 140bhp turbodiesel, also found in the Golf and various other VW group products, and the excellent DSG automatic gearbox.

Not so long ago 140bhp was a fine figure to extract from a 2.0- litre petrol GTi and the turbodiesel doesn't disappoint. It has plenty of power and a satisfying shove in the mid-range, but it doesn't feel or sound quite as smooth as the best diesels around these days. Sitting at the traffic lights with the top down listening to the clatter coming from beneath the bonnet is at odds with the EOS' suave looks.

At least the coarse engine note dies away the faster you go, so speedy cruising isn't wearing on your nerves. The diesel's performance isn't too far behind the petrol car - 62 mph arrives in a touch over ten seconds and the EOS has plenty of power in reserve.

Driven around country lanes the EOS offers a sporty, road-hugging drive, although the stiff suspension is less forgiving of potholes and badly-surfaced asphalt in town. Refinement is generally very good, although the wind noise problem around the frameless windows hasn't been banished entirely.

The cabin is well trimmed, being a combination of the Golf/Passat interiors, and feels much classier than competing drop-tops from Peugeot, Renault and Ford. Although there's an over-reliance on black, the interior doesn't feel claustrophobic, even with the roof in place, thanks to the glass sunroof.

The front seats can easily accommodate two six-footers in complete comfort but the rears are for young children and travel emergencies only. The rear seat backs are set very upright and I struggled to fit a child seat.

Adults complained of back ache after half an hour or so. Headroom is good.

Of course, the EOS is really a car for two, with occasional trips for passengers in the back seats, and it is no better, nor worse, in this respect than any of its coupecabriolet competitors.

Thanks to the VW badge the EOS has more kudos than an Astra or a Focus C+C and although it costs more to buy, it should hold its value better than the mainstream competition.

Standard equipment runs to semi-automatic air conditioning, electric windows, parking sensors and 16-inch alloys. The EOS is also able to play tunes from your iPod or MP3 player.

Despite the pretty looks this is not a sports car. All the extra weight takes the edge off the performance.

I guarantee you'll never be tempted to go for a Sunday morning thrash. It does, however, perform well driven at a more sedate pace when the benefits of having no roof are more obvious.

It's also very safe for a drop-top.

As well as the usual air bags, anti-lock brakes and stability controls, aluminium roll bars pop up in quarter of a second to save your head should the car flip in an accident. The EOS scored a four-star occupant protection rating out of a possible five in NCAP crash testing.

Of all the affordable coupecabrios this is the best-looking and nicest ownership proposition.

It's also very well made and likely to remain desirable.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
Max power: 140bhp
0-62mph: 10.8 seconds
Av fuel consumption during test: 47.6mpg
CO2 emissions: 158g/km.
Insurance group: 8-17 depending on the model.
FOR COMFORT: CD player, electric windows, power steering, air conditioning, alloy wheels
FOR SAFETY: Head and thorax air bags, anti lock brakes, stability control, traction control.