Cover blown on new Golf Eos

By Dan Strong

31st August 2005

The Eos - named after a Greek goddess - will debut at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, before going on sale early next year. Not only do the mag's pictures reveal the newcomer's sharp design, but the panoramic glass roof is visible for the first time, too.

Insiders tell us the coup΃©-cabrio will be the fifth and final variant of the family car, joining the standard hatchback, Golf Plus and Touran compact MPVs and Jetta saloon. That's because sources in Germany have revealed the eagerly anticipated off-road version - originally thought to be badged the Marrakesh - has been cancelled.

At launch, flagship models of the Eos will be powered by the same 2.0-litre turbo engine that debuted in the acclaimed Golf GTI. Other petrol units, including a 170bhp 1.4 four-cylinder motor with both a turbo and a supercharger, are also being prepared.

Diesel variants will use the maker's 2.0-litre TDI, as the ageing 1.9-litre unit is not expected to feature. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but the Eos is likely to cost from around ΂£17,000.

And this week's mag also has a spy shot of the car that Ford hopes will stop VW in its tracks. The Focus Vignale is shown in the mag with its boot open, revealing how the rear cover will hinge at the back for storage, and at the front to hide the folding metal roof.

Revealed as a concept at the Paris Motor Show nearly 12 months ago, the production car is being developed by Italian styling house Pininfarina. The Vignale goes on sale in the spring, at an estimated ΂£16,000. There's no word on a performance variant, but the Focus ST's five-cylinder turbo could appear.