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Volkswagen unveiled its Eos coupe/convertible in Europe last year, saying its evocative styling suits the perfect open-air driving environment - early on a summer's day.
The carmaker's publicity people cashed in on visions around the name Eos, after the mythical Greek goddess of the dawn. The Romans called
her Aurora. Her tears are the morning dew.
Today, she'd be a working mum. Back then, she wasn't as visible.
The gods said Eos rose with her horse-drawn chariot from the depths of the sea to bring daylight to the world.
That was after she got the morning star out of bed and told the wind to get a move on. The gods had her down as mother of the star and wind, too.
She fixed breakfast, got the kids off to Homer's study group, and asked her husband Tithonus (she was stuck with a mortal man; it was Aphrodite's fault) to pick up the bread on his way home.
Then the day was hers. Washing, ironing, worming the dog, afternoon coffee with fellow goddesses, some gossip ... At dusk, in the kitchen, Eos would crank up another light in the sky. Yep, ancient Greek's working mum was mother of the evening star, too.
Later, after a dinner of roast goat with lentils, she would read the kids bedtime stories from the Iliad. They liked the way Homer called their mum beautiful. Then she and Tithonus would chat over mugs of runny honey and herbs. Tithonus was a repairman for the fledgling Icarus airline, running a fleet of chariots. There were problems with the wax-and-feather wings on trips to the sun.
Next morning, Eos would start over again ... One day, many centuries later, a chariot with wings that folded into its body would be named after her. No such reward for Tithonus and Icarus.
VW is still talking about the Greek goddess and perfect open-air driving environments, this time at the New Zealand launch of the four-seater Eos in Christchurch.
The carmaker says there are no problems with the new horsepower-drawn chariot or its wings. The five-piece folding roof opens and closes in 25 seconds.
Says VW New Zealand general manager Dean Sheed: "We expect the Eos to help give the Volkswagen brand a great start to the new year, after what has already been a record-breaking 2006."
Like the goddess, the Eos car is a stand-alone product. But it shares it modified chassis, engines and running gear with the hatchback Golf and Passat sedan.
The entry-level Eos costs $53,990 and uses the turbocharged, direct-injection 2-litre engine from the Golf GTi. The premium model is priced at $61,990 and is powered by the 3.2-litre V6 from the Golf R32. Both engines drive the front wheels through a six-speed sequential direct shift gearbox.
Standard equipment includes safety systems the Icarus airline would never have imagined. Nor would it have thought of an engine that uses a turbocharger and supercharger for more power and better economy.
VW also launched its latest powerplant, a 1.4-litre TSI (Twin-charger Stratified Injection) unit that powers the $47,990 Golf GT, an addition to the hatchback range.
The four-cylinder was named best new engine of 2006 at the international engine awards in Germany in September. VW says its aim was to build a petrol engine that provides performance and driveability with minimal fuel consumption and low emissions. The result is the twincharger. The carmaker says that despite a smaller than usual capacity of 1.4-litres, the combination of a supercharger and turbocharger enables the TSI engine to produce a 125kW (170bhp) of power and 240Nm of torque between 1500-4750rpm, output similar to the previous 2.3-litre five-cylinder unit.
Between engine speeds of 2400 and 3500rpm, both the supercharger and turbocharger contribute to boost pressure.
At 3500 rpm the supercharger is deactivated via a magnetic clutch, leaving just the turbocharger in operation. The transition between the boosters is seamless, says VW.
The TSI technology also provides relatively low fuel consumption. The Golf GT and its six-speed DSG gearbox delivers 7.2 litres/100km, or around 40mpg, says VW.
Exhaust emissions are cleaner, too, it says - 169g of CO per kilometre compared with 211g from the 2.3-litre engine. Says Sheed: "This clearly demonstrates the advances that have been made through TSI technology.
"It makes the Golf GT one of the most economical and environmentally friendly vehicles available with these levels of performance. The TSI technology clearly has a significant role to play in the future of the Volkswagen brand, both globally and in New Zealand."
VW also took the covers off two additions to the Polo range, one costing $26,990 and using a 59kW1.4-litre turbodiesel engine and the other priced at $31,990 and powered by a 77kW1.6-litre petrol unit.
The petrol version is called the "CrossPolo", a higher-riding model with fog lights, roof rails and body mouldings that give it the appearance of a mini sports utility vehicle.
