The Phaeton is a large, limousine-like sedan from Volkswagen
and represents a bold idea that didn’t really work – commercially at
least. It was conceived by Ferdinand Piech as a worthy competitor to the
best seller in the luxury saloon segment, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
VW
hoped that the car would challenge the luxury barges produced by the
likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, but the Volkswagen name just didn’t hold
the prestige that buyers of such cars wanted. The Volkswagen Phaeton
shares its underpinnings with a heavyweight like the Bentley
Continental GT and has some of the very best technology found in any car
as of today.Volkswagen went on to file over 150 patents in the process
of building the Phaeton. But because of its people carrier badge, the
Phaeton didn’t sell in volumes that VW expected.The car was given a facelift in 2011, with LED running lights, a few other minor exterior tweaks and a revamped interior. VW says that the already high quality interior is now even more luxurious. Features include four-zone air conditioning, powered boot lid, air suspension and a 150-function infotainment system.
Performance comes from a choice of three engines, all of which are mated to a four-wheel drive system. A 3.2-litre V6 makes 241bhp while the 4.2-litre V8 puts out 335bhp and bother are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The most powerful option is a massive 6.0-litre W12 unit (think of two V6s fused together) that pushes out 450bhp through a five-speed gearbox and this engine is ‘on order’ only.
The Phaeton is available in a regular and a long-wheelbase and the GCC only gets the long-wheelbase version.
Specifications
Price: AED 225,000 – AED 420,000
Engine
3.2-litre V6
Max power: 241bhp
Max torque: 315Nm
4.2-litre V8
Max power: 334bhp
Max torque: 430Nm
6-litre W12
Max power: 450bhp
Max torque: 560Nm
Transmission
5-speed automatic, all-wheel-drive
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