2009 Volkswagen Eos - Styling Review

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It's hard to ignore VW's nearly comical overstatement when it comes to styling; the car's name, Eos, compares it to the Greek goddess of dawn. It's nice, but it's not that nice.

ForbesAutos appreciates that the 2009 Eos "comes with a less-intrusive windshield pillar design that makes front-seat entry and exiting easier than in the typical ragtop," and praises its "curvier, more coupe-like profile than most convertibles." Cars.com likes the "clean, sporty look" of the Eos; Volkswagen gets nods from Kelley Blue Book for its "attractive but understated styling." Still, the editors of TheCarConnection.com point to the Pontiac G6 Convertible, which looks far more distinctive in the hardtop-convertible class, when grading the Eos' shape.

The 2009 Volkswagen Eos is handsomely designed inside, though. The controls are situated well, and there's a combination of lines and textures that Volkswagen seems to have mastered long ago, while other car companies still try to match it. ConsumerGuide lauds the "clear gauges [that] complement mostly handy, intuitive controls."

The designers at Volkswagen imbue the Eos with clean exterior styling in both top-up or top-down configurations, something that can't be said of most soft-top convertibles or many hardtops, either. Convertibles, by nature, have a split personality when it comes to styling. Their character can change dramatically whether the top is up or down. The 2009 Volkswagen Eos avoids some of this by using a hardtop convertible roof instead of the typical cloth number.