The next generation of the Volkswagen Phaeton will, in fact, be offered in the U.S., but don’t expect it to be unveiled any time soon. There is no substance to rumors that it will be unveiled at the 2014 Detroit auto show, company sources have told Car and Driver. Look instead for a debut late in 2014 or 2015, likely at a European or Chinese auto show, before coming to market as a 2016 model. There is no urgency on VW’s part to replace the venerable luxury sedan.
The original Phaeton, a pet project of Ferdinand Piëch that was launched in 2002, has not performed well in North America—or anywhere else, for that matter. It was yanked from American VW dealers after the 2006 model by former VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder as part of his power struggle with Piëch, who heads the supervisory board. However, a company insider tell us that the discontinuation of VW’s S-class–fighter was “one of the smartest decisions ever,” adding, “We couldn’t give them away.”
The Dresden-built luxo-cruiser serves as the technical basis for Bentley’s Continental GT and Flying Spur, actually surpassing both in several aspects when it comes to attention to detail. Despite that enormous technological merit, the Phaeton has been let down by Volkswagen’s image—it’s awfully tough to sell the uninitiated on a $93,000 VW, even if it does have chops good enough for Bentley.
- First Drive: 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed
- Instrumented Test: 2012 Audi A8L W12
- Comparison Test: 2013 Cadillac XTS vs. 2012 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed
The second generation of the Phaeton is being developed to make use of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform, which is loosely shared with the Audi A8, and will return to American showrooms. Our intelligence suggests that the new Phaeton will be powered by a choice of a turbocharged VR6, a turbocharged V-8, a V-6 turbo-diesel, and potentially a hybrid in some form. Unfortunately, we hear there’s very little chance that the Group’s famous W-12 has a future in the Phaeton. Even if engineered to perfection, as we fully expect the next Phaeton to be, it won’t be quite the same without four banks of cylinders providing seemingly endless thrust for the most luxurious VW-badged ride imaginable.
Source: CarAndDriver
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