Volkswagen Phaeton

The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fey-i-tn") is a large luxury sedan manufactured by Volkswagen. It currently serves as the flagship of the Volkswagen line-up, competing with other high-end flagship sedans such as the Jaguar XJ, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It presumably takes its name from Phaëton, the son of Helios in Greek mythology, or harkens back to the early days of automobile production, in which phaetons were a recognized class of vehicles.

The Phaeton was the brainchild of Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch, who perceived the addition of such a flagship as a means to burnish the Volkswagen brand.

The Phaeton's platform, the D1 platform, is shared with Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. D1 platform is constructed of steel, yet it utilizes 16 different metals, alloys and plastics. It has an impressive torsional rigidity of 37,000 Nm. The D1 platform is often confused with the D3 platform of current Audi A8. The D3 is an aluminium space frame and is not directly related to D1. The latter is substantially lighter yet the benefits of this are disputable. The current Bentley Continental series are still built on the D1.

The Phaeton has the longest wheelbase in the passenger Volkswagen model line.

In Dresden, Germany, the car is hand-assembled in a distinctive factory with a glass exterior, the Gläserne Manufaktur.

In the US, the V8 model was priced at $66,700, including a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax. The W12 model started at $96,700, including a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax. In Germany, 2010 prices start at 66,500 EUR for a 5-seater V6 TDI diesel. The 100,000 EUR mark is exceeded easily once you start ticking the very extensive options list.

See Wikicars' comprehensive  Review.

Recent Changes

 * 2011 sees an extensive facelift for the VW flagship. The new Phaeton, unveiled at the 2010 Beijing Motor Show, now sports VW's new Scirocco-derived corporate fascia. The facelift was penned by Klaus Bischoff was penned

For the 2009 model year, Volkswagen gave the exterior and interior of the Phaeton a minor facelift to better align it with its competitors. This update included new LED daytime running lights, as well as a freshened centre console with revamped controls and materials. New Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) V6 petrol engine with greater power and fuel efficiency (206 kW / 280 PS) which satisfy Euro-5 emissions standards is also available.

Other changes to the 2009 model year included: three new types of alloy wheels (17, 18 and 19 inch), a slightly modified radiator grille, three new exterior colours, the new leather colour, the new wood trims, white switch illumination instead of red, accent and switch trim in the new "Warm gray" colour, an upgraded car key, makeup mirror in the rear on the long version, dampers optimised for low-friction, Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brakes (front) on the Phaeton W12, as well as a rearview camera (Rear Assist).

Styles and Major Options
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Pricing
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Gas Mileage
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As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Engine and Transmission
As of 2006, the Phaeton is available with the following engines:

Only the 4.2 L and 6.0 L gasoline engines were available in the United States and Canada. All Phaetons shipped to the United States and Canada were electronically limited to a top speed of 210 km/h (130 MPH).

The 3.2 L V6, 4.2 L V8, 5.0 L V10 TDI and 6.0 L W12 engines are all available in short wheelbase and long wheelbase versions with 4Motion permanent all wheel drive as standard. The V6 and V8 gasoline as well as all TDI diesel models have a 6-speed automatic transmission, and the W12 models have a 5-speed automatic.

The Phaeton also features 4motion all wheel drive (technically identical with Audi's Quattro, a Torsen differential based system) an advanced traction control system, anti-lock brakes, electronic differential lock (EDL), engine braking control (EBC), electronic brake distribution (EBD), and electronic stability program (ESP) with brake assist.

The 3.2 V6 was also available in Europe in 2003-2004 with front-wheel drive, with optional manual gearbox. This entry model was dropped for 2005. A Phaeton with manual gearbox is therefore a very rare sight.

Performance
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Reliability
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Safety
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Photos
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Colors
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Main Competitors
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Hybrid Models
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Unique Attributes
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Interior
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Resale Values
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Criticisms
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Generations
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American market
The Phaeton has not sold well since entering the United States in 2004. 1,433 Phaetons were sold in 2004 after Volkswagen responded to initial sales by offering a US$10,000 buyer incentive. Just 820 were sold in the United States in all of 2005, leading the company to announce that sales in the American market would end after the 2006 model year.

Car and Driver reported in October 2006 that Volkswagen had discontinued the Phaeton in the North American markets due to insufficient sales and constant service issues.

Other reasons for the Phaeton's demise in these markets was the hefty price tag, which was in part due to currency fluctuations. This put it in competition with luxury sedans that were already well established in the American market, such as the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Customers have been slow to accept a luxury Volkswagen, perhaps due to their historical perception of Volkswagen as being an "economy" marque. The British motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson summed up the Phaeton's commercial failure by pondering "To what question is the answer a £68,000 Volkswagen?".

Design quirks and oddities

 * Volkswagen has registered 100 patents on various innovations in the Phaeton. One such patent is for the 4-Zone Climatic Air Conditioner, which allows a separate temperature for each quarter of the vehicle, and is draft-free.


 * The Chancellor of Germany, the Pope at the Vatican, the Prime Minster of Portugal, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and North Korean Officials are all chauffeured in Phaetons.


 * Pope Benedict XVI was given a new Phaeton W12 by Volkswagen in October 2006.


 * The Government of Hong Kong replaced its E38 BMW 7 Series fleet with 35 Phaetons in October 2006.


 * Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder received the very first Phaeton in 2002, when he opened the factory in which the cars are built. His first use of the car was at the World Trade Conference in New York in 2002.


 * Taiwan’s leading motoring magazine, "Car Magazine" " crowned the Volkswagen Phaeton "Taiwan’s best luxury sedan" in its tenth edition Automotive Buyer’s Guide 2005.


 * The Phaeton has a drag co-efficent rating of 0.31.


 * With the speed limited removed, the 6.0 W12 Phaeton can reach a top speed of 201mph as attested by Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear; Clarkson said that it was "totally smooth and stable" even at that speed, and that even at 201 mph, he "still couldn't hear the engine".


 * The Phaeton was runner up for 2003's Most Beautiful Luxury Sedan in the World.

Awards

 * During its launch in 2004, the V8 model won Inspiring Men Magazine's best sedan of the year award.