Volkswagens Next Gen Phaeton Caught During Testing

Volkswagen did not want to be just a common man car anymore and wanted to take a piece of action from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Unfortunately for Volkwagen Phaeton has never seen any real sales and in 2005 just 820 units were sold in the United States. 

It is not that Phaeton is a bad car to drive. It has draftless four-zone climate system, air compressor suspension system, 4motion four-wheel drive. There are over 100 individual patents specific to the Phaeton. Top of the line Phaeton W12 uses a 6.0-liter W12 engine that has 444 horsepower and takes this big sedan from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 6.1 seconds.

Whelan - 6/18/2009 1:50:03 PM

+3 Boost

Is that thing towing a pop-up trailer? LOL cause that is what I would be doing with my VW flagship. Style looks old, should have followed the Passat CC lines.

Not to mention this car does not sell, at least not in the US. If you wanted an Audi, go buy an Audi, same issue Toyota has with the Avalon. Instead of a juiced up Toyota, go get the Lexus version for almost the same price.

Joe_Limon - 6/18/2009 9:49:48 PM

+1 Boost

It might be a trailer dyno...

fatandsassy - 6/18/2009 1:58:35 PM

+1 Boost

The pop up tent is for when it breaks down.

B7FAN - 6/18/2009 4:30:49 PM

+1 Boost

I loved this car when the old model was out. i cant really comment on the car too much with the front being covered. this car was comparable to the A8,7er, and the S-Class and from what I know stacked up pretty nice. I think they will do well this time if people can remeber how the old model was and what they put it up against.

Kinger - 6/19/2009 8:12:02 AM

+1 Boost

The trailer is for reliability testing, putting extra strain on the engine and gearbox.

clsboy - 6/18/2009 2:12:35 PM

+2 Boost

VW should stick to the mainstream.... Anyone remember the K70?? circa 1970??

commander104 - 6/18/2009 5:15:36 PM

0 Boost

When I first saw the picture I thought of the old caddy with a northstar v8

_43LE - 6/18/2009 2:29:50 PM

+1 Boost

The current Phaeton is a good car, not necessarily the best, but at least competitive. The only reason it did not do well was because VW thought that they could charge an outrageous price and still label it a VW. If they wanted to up the brand image they should have done what Hyundai did, a competitive car and an even more competitive price. This, or creating a new nameplate à la Infiniti/Lexus/Acura would have worked.

Whelan - 6/18/2009 4:16:30 PM

0 Boost

But your forgeting 43LE that VW already charges outrageous prices for cars that compete against Honda, Nissan, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, etc. So pricing for the Phaeton could never be on par with an Avalon or Genesis, that would put the car in Passat prices.

VW to me has always been overpriced for who they compete with. If I wanted to get a car with more luxury appointments and what have you I would look to a luxury brand. It almost seems like they need to make another company that sells cars below what VW prices are.

inspirion7 - 6/18/2009 4:54:14 PM

+2 Boost

VW should hang in there and continue to sell the Phaeton. Like most luxury car makes or halo cars, VW can afford to loose money on this car here. Over a period of time, the car will have a following. 850 cars sold in 2005 because no updates. Bring it back with a reduced price and V6 engine, it will do fine.

hao420 - 6/18/2009 4:33:02 PM

-1 Boost

Failure~~

LexSucks - 6/18/2009 5:47:04 PM

0 Boost

Looks like a Chevy Malibu. Or at least it look like that class of car.

LexSucks - 6/18/2009 5:47:04 PM

+2 Boost

Looks like a Chevy Malibu. Or at least it look like that class of car.

tom43 - 6/18/2009 5:58:25 PM

+2 Boost

Come on, Autospies! Read the informations on the source you have linked: it´s just a facelift, not a next-gen.

SteedPub - 6/18/2009 7:59:38 PM

+1 Boost

And why is VW continuing down this road when they have Audi and Bentley to fill this slot on the showroom floor?

Lexus - 6/18/2009 10:28:58 PM

0 Boost

Isn't the same car that wanted $60+K fully loaded? If I don't remember wrong is this the car that cost just as much as a Audi A8, Lexus LS, BMW 7-Series, or the MB S-class?

Is that the reason it fell so miserably in sales because of the high price? Not sure it been a while. Anyone here remember how much it cost when it first came out?

spoolenturbo - 6/19/2009 2:52:49 AM

+1 Boost

To those wondering about why they missed the mark? Would say it was 95% due to the badge on the car with the $$ on the window. One of the main reasons us Americans didn't even give it a wink. We would rather head next door and grab that A8 or S8 or 7series... The W12 version is one of the most amazing fullsize sedan. But this car was far ahead in technology, and attention to detail. Down the the Bugatti looking trunk hinges. Have a look at this video w/ Clarkson's review: http://tinyurl.com/lq36ku ...

spoolenturbo - 6/19/2009 3:00:01 AM

+1 Boost

2005 VW Phaeton V8 sold for $66,950 (base).

spoolenturbo - 6/19/2009 3:10:14 AM

+3 Boost

"Get Over It
If you're shopping for a high-end luxury sedan and haven't considered the Phaeton because of its VW badge, get over it, you're missing out on one of the world's great cars. The Phaeton is a glorious creation of power, grace, style and sophistication." - Edmunds Inside Line

Agent63 - 6/19/2009 11:18:47 AM

+2 Boost

Everyone hates the car because it's not under an Audi or Bentley badge. The car is built very solid and just as good as an Audi. The Phaeton is plagued by its VW badge otherwise it would sell very well I think. You can not compare a Phaeton to an Avalon, anyone who has taken a seat inside one can agree on that. It's not a bad car but the badgewhores will never take a second look at this due to its symbol. For luxury it has it all. For prestige it may not.

Eyecarehawaii - 6/19/2009 7:26:42 PM

+1 Boost

"Badge whores" are just showing their ignorance again. The original Phaeton was (and still is) a phenomenal car. VW NA did a horrible job promoting it and ensuring the exclusive experience its buyers deserved. Additionally, many of the "choices" VW NA made for the US version limited the options available for US customers that ROW customers had. I doubt seriously that the new car wearing the Phaeton badge will be as good as the original. The unfavorable Euro to dollar exchange rate and raising petrol costs will have a lot to do with this.