Cars - Volkswagen Phaeton

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	Cars - Volkswagen Phaeton

The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fay-ton") 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 BMW 7-Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Overview

The Phaeton's platform is shared with the Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. These similarities become apperent when looking at the Phaeton's leather lined interior which shares certain design elements with its ultra-luxury cousin.

As of 2005, the Phaeton has the longest wheelbase in the Volkswagen model line. In Dresden, Germany, the car is hand-assembled in a distinctive factory with a glass exterior, the Gläserne Manufaktur.

Facts

Volkswagen has registered 100 patents on various innovations in the Phaeton. One interesting 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 Prime Minster of Portugal, and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Il are all chaffeured in a Phaeton.

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

Powertrain

In the 2004 model year, the Phaeton's American and Canadian-spec models featured of one of the following gasoline engines:

Both engines electronically limit the maximum speed of the vehicle to 155 mph (250 km/h).

The 3.2 L V6, 4.2 L V8, 5.0 L V10 TDI, and W12 are all available in short wheelbase and long wheelbase versions with 4Motion permanent all wheel drive as standard. The V8 models have a 6-speed automatic transmission, and the W12 models have a 5-speed automatic. The 3.0 L V6 TDI is only available in short wheelbase configuration with a 6-speed automatic and 4Motion.

The Phaeton also features an advanced traction control system, with anti-lock brakes, electronic differential lock (EDL), engine braking control (EBC), electronic brake distribution (EBD), and electronic stability program (ESP) with brake assist.

Volkswagen has superceded the 3.2 L V6 (162 kW) and 6.0 L W12 (309 kW) engines.

Dimensions

The Phaeton is 203.7 in (5.17 m) long, 74.9 in (1.9 m) wide and 57.1 in (1.45 m) high. It has a curb weight of 5,194 lb (2,356 kg) for the V8 and 5,399 lb (2,449 kg) for the W12.

The short wheelbase version measures 5055 mm in length, 1903 mm in width, 1450 mm in height, and has a 2881 mm wheelbase.

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. 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?".

The Phaeton is priced at $66,700 for the V8 version, including a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax. The Phaeton W12 is priced at $96,700, including a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax.

External links & references

Phaeton Category:Luxury vehicles Category:Prestige vehicles Category:All wheel drive vehicles Category:Full-size vehicles Category:Flagship vehicles

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