#02#It's impossible to ignore the recent explosion in the small to medium convertible market. All the key players have convertibles, and more latterly folding hardtop versions of the big-selling hatches. Of late we ourselves have tested the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop and, further up the ladder the Volvo C70, two new arrivals on the market. More are set to follow as other marques launch their cars. Here we test VW's offering, the Eos, named after the Greek goddess of the dawn.

Rather than being another Golf derivative, the Eos fits into the product line-up in between the Golf and the Passat. The front end is much like that of the new Jetta, but entirely different looking to anything else in the VW stable from the A-pillar rearwards. Unlike many rivals the Eos manages to integrate the high boot line necessitated by the need to stow the roof away.

From most angles, with the roof up, the VW Eos does a very passable impression of a good-looking coupé; certain angles do look a little awkward but it's much more cohesive than rivals. With the roof down the Eos exudes the kind of class normally reserved for the close relatives produced by Audi. The roof mechanism is a joy to watch; smooth, quick and quiet, the five pieces orchestrate themselves in a balletic sequence and stow away at the touch of a button. The Eos's roof is also novel in that it houses a sunroof as well.

With the roof down, there is little evidence as to its existence; precious few exposed parts of mechanism or compromised surfaces are on show in the cabin. The interior itself is generously proportioned. By keeping the five piece roof's length to a sensible proportion, at the minimum compromise to the ultimately rakish coupé looks, VW has reduced the amount of stowage space, and thus cabin intrusion and overall dimension, as much as possible. #p##02# Accommodation is plenty for four adults seated, particularly in the test car's upgraded Nappa leather, in great comfort and equally importantly, style. Another new VW, another deeply impressive cabin with cues from a variety of its models evident in the dash and centre console. The silver paintwork of our test car worked brilliantly with the sumptuous (if expensive at £1,845) red leather seats.

On the road, the Eos drives very well. With the roof in place there are a few rattles you wouldn't find in a normal Volkswagen saloon, usually from the windows or roof, but the driving experience is pleasant enough. Seriously pitted road surfaces can produce a shudder through the structure, but by and large you'd not feel the car is unduly compromised for its main role. That is with the roof stowed and the sun shining.

In this context the Eos delivers in spades. An ultimately sporty experience will always be the domain of a GTi hatch, but as a relaxed and, with accepted limitations, fun cruiser and hooner it does a fine job. Grip is plentiful courtesy of the stylish 18-inch alloys fitted to our car (another option) and the suspension is well tuned for a fun compromise between handling and unduly exposing the flex in the chassis that would occur in extremis.

The Golf GTi-sourced engine fits the character well. It has plenty of outright urge as we've seen elsewhere; 144mph and 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds are impressive enough for the Eos, but it is its flexibility and refinement that deliver most tellingly in this application. The broad, deep torque curve gives excellent in-gear performance and make for a more relaxing and less frenetic driving experience. #p##02# At a cruise the Eos's cabin is quiet and relatively free of buffeting. It really is a lovely way to gather miles, be it on the open road or quiet country lanes. One ingenious feature is the dual settings of the climate control; by this I mean that the air conditioning remembers the settings of the controls roof up or down separately and automatically adjusts to them when you raise or lower the roof accordingly.

Of the cars we've tried in this class the Volkswagen Eos easily shades them in terms of capability and quality. However, it also costs significantly more. With the options on our test car the price spiralled from an already high £23,315 to nearer £30k. Expensive in isolation, this would be a fatal flaw if the Eos didn't comprehensively outshine its rivals in its core niche, but in our opinion it does.

What it also does is push the VW badge up into the face of rivals such as BMW and Volvo. In our experience with the TwinTop and C70, as well as a variety of convertible offerings, the Eos is sufficiently spacious and classy to distract buyers from the sales band above, as well as those below. It fills the enviable role of premium product against the lesser marques or a cheaper alternative to the premium brands. It's clever marketing of a clever car that will sell in big numbers. #p##04#

---

Volkswagen Eos UK range overview

- Volkswagen Eos 1.6 FSI 6 speed manual: £19,370
- Volkswagen Eos 2.0 FSI 6 speed manual: £20,790
- Volkswagen Eos 2.0 TDI 6 speed manual: £21,360
- Volkswagen Eos 2.0 TDI 6 speed auto DSG: £22,515
- Volkswagen Eos Sport 2.0 FSI 6 speed manual: £21,735
- Volkswagen Eos Sport 2.0 T-FSI 6 speed manual: £23,315
- Volkswagen Eos Sport 2.0 T-FSI 6 speed auto DSG: £24,465
- Volkswagen Eos Sport 2.0 TDI 6 speed manual: £22,305
- Volkswagen Eos Sport 2.0 TDI 6 speed auto DSG: £23,460
- Volkswagen Eos Sport 3.2 V6 FSI 6 speed auto DSG: £28,095