By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / Photos VW Media
For the final year of production, the Eos Sport trim is replaced with the 2015 Final Edition. Based on the Sport trim, the Final Edition offers added value at the mid-level trim.
Exterior
Top up or down, the 2015 Eos has a sleek, elegant profile, highlighted by a swept-back windshield, slim roof pillars to ensure great all-round visibility, and a bold-muscular body line that starts by the front wheelarch and sweeps back all the way to the rear light.
Extending between the swept-back headlamps is a prominent, slim grille featuring three gloss-black blades, each trimmed with a narrow chrome strip. The front bumper design incorporates a deep, restyled air dam with horizontal blades matching those of the grille. Mounted at the edges, halogen reflector-lens fog lamps have a corner-illuminating feature.
Final Edition and Executive trims have Bi-Xenon high-intensity headlights with bright-white LED Daytime Running Lights and the Adaptive Front-lighting System. This system can turn the headlamps up to 15 degrees for increased night-time visibility around curves.
2015 VW EOS
2015 VW EOS
Folding Hardtop
To see the Eos’s electro-hydraulically-operated five-piece steel and glass roof in action is like watching a mechanical ballet. In the 25 seconds it takes for the top to lower, the five elements form a compact sandwich, stacking neatly and elegantly on top of each other so as to take up minimal space inside the trunk. The mechanism itself is activated from the front seat by a press-and-hold lever beneath the center armrest. Thanks to the way the mechanism operates, the roof can be opened or closed in most garages.
A unique feature of the folding roof is its sliding glass sunroof that’s integrated into the car’s metal roof. At the touch of a button it can be tilted and partly or fully opened. There’s also an integrated, manual sliding sunshade to help reduce sunlight glare. A key design element of the roof is that the section behind the sunroof is made of matching tinted glass, giving the visual impression that the Eos’s entire roof is made from glass.
Interior
As well as its nearly all-weather capability, the Eos is also able to carry four adults in comfort and still have space for their luggage. Standard on all models is a dual-zone Climatronic climate control system. The system allows driver and front-seat passenger to adjust their air temperatures individually and independently. The Climatronic system even takes into account the amount of sunlight coming into the cabin, and makes separate calculations to compensate on both the driver and passenger sides.
For entertainment, all Eos models come standard with RNS 315 Navigation system with a five-inch color touch screen and SD memory card reader, and a Media Device Interface with iPod cable to seamlessly navigate playlists, albums and more, plus Bluetooth connectivity.
From the sporty, side-bolstered front seats with standard 12-way power adjustment for the driver (eight-way manual adjustment for the front passenger), to the supportive individual rear seats, the Eos is exceptionally comfortable and accommodating. To help make it easy for passengers to climb in the back, the front seats in the Eos are available with an electric easy-entry feature. This system is standard on the drivers’ side and optional for the passenger. Pressing the rocker switch allows the seats to power forward so passengers can step in, and then return to their original position.
2015 VW EOS
2015 VW EOS
Engine and Transmission
The 2015 Eos features Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder TSI gasoline engine. This advanced, technically-sophisticated, direct fuel-injection power plant produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque and features drive-by-wire throttle control and maintenance-free hydraulic lifters. One of the key reasons for the engine’s lively, responsive performance is that it produces all 207 lb-ft of torque from just 1700 rpm, allowing for easy passing and exits from tight curves.
The front-wheel drive Eos features the DSG six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard. This fast-shifting automatic enables the Eos to deliver an EPA fuel economy of 30 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg in city driving. DSG combines the comfort and ease-of-use of an automatic with the responsiveness and economy of a manual. The six-speed, transversely-mounted DSG unit features two wet clutches with hydraulic pressure regulation. One clutch controls the odd gears first, third, fifth and reverses while the other operates the even gears. Essentially it is two gearboxes in one.
Summary
While there may be other retractable hardtop convertible models on the market, the Eos stands apart for being the only one to offer a full-width, power-tilt-and-slide, panoramic glass sunroof integrated in to its hardtop. The Eos provides an affordable alternative to four-place convertibles from European luxury automakers.
Opening at $39,545, the new Final Edition adds to the well-rounded list of Komfort features: a lowered sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch Vicenza aluminum-alloy wheels; Bi-Xenon headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System and headlight washer system; LED daytime running lights with low beam assist and Coming Home function; Black Peak decorative interior inserts; multifunction steering wheel; Keyless access with push-button start; rear spoiler; black exterior mirrors; and LED license-plate illumination To commemorate this last year of production, added interior enhancements consist of unique Cornsilk Beige and black two-tone Vienna leather seating surfaces, contrast stitching, silver net interior trim, a rearview camera and rain-sensing wipers.
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
