Volkswagen Eos 2010 News

A number of potentially hazardous faults have been identified in vehicles sold in Australia, prompting a wide range of recalls.

US owners of VW cars with diesel engines that can cheat emissions tests have already been given $500, but local owners still have no compensation.

Three weeks after the global scandal broke, Australian owners of VW diesel cars finally know if their car is affected or not.

Bluetooth and media connectivity are notable absences in the current car. They weren't a big deal when the car launched here in 2007, but the take-up of both technologies in the intervening years means they are now expected as standard features. So they're in, along with a facelift to give the Eos the wide horizontal grille that marks the latest VW look, a sharper edge to the bootlid and new LED tail lights. The extra features come at a $500 premium to the existing models, putting the 103kW/320Nm turbodiesel at $49,990 and the 155kW/280Nm petrol engine at $51,990. Fuel consumption on both engines is down by 200ml to 5.9 litres/100km for the diesel and 7.7 litres/100km for the petrol. There is no manual gearbox with either engine. VW spokesman Karl Gehling said the uptake of manuals on the 5500 cars sold here since launch showed only 15 per cent of buyers opted for a clutch, so it was deleted for the update. That makes the six-speed DSG semi-automated transmission the only choice, but it's not a bad one. The five-piece hardtop roof includes a sunroof so owners can choose between a coupe look, coupe with the sunroof open or pure open-air convertible. The opening/closing process takes around 25 seconds. There's a 205-litre "chute" in the centre of the boot that is spacious enough to take soft baggage, providing they can be squeezed through the fairly narrow opening. Options run from metallic paint at $700, to $900 for the self-parking software, $1500 for electric front seats, $2000 for a premium 600W sound system, $2100 for bi-xenon headlights with dynamic cornering mode and $2500 to add satnav.

Toni Pearen loves the convertible lifestyle.  The 35-year-old host of Australia's Funniest Home Videos, who recently married Sydney bar owner Will Osmond, is a fresh-air fan who has been won over by the Volkswagen Eos.What was your first car?A white Honda AccordWhat do you drive now?A blue VW EosDo you have a favourite drive and who would you take?I love road trips. They give me a sense of freedom. I love driving along the Great Ocean Rd. I've done it once and the only thing I took was my guitar, but in the future I'd definitely take my husband.How far would you drive in an average year?About 20,000km.Do you have a favourite motoring memory?About six years ago, I travelled the country for six months with a play called Stories from Suburban Road by Tom Hungerford. Every day, five amazing actors and myself would jump in a van and travel to another far-off destination to perform. We performed in Alice Springs and Darwin. We travelled the WA coastline and inland to Kalgoorlie. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.What would you buy if money was no object?An island.What music is playing in your car?Right now I'm loving Katie Noonan's new album, Skin, Brandi Carlisle and Feist.How much is too much for a new car?When you live in your car instead of your house!What should be done to make driving safer?Better education of young drivers.Are you sponsored by a car company?Yes. I'm a VW ambassador.

Convertibles are something the German carmaker knows a thing or three about, with more than one million VW convertibles – Beetles, Karmann Ghias, Golfs and New Beetles – sold worldwide to date, so the Eos has a fine pedigree. The four-seater is equipped with a revolutionary five-piece convertible, sliding and coupe (CSC) roof. It's a convertible you won't hate over winter – and a coupe that won't stifle you in summer. Top-up noise levels are low and anti-theft security enhanced substantially, compared to a traditional ‘ragtop'. The CSC roof opens or closes rapidly, in 25 seconds, offering technical finesse and visual sophistication. It even incorporates a substantial sunroof for those times when you want an each-way bet on letting the light in. It can be opened completely or tilted up along the trailing edge. And the structural integrity of the CSC design negated obvious convertible compromises that hamper other designs, such as windscreen support location, and overall style with the top up. When closed, the CSC roof forms a smooth arc between the rear deck and the windscreen. With the roof open, the clear-cut classic coupe proportions are obvious. The Eos's windscreen frame is also the roof cross-member. It projects far less into the interior than that of many convertibles, so there's nothing but sky above the driver and front passenger – a design which makes front seat entry a breeze. The Eos is 1.79m wide, 4.41m long and 1.44m high. The effect is a wide, low, purposeful stance. And the 1.55m track fills the guards and facilitates good handling and steering response. Internationally, the Eos is available with no lees than five different engines ranging from 85kW to 184kW 3.2-litre V6 screamer (with awesome DSG gearbox) recently released in the R32 Golf here. The 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel engine with standard diesel particulate filter, also available here on Golf, is part of that range, developing 103kW and 320Nm. Inside, Eos clearly passes the Volkswagen DNA test. However, unique design touches abound in cockpit, doors and rear seats – as well as in a unique air conditioning system specifically designed for the convertible. For the first time Volkswagen optionally features electrically activated 'easy-entry' seats: they store the driver's and front passenger's longitudinal seating position in memory and return to it – at the push of a button – after the rear passengers have been taken care of. The new Eos will be positioned between Golf and Passat.