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It was hard to tell whether the car was the star, or the new head of the Volkswagen brand, when the automaker rolled out its new Eos coupe/cabriolet. At the wheel was Wolfgang Bernhard, the new head of the flagship VW division, marking his first real public appearance since taking over the brand last year. The Eos is the latest in a growing list of hardtop convertibles, though it seems positioned to be the first to make it into the mass market due to delays with General Motors' Pontiac G6 version. Bernhard noted that the Eos can go from hardtop to open-air in just 25 seconds. The five-part roof can also be partially retracted, serving as a more conventional sunroof. "A cabriolet is not just purchased on rational reasoning, so a car like this has to be truly thrilling," suggested Bernhard, the former number two executive at Chrysler. Sales of the four-seater will launch in Europe next spring, starting at 25,950 Euros, a price tag including such features as electronic stability control and rollover protection. No details of the U.S. introduction were released.
Volkswagen used its half-hour in the spotlight to also unveil a new turbo- and supercharged diesel version of the Golf. The 1.4-liter powertrain will launch the popular VW model from 0-100 km/h (0-62.5 mph) in 7.9 seconds, and push it to a top speed of 220 km/h (137.5 mph). Look for the powertrain to appear in other models, Bernhard noted. And with increasing interest in the high-efficiency diesel, it may be just a matter of time before the engine to make its way across the Atlantic. The various powertrains and products debuting in Frankfurt are part of a big push by Volkswagen, which is struggling to reverse recent share and profit declines around the world. "By 2010," noted Bernhard, "we'll be launching another five to 10 new models that don't have a true predecessor" in existing products
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