Volkswagen Eos Bluemotion CC review

Given the change in the climate with wetter and colder Winters and hotter and dryer Summers, as the last two extreme UK Winters and the current rain-shy Summer could indicate, some of us will consider changing to a car for all seasons.

The four year old Volkswagen Eos comes into this category. With its two door, coupe style, four seater family sized C-segment body, even though it is not new in design it still looks a classy but practical offering.

Now the range has been brought up to date to meet the current market requirements with the addition of low 144g/km CO2 emission BlueMotion versions.

Eos prices and performance

The Eos UK prices start at £20,695 and run up to £29,935. BlueMotion versions in S and SE trim and equipment levels share the award winning 1.4-litre TSI, 122PS (121bhp) turbocharged petrol engine with six speed manual transmissions and priced at £20,695 and £21,795 for the SE.

Road tax costs a frugal £125 a year and company car drivers will pay 17% Benefit-in-Kind tax. All Volkswagen passenger cars sold in the UK are offered with a three years/30,000 mile servicing package for just £250 – another cost cutter.

Other engine options for the range are a 1.4-litre TSI supercharged/turbocharged petrol 160PS unit, the 2.0-litre TSI 210PS and the 2.0-litre TDI 140PS turbodiesel. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard for all engines while the 210PS petrol and 140PS TDI are offered with VW’s famed DSG twin clutch fast-shift auto transmission.

There are S, SE, Sport and Individual levels of trim and specification depending on the engine option chosen.

Eos specification

The UK is the third largest international sales market for Eos behind Germany and the USA and last year around 1,800 of them attracted UK buyers, 36% of them fleet purchasers and 54% of all Eos models sold in the UK had the diesel engine.

But that was before engine downsizing really started to happen and cash and tax strapped Britons really started looking at their motoring budgets hence the introduction of the BlueMotion versions.

All models feature the unique five piece folding metal hard-top roof which also comprises of a glass sunroof and this impressive piece of engineering takes 25 seconds to open or close.

Also fitted as standard to all models are electronic stability programme, twin front and side airbags, semi-automatic air conditioning, fog lights, electric windows, electric heated and adjusted door mirrors, stereo radio and CD player, 16-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors and lockable load through provision between the boot and rear seats area. Of course the specification gets more sophisticated the more you pay and there is a wide choice of other extra cost options.

Metal hard-top

Now the main reason for combating all winds and weathers with a hard top rather than the traditional fabric roof is to cheat our changing climate. There is nothing worse in Winter than getting into a car with a frozen on the inside fabric roof and if it’s not freezing then the sound of heavy rain can dampen anybody’s spirits.

The folding metal hardtop does away with all this and makes the car snug when it’s cold and wet, airy and light when it’s dry and it brightens our day when the roof is down and the sun is shining. Just as important is the fact that the car is secure when parked and left with the roof up so no issues of vandalism or theft with the attack of a sharp knife.

There are generally two downsides to these metal folding roofs over canvas tops; the space the folded roof take up in the boot when stowed and the weight the metal folding roof mechanism adds to the car. On the issue of luggage space, there is a maximum of 380-litres with the roof up and this shrinks to just 205-litres when it is stowed in the load area and that is really not enough for a four-seater.

The shroud, or inner boot liner which shields the luggage when the roof is lowered does not allow for the easy loading of shopping. As for the added weight, which includes bodyshell strengthening to limit the body shake which can occur over poor road surfaces, there used to be a penalty to pay in terms of fuel economy and poorer performance but modern engines have largely overcome that issue.

The Eos SE Bluemotion

A good example of that is the brilliant 1.4-litre TSI, four cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine which powered my Eos SE BlueMotion test car. A few years ago a car of this size and weight would have been fitted with at least a 1.8 or 2.0-litre engine. Today’s technology means that much smaller capacity engines can be used and remarkably they produce more power and torque, better fuel economy and hence less CO2 emissions.

The 1.4-litre unit is high pressure direct injection petrol boosted by a turbocharger to give 121bhp but more importantly 148lb ft of torque from 1,500rpm. The relatively high compression ratio means ‘taller’ gear ratios can be used to further improve fuel economy and in this case without losing any loss of responsiveness at lower speeds during acceleration.

Top speed is 122mph, zero to 62mph takes 10.0 seconds, the official Combined Cycle fuel consumption is 45.6mpg and during my test the Eos returned a real-life 42.7mpg, brilliant for a petrol engine.

However I found driving with the roof down reduced the fuel economy by about 3mpg due to the disturbed airflow. Exhaust emissions of 144g/km means road tax is £125 a year.

BlueMotion technology features an automatic Start/Stop system, battery regeneration system which captures energy otherwise lost during braking. This energy is used for other functions such as the electronic power steering and it also allows for the alternator to switch off which reduces engine load.

A useful hill hold function, on board computer which includes a visual gear change point recommendation and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with self sealing tyres are all BlueMotion tweaks as well.

The Eos 1.4 BlueMotion I think is particularly suited to either older retail buyers without the need for a family car who appreciate a stylish design suitable for all winds and weathers which is very comfortable, easy to drive and well built. Also company car users will like the low 17% Benefit-in-Kind tax, the lowest in the range by quite a long way and even better than the diesel models.

The Eos in this BlueMotion form more than competes on price against the Vauxhall Astra CC TwinTop, the Ford Focus Coupe Cabrio, the new Renault Megane CC and the Peugeot 308CC and it has the lowest road and BIK taxes as well, not to mention it is nicer to drive and arguably it feels better built as well.

Volkswagen Eos Bluemotion MILESTONES

Volkswagen Eos SE BlueMotion 1.4-litre TSI 6-Speed

Price: £21,795

Engine/transmission: 1.4-litre, four cylinder, direct inject turbocharged petrol, 121bhp, 148lb ft (200Nm) of torque from 1,500rpm, 6-speed manual.

Performance: 122mph, 0-62mph 10.9 seconds, 45.6mpg (42.7mpg), CO2 144g/km, VED road tax £125, BIK company car tax 17%.

Insurance group: 18E.

Boot space: 380-litres roof up, 205-litres roof down.

For: Stylish car for all seasons, good to drive, classy, BlueMotion technology really works for fuel and tax savings, smooth and quick roof operation.

Against: Limited luggage space roof up or down for a coupe of this size.

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