Seems calls for the end of Volkswagen’s excellent Phaeton prestige limousine are wide of the mark with ‘Bloomberg’ in North America reporting the all-new model could be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January.
Built at Volkswagen’s remarkable ‘glass factory’ in Dresden, the Phaeton is simply a remarkably polished vehicle in every way but failed to capture sales in North America. However sales have been reasonable in Europe where it has been sold with turbo-diesel and petrol engines including Volkswagen’s stunning W12, 12-cylinder powerplant.
Quoted in ‘Bloomberg’, Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn indicated an upscale halo car was a requirement for Volkswagen. For sure the brisk business and great reviews for the Audi A8 haven’t escaped the attention of Dr Winterkorn.
We’ve long been mystified why Volkswagen Group Australia doesn’t include the range-topping Phaeton limousine in its local lineup – if nothing else to match the A8. The high-tech super-luxo Phaeton is made in right-hand-drive and some years ago the local arm went to the trouble of importing one for evaluation.
CarShowroom has driven various Volkswagen Phaetons in Europe (and the Australian example!) and we can vouch for its excellence. As you would expect from a vehicle developed at the express behest of Volkswagen Chairman Dr Piech, the Phaeton lacks for nothing, is bristling with state-of-the-art technology and is a genuine rival for the prestige offerings of rival German brands.
Seems like a ‘no-brainer’ to us.
