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What a sweetheart!

Finally an affordable sporty car with a retractable hardtop!
Volkswagen has just introduced its new Eos sporty car. They call it a CSC or “Convertible Sunroof Coupe”. VehicleVoice got the first opportunity to drive the Jetta-based Eos at a Volkswagen-sponsored event in Portland, Oregon. This was a really risky proposition for the VW PR folks… having a convertible launch in one of the dampest areas of the country. But the weather cooperated and we missed the rain.
Eos – Affordable Aspiration
The Eos is a very pleasant small car. Volkswagen PR folks describe it as affordable aspiration and it fills the bill. Priced at $27,990 for the base car, it can be equipped to just shy of $40,000 when all the boxes are checked on a 3.2L V6 version.

While Volkswagen contends the Eos is not a chick’s car, it certainly is. The old VW Cabriolet had about 80% female ownership. Southern California was crawling with young blonde girls driving Cabrios… see my car, see me. Remember the movie Clueless?… yep, VW Cabriolet. Now, VW says that there will be a 50/50 split between genders. We don’t see it. Chick car all the way.

While the Eos has very pleasant styling, it is not a head-turner. With the top up, it can get lost in the crowd. But, with the top down, its personality comes out. Even the waterlogged denizens of Portland stopped to comment on Eos versatility. Finally, a car they can use 24/7/52/365.
The evaluation cars were all powered by VW’s excellent 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo with 200-horsepower. As in the Jetta, the 2.0L provides good performance with the 6-speed manual transmission or an automatic. Normally, we shy away from 4-cylinder automatics, but the power output of the turbo gives the autobox Eos enough oomph.
The 3.2L V6 version will be available as a running change later in the year. None available to test on the event, but it promises to be a rocketship.
Eos Pricing Undercuts G6 Slightly, C70 by a Whopping $12,000
In the affordable retractable hardtop arena, Eos competes with the Pontiac G6 Hardtop Convertible and the Volvo C70. The base price of the Eos starts at $28,000 slightly below the much larger G6 that comes in at about $28,500 (with a standard 201-horsepower V6). Check all the boxes on the Eos and you can nudge $40,000 with the V6. The G6 can also be fully equipped into the high $30K range. The Volvo is another proposition. Base price is $39,785 with delivery. Check all the boxes and the Volvo tips the scales at $47,900. Whew. And that is with a 218-horsepower 5-cylinder… not an optional 6-cylinder. (3.2L V6 on Eos has 250HP. 3.9L V6 on G6 has 240HP).