2019 Volkswagen Eos Expert Reviews Ratings
When the top is up on the Volkswagen Eos it doesn't look anything like a soft-top convertible. Admittedly it's not eye-popping attractive or truly sexy, but it's acceptable. In many ways the Eos is a cross between a Jetta or even a Passat and a GTI. That's appropriate as it's built off a combination of the three cars. Obviously with the top down headroom is unlimited, but even with it up rear seat passengers will find it acceptable unless they are approaching six feet tall. Getting into the back seat is made much easier than usual; not only do the front seatbacks fold down, but the seat moves up off its runner to provide easier access. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine produces plenty of torque, good for gentle cruising or more aggressive driving. These reviews are written by independent automotive journalists providing an objective and reliable assessment to help you make a smart buying decision.
At 9.1 l/100 km (equivalent to 239 g/km CO2), its combined fuel consumption is extremely good considering its enormous power and incredible maximum torque of 800 Newton-metres (between 1,750 and 2,750 rpm). By comparison: The retired previous version, a V10 TDI with 230 kW / 313 PS, had a combined fuel consumption of 11.9 litres - 2.8 litres more. In parallel, CO2 emissions are reduced by about 25 percent. This engine also has a specific thermal management system with switched water pump to shorten the warm-up phase. The VW Touareg V8 TDI reaches a top speed of 242 km/h and accelerates to 100 km/h in only 5.8 seconds - like a sports car. A look at the functionality of the intuitively operated Stop-Start system for the V6 models is interesting: The driver approaches a red light with the Touareg and brakes it to a stop. At this moment the engine is automatically stopped. The text "Stop Start" now appears in the multifunction display. As soon as the light turns green, the driver releases the brake, the engine starts, the "Stop Start" indicator disappears, and the driver resumes driving.
Regenerative braking helps to utilise the energy used in driving as ideally as possible. During coasting and braking phases - i.e. whenever the driver simply releases the accelerator pedal or decides to brake - the system elevates the voltage of the alternator (generator), and it is used to intensively charge the vehicle's battery. Thanks to this alternator control as a function of engine load, and the optimally charged battery that results, the voltage of the alternator can be reduced when this is desirable - e.g. when accelerating or constantly maintaining a desired speed. The alternator may even be shut off entirely. This relieves the engine, which in turn reduces fuel consumption. Regenerative braking requires a special software for energy management and modified engine controller software. In all Volkswagen Touareg versions, a new 8-speed automatic transmission is being used - an advanced development of the previous 6-speed automatic transmission. That makes this Volkswagen the first SUV in the world with this type of transmission. The automatic is designed for engine torques of up to 850 Newton-metres.
Due to the two additional gear levels, a 20 percent larger gearing spread can be attained between 1st and 8th gears. This accomplishes two objectives: First, thanks to this larger spread, the engines operate with even greater efficiency over all speed ranges, making them both more fuel efficient and responsive. Second, it was possible to lay out the 7th and 8th gears as speed-reducing gears (20 percent reduction) - fuel-saving overdrive gears. On the transmission of the previous model, 6th gear handled this job. On the new 8-speed automatic, on the other hand, the car's top speed is reached in 6th gear. The lower engine rpms attained in this way have a positive effect on noise levels as well. If the engine speed required to reach top speed in 6th gear is considered 100 percent, this means that in 8th gear engine speed is reduced by 34 percent. An example: At 130 km/h cruising speed, the Volkswagen Touareg's V6 TSI only turns at about 2,200 rpm.
To optimally isolate the drivetrain from vibration generated by engine torque, further improvements to the torsional damping provided by the torque converter have been made. In the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, the 8-speed automatic - which shifts faster than the gearbox on the previous model - is coupled to a transfer case with Torsen differential. This results in a 40:60 distribution of the propulsive force between the front and rear axles. The Torsen differential is already being used in a similar form within the Volkswagen Group, but it was further refined for the Touareg to improve its weight and efficiency. To implement the VW Touareg's smoothly transitioning Stop-Start function in every driving phase, the transmission must be provided with sufficient oil pressure to ensure slip-free power transfer within the gear elements. Conventional gearboxes only accomplish this once the engine has attained a specific idling speed, so that the mechanically driven transmission oil pump can build up sufficient oil pressure and oil flow.
