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2012 Volkswagen Eos (photos)

The 2012 Eos is the first convertible to include a sunroof. The car's retractable hardtop protects it from weather, and folds away into the trunk for fun in the sun.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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The Eos is a bit of an oddball in the Volkswagen lineup, a small car with a retractable hardtop. In size and other features, it is very similar to the Jetta.

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The Eos update gets the new Volkswagen look, a narrow grille running between the headlights, all inset in the front of the car.

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Volkswagen only offers one choice for the power train, a turbocharged direct-injection 2-liter engine producing 200 horsepower.

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The Eos can hold five passengers in the front and rear seats. But like most convertibles, it only has two doors.

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The retractable hardtop offers good weather protection, and folds up at the push of a button.

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The Eos uses front-wheel drive, but its weight distribution causes the front wheels to lose traction under acceleration.

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The trunk space is seriously compromised by the retractable hardtop, with just enough room to slip a foot between lip and safety cover.

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Volkswagen equips the front seats with powerful heaters with three settings.

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The wide sunroof is a unique feature in the Eos. Volkswagen boasts that the Eos is the only convertible with a sunroof.

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Soft-touch materials cover the dashboard, and Volksagen makes all the electronics standard at each trim level.

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An electric power-steering unit provides boost to the steering wheel.

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The Eos includes voice command, but it only controls the Bluetooth phone system.

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Watch-dial gauges look sharp in the instrument cluster, bookending a monochrome LCD.

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The six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox offers Drive, Sport, and Manual modes.

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The navigation system is the same as that found in the new Jetta. It stores maps in flash memory for quick response times, but does not have traffic data.

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This semicircular menu structure is used throughout the the infotainment system, and each function gets a different color scheme.

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The LCD is also a touch screen, allowing direct input.

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The instrument cluster display also shows navigation, music, and phone information.

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The phone system includes contact database download.

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The onscreen interface makes it easy to browse an iPod library.

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Audio sources include Bluetooth streaming.

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