Review: 2019 VW Eos Lux - Greek Goddess Meets A Snow Storm
The Volkswagen Eos gets its name from the Greek Goddess of the Dawn. According to Greek mythology, the Goddess Eos was responsible for opening the gates of heaven for the Sun to rise each morning. The 2012 VW Eos Lux does not open the gates of heaven, but it does allow its occupants to be immersed in the beautiful outdoors by retracting it鈥檚 folding hardtop. The Colorado Rocky Mountains are not a bad place to enjoy a convertible, although preferably during the warm season. Is the Volkswagen Eos a GTI with a folding roof or does it have a different personality? Lets have a closer look. The Volkswagen Eos has been refreshed for the 2012 model year. The front and rear fascias have been updated and convey a more masculine and aggressive look than before. The squared off headlights, the upper and lower grills, and the fog lights draw a strong connection to the looks of the current Jetta. The shape and design of the tail lights have also been updated to match the latest corporate design.
All together, I like the updates. I was not a huge fan of the large chrome grill of the previous version, so I welcome this refresh. However, I was bummed that my 2012 test car did not have the LED daytime running lights and HID headlights. They are available on the 2013 models that are on sale now. The Eos interior stays mostly the same as before, and it is almost identical to the interiors found in the GTI and the Golf. The Eos Lux model adds wood trim on the dash and the center console. The second row is where the Eos differs from the other Volkswagen products. The rear seats are more upright and narrow. They can accommodate just two passengers in a pinch, as the legroom is also limited. I had a heck of a time fitting the child seats in the back. It鈥檚 possible - the two kids fit, but clearly this car is not an ideal toddler vehicle. On the other hand, the front twos seat are comfortable and offer more than enough leg and head room. Also, the seat warmers are some of the quickest and hottest that I have sampled.
The heater works great as well. The car came up to temperature relatively quickly and handled the frozen environment well. However, it left me wishing for a heated steering wheel. The show piece and the party trick of this car is its folding hardtop. This transformer-like piece of engineering has so many moving parts, that it never fails to draw attention when in operation. Of course, the Eos looks good with the top up or down. The top part of the roof is glass that can be opened separately, making the Eos a coupe with a moonroof. Then, the roof can complete the metamorphosis and turn into a clean looking drop-top. This roof is one of the slower ones, but works all on it鈥檚 own - no manual latches here. With the roof up I noticed some road noise coming more the rear of the car at highway speeds. The noise is not uncomfortable, but I expected this car to be a little quieter to match its luxurious image.
A December snow storm is not the ideal time to enjoy a convertible, but I made the best of it. I drove this Eos on dry roads before the storm, then during the snow fall, and in the aftermath. The power-train on the Eos is very easy to configure. It has just one choice, albeit it鈥檚 the award winning 2.0 liter Turbo (TSI) 4-cylinder backed by the excellent 6-speed DSG automated manual transmission. The motor produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. This does not sound like a lot on paper, but anybody who has driven any Volkswagen with this motor will tell you that it鈥檚 a quick one. This engine delivers the power in one strong punch. I would not call it turbo lag. I would call it an explosion. This basically means that the driver should be gradual in applying the accelerator pedal from a dead stop.
If you floor it, the torque quickly overwhelms the front tires and you either spin them or the traction control comes in to rein you in. Perhaps, a grippier tire would help the Eos hook up and put the power down. The Eos is still a whole lot of fun to drive. Acceleration and passing maneuvers are effortless and never fail to put a smile of your face. However, it is not a GTI with a folding roof. For one, at 3,508 lbs the Eos is almost 500 pounds heavier than a comparable two-door GTI. The Eos also has a little softer and more relaxed demeanor. It has a more compliant suspension setup, so it leans more in the corners. And the brake pedal on my test car had long travel and required significant force to achieve an aggressive stop. I would say the Eos is better suited for relaxed cruising than carving canyons.
