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Geneva Motor Show: The new VW Phaeton
by Dan Roth on Mar 7th 2007 at 9:06AM 
click the above pic for a gallery
It's not coming here, no need to get out of your chair. The Phaeton picks up a new nose, a ton of little tweaks, a new 3-liter TDI V6, and will be on sale in Europe this summer. It's a wonderful car -- gorgeously appointed and scrupulously assembled. Unfortunately, the marketing didn't connect enough Phaetons with owners, so it has been banished from US showrooms. A shame, really, as VW's already dreamy dreamboat picks up a passel of safety gear and the aforementioned new diesel that meets Euro V emissions standards while remaining the ultimate showcase of VW's formidable tech integration chops. We like the new face, which keeps the Phaeton in line with the corporate look of Volkswagen. It's always been a stealth bomber, and it still maintains its Passat-in-a-double-breasted-suit look, which will help you fly along under the radar of most drivers (and constabularies, hopefully) while enjoying sumptuous appointments and a vaultlike structure.
Press release after the jump.
[Source: Volkswagen]
Gallery: VW Phaeton (facelifted)
PRESS RELEASE:
2007 Geneva Motor Show - Phaeton
Top Model with New Technical Features and First Euro-5 TDI
Innovation: Phaeton with new V6 TDI satisfies Euro-5 standard that goes into effect starting in 2009
Perfection: Systems like Front Assist and Side Assist for even greater safety
Wolfsburg, 06 March 2007
At the Geneva Motor Show Volkswagen is presenting a generation of the Phaeton that is equipped with numerous technical innovations. Modifications and new equipment details will already flow into ongoing production starting at the end of May.
NEW V6 TDI /
233 PS TDI is the first large diesel of the corporation to fulfill the Euro-5 standard; standard that goes into effect in 2009 calls for 80 percent reduction in particulate limits
A technological highlight of this engine: The Phaeton with V6 turbo-diesel engine will be the first car model of the corporation, and one of the first cars worldwide, to already fulfill the Euro-5 standard that goes into effect in 2009. In this context, one change compared to the Euro-4 standard is that required limits for soot particulates are 80 percent lower – the new Phaeton V6 TDI car version fulfills these requirements with its new 171 kW / 233 PS common rail direct-injection engine.
Compared to the now retired V6 TDI, the new engine adds eight PS, but at 9.6 liters per 100 kilometers it does not by any means consume any more fuel. CO2 emissions at 259 g/km are also very low for a luxury class car. Driving performance of the standard all-wheel drive and now 236 km/h fast Phaeton V6 TDI were also slightly improved. Alternatives to the TDI on the new version of the Phaeton are three gasoline engines (V6, V8 and W12) that offer a power range from 177 kW / 241 PS to 331 kW / 450 PS.
NEW TECHNICAL FEATURES/
Front Assist stopping distance reduction, Side Assist lane change assistant, new DVD navigation system, modified infotainment system, new headlamps
Technical changes and new systems implemented for the first time on the Phaeton, besides the V6 TDI, include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) now with a new Follow-to-Stop function, "Front Assist" stopping distance reduction, "Side Assist" lane change assistant and automatic activation of the low-beam lamp during faster Autobahn driving (starting at 140 km/h after ten seconds) and in case of rain. Also new: The navigation system now has DVD support and many new functions, in parallel to navigation a similarly modified infotainment system with haptically and visually optimized control buttons and a new voice-controlled Bluetooth telephone with auxiliary Bluetooth receiver and memory capacity of up to 1,000 telephone book entries (up to four numbers may be saved per entry). A new tire pressure control system also offers an even higher level of safety and operator convenience.
In the exterior area, advanced development of the generation is recognizable by its additional chrome accent strips in the lower area of the front apron and newly designed bi-xenon headlamps. Integrated here are the dynamic and static cornering headlamps as well as newly designed LED daytime running lamps. The LED daytime running lamp – arranged as a narrow, horizontal strip in the lower area of the headlamp housing – is automatically activated with ignition. Another 19-inch alloy wheel type was also newly designed.
FRONT ASSIST AND SIDE ASSIST IN DETAIL/
Front Assist occasionally reduces stopping distance by important meters; Side Assist contributes to preventing side collisions
Front Assist: A technological highlight is the Front Assist stopping distance reduction system. It serves to prevent front end collisions. The system utilizes a radar sensor to monitor the distance to vehicles in traffic in front of the Phaeton. When they approach too closely the driver is informed in two stages. At the same time the vehicle is prepared for possible hard braking by the driver. In certain situations the system preventatively puts the brakes in a preconditioned status ahead of time; otherwise they would only become active when the driver actuates the brakes. This is how the new system achieves Stopping Distance Reduction (AWV).
Side Assist: Another new assistance system is the Lane Change Assistant (Side Assist). This system monitors the area in back of and next to the Phaeton via radar sensors in the rear bumper (one sensor each for areas to the left and right of the vehicle), and it signals a potential collision risk via an indicator light in the outside mirror housing. The sensor monitoring range is about 50 meters to the rear and 3.60 meters to the sides of the sedan.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MikeUF 9:12AM (3/07/2007)
I really always liked the Phaeton...just not the price tag
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MikeW 9:22AM (3/07/2007)
So they took out the high beam, and put the cornering lights behing the turn signals.
Does it still have fugly red rear turn signals?
How much weight did it lose?
Where is the 3.6VR6?
Can't VW make the 3.7V8 as the standard engine is the short wheelbase version? (if they can adapt direct injection to the short stroke version of the direct injection V6...)
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TomJ 9:46AM (3/07/2007)
The problem wasn't the car, it was the price. It was and is a wonderful car but who wants to pay $70-100k for a VW? Not me!
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Rodion 9:59AM (3/07/2007)
The car just didn't have the captivating styling needed to attract customers willing to shell out $70k. It's a fantastic car which drives better than a Lexus and previous gen S-Class. Two questions...does it now come with DVD based sat nav, and 2) Can we special order it from EU? Same as with G-Wagen for example.
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G. Snyder 9:58AM (3/07/2007)
MikeW - yeah, it has no hi-beams. Right.
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maxconfus 6:44PM (3/07/2007)
Wow, that's quite the dead pedal...
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oren 10:12AM (3/07/2007)
Still a waste of money but im sure more people would buy it if it had four rings on the grill....
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testa di cazzo 10:40AM (3/07/2007)
i think peopel don't realise that in europe this is considered a great car. here, peopel don't see it as "ew this is a VW i'm not going to pay so much for it." rather, very wealthy people see it as a way to drive/be driven in ultimate luxury without making others jealous or seeming to be a show-off. this is a big problem in europe, the fear of being called a show-off or of being nouveau-riche if you spend your money on nice cars. the phaeton gets around that issue.
of course, this problem doesn't exist in the US because people see no problem with buying very nice cars (which, by the way, is the way it should be i think)
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Derek Kreindler 10:53AM (3/07/2007)
How can people buy the god-awful looking 750iL or the Hyundai-esque S-Class when they can buy this?
To quote Jeremy Clarkson "It's just brilliant"
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Rick Lyon 11:14AM (3/07/2007)
It is essentially an Audi, but with a VW logo. People aren't going to spend $70k for a VW or $40k for a Honda or Toyota or Nissan. VW crossed it's common brand into a luxury arena where it's name is not associated with $70k price tags. Leave the luxury to Audi and stick with the Jetta and Passats.
Either way, $70k for a car is going to be a limited market and I don't imagine many BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc owners are used to shopping at a lower scale VW dealer, mingling with us common folk.
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Olivier 11:06AM (3/07/2007)
Some of you americans are really Marketing puppies; you buy as told by marketing departments. You should be more interested in what you need, like etc.. rather than having other people tell you that class X fits here on the marketing chart, below brand Y and above brand Z.
This car is absolutely fabulous and is a prime piece of refinement and technology.
It has as good looks as any BMW or Mercedes.
You guys don't mind buying Mercedes, Audi's or Lexus right?
Guess what they are respectively Chryslers, VW and Toyotas.
All the rest is image. So those of you who say $70k is too much for this car, don't accept that a S Class is $90K+ (same for a 750) or you'll be rightfully flagged as a "badge snob".
This non-sense works as well for some shiny but totally archaic US premium brands too; I've rented my fair share of those and they are terrible (comfort, effificency, riding, handling).
So please enough with the VW hatered, just give good credit where credit is due. This car is a fantastic piece, and worth every penny.
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Olivier 11:06AM (3/07/2007)
And yes the press supports this view!
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picciu 11:26AM (3/07/2007)
Here is a good webcam from Geneva Motor Show - http://garantat.net ! Resolution 704x576 !!!
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Mike 11:47AM (3/07/2007)
This is a seriously nice looking car. Can't afford it, would love to drive it.
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JIm 12:16PM (3/07/2007)
Olivier. Of course your assessment is correct, particularly for those reading this blog. However, in the U.S. for us "puppies" when it comes time to sell that $70-$100K VW it will only be worth $25-$30K because the vast majority of Americans don't buy your feelings about the VW. Our dollars are just as hard earned as anyone else in the world and a main driving force when making a significant purchase such as an automobile is value. Buying a Lexus, BMW, MB, or Audi for less money that is worth a lot more than the VW at trade-in is better use of one's money.
VW entered the U.S. market as an economy vehicle with an anti-social flair - the bug. Americans just can't get away from that economy tag as much as the parent company would like us to do so. Until that happens, moving the VW name upscale in a very crowded segment isn't going to work. No one reading this that has even seen a Phaeton doubts it is a very nice vehicle. In America it just doesn't have the "value" needed to be successful.
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Carletti 12:04PM (3/07/2007)
I would say that the price level for the Phaeton sold in the United States was a presumptuous one on the part of Volkswagen. However, I would also go as far as to contend that the design of this car may have hurt it more than the price did. For the Phaeton looks nice, yes of course it does, but the overall design language is generic of any random VW sedan and thus not evocative of a unique executive sedan (which is simply a must factor in the United States executive automobile market). So I don't think the venerable VW label hurt this car's success in the United States (although it did) as much as did the boring, and modest, exterior design.
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Alex Nunez 12:08PM (3/07/2007)
All I know is that I'll be keeping one eye on the used Phaeton listings the next time I find myself in the market for car, as it's probably going to offer ridiculous bang for the buck as a used car. I was next to one on my commute to work yesterday, and they really are elegant, beautifully understated cars.
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Permagenix 12:11PM (3/07/2007)
It's not the VW mark that dissuades American buyers- it's the level of service & support afforded by 'standard' brands vs the lux brands. I drive a G35 Coupe, and the difference in service level that I get at Infiniti vs. what 350z dealers get at Nissan is staggering. Same with Toyota vs. Lexus and Acura vs. Honda. Try and get decent customer service from a Honda dealer. VW dealers are just not equipped to provide Phaeton dealers with an ownership experience consumate with the price and quality of the vehicle.
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Mike 12:13PM (3/07/2007)
Modest styling? Yes, and this is not a negative thing in my mind. Boring? I'm afraid I can't agree. To me understated luxury is so much more interesting than over the top "look at me!" gimmickry.
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Mike 12:25PM (3/07/2007)
Autos have no value, almost all financial advisors will agree that an auto purchase is NOT an investment and comes very close to throwing your money away. Might as well drive what you like.
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