Even Volkswagen admits that its new Eos is not the most practical choice of car on the market but it is aiming to convince plenty of forty-somethings with disposable income to "treat" themselves to its new coupé/cabriolet.
The Eos has just gone on sale with a starting price of €36,880 and VW is hoping to sway those who have a more realistic view of our mixed driving conditions year round by reassuring them that when the steel roof is closed you are not going to suffer.
The Eos is, of course, based on the Golf and that in itself will be sufficient to attract a fair degree of loyalty. Like other competitors the car has a roof that will open or close fully in just over twenty seconds but VW says a unique selling point is the fact that with the Eos you can still have the option of a sunroof on those days when the weather is not exactly conducive to fully open-top motoring.
VW has also gone for the competition in terms of standard equipment. The Eos has multiple airbags, including head curtain airbags, air conditioning (yes, you do need it sometimes, even with a cabriolet), alloy wheels, electric windows, cruise control, park sensors, alarm, eight-speaker CD system, tinted glass, electronic stability programme, alloy wheels and, of course, the roof system with integrated tilt and slide capabilities. The only thing that does not appear to be standard is the leather upholstery kit, which costs around €3,000 on the 1.6 (because you have to also take sports seats and a leather steering wheel) and about €2,800 on the 2.0-litre version.
At the moment there is a choice of 1.6 or 2.0-litre petrol (115bhp and 150bhp respectively) and two 2.0-litre diesel options come in the autumn. These have outputs of 140 and 200bhp respectively. The 1.6-litre petrol costs €36,880, the 2.0-litre petrol costs €41,845 and the diesels cost €44,560 and €46,400, depending on the lower or higher engine.
The Eos is certainly roomier in the back than other competitors and it does have a claim to being a true four-seater. Not everyone trusts convertibles and the steel roof with the ability to close out the weather actually needs to be experienced. Others will simply continue to believe that only a car that feels like a sealed tank is sufficient against the Irish climate.