Volkswagen Phaeton
Encyclopedia : V : VO : VOL : Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fay-ton") is a large luxury sedan manufactured by Volkswagen. It currently serves as the flagship of the Volkswagen line-up, competing with other high-end flagship sedans such as the BMW 7-Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It takes its name from Phaëton, the son of Helios in Greek mythology.
Overview
The Phaeton's platform is shared with the Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. These similarities become apparent when looking at the Phaeton's leather lined interior which shares certain design elements with its ultra-luxury cousins.As of 2005, the Phaeton has the longest wheelbase in the Passenger Volkswagen model line. In Dresden, Germany, the car is hand-assembled in a distinctive factory with a glass exterior, the Gläserne Manufaktur.
Facts
- Volkswagen has registered 100 patents on various innovations in the Phaeton. One interesting patent is for the 4-Zone Climatic Air Conditioner, which allows a separate temperature for each quarter of the vehicle, and is draft-free.
- The Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minster of Portugal, and North Korean Officials are all chauffeured in Phaetons.
- Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder received the very first Phaeton in 2002, when he opened the factory in which the cars are built. His first use of the car was at the World Trade Conference in New York in 2002.
- VW's biggest market for the Phaeton is Korea, recently VW celebrated the 1000th Phaeton for Korea in May 2006, it has only been on sale since 2005.
- Phaeton has a drag co-efficent rating of 0.31.
Powertrain
As of 2006, the Phaeton features one of the following engines:
| Displacement | Power output | Torque | 0-100 km/h | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol/Gasoline | ||||
| 3.2 L (3189 cc) V6 | 177 kW (241 bhp) | 315 Nm (232 ft·lbf) | 9.4 s 4-seat: 9.7 s LWB: 9.7 s 4-seat LWB: 9.9 s | 239 km/h (149 mph) |
| 4.2 L (4172 cc) V8 | 246 kW (335 bhp) | 430 Nm (317 ft·lbf) | 6.9 s | 250 km/h (155 mph)(Limited) |
| 6.0 L (5998 cc) W12 | 331 kW (450 bhp) | 560 Nm (413 ft·lbf) | 6.1 s | 250 km/h (155 mph)(Limited) |
| Diesel | ||||
| 3.0 L (2967 cc) V6 | 165 kW (225 bhp) | 450 Nm (332 ft·lbf) | 8.8 s 4-seat: 9.1 s | 234 km/h (145 mph) |
| 5.0 L (4921 cc) V10 | 230 kW (313 bhp) | 750 Nm (553 ft·lbf) | 6.9 s | 250 km/h (155 mph)(Limited) |
Only the 4.2 L and 6.0 L gasoline engines are available in the United States and Canada.
The 3.2 L V6, 4.2 L V8, 5.0 L V10 TDI, and W12 are all available in short wheelbase and long wheelbase versions with 4Motion permanent all wheel drive as standard. The V8 models have a 6-speed automatic transmission, and the W12 models have a 5-speed automatic. The 3.0 L V6 TDI is only available in short wheelbase configuration with a 6-speed automatic and 4Motion.
The Phaeton also features an advanced traction control system, with anti-lock brakes, electronic differential lock (EDL), engine braking control (EBC), electronic brake distribution (EBD), and electronic stability program (ESP) with brake assist.
Dimensions
The Standard Wheelbase version measures5055mm Length
1903mm Width
1450mm Height
2881mm Wheelbase
The Long Wheelbase version measures
5175mm Length
1903mm Width
1450mm Height
3001mm Wheelbase
American market
The Phaeton has not sold well since entering the United States in 2004. 1,433 Phaetons were sold in 2004 after Volkswagen responded to initial sales by offering a US$10,000 buyer incentive. Just 820 were sold in the United States in all of 2005, leading the company to announce that sales in the American market would end after the 2006 model year. Customers have been slow to accept a luxury Volkswagen, perhaps due to their historical perception of Volkswagen as being an "economy" marque. The British motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson summed up the Phaeton's commercial failure by pondering "To what question is the answer a £68,000 Volkswagen?".
The Phaeton is priced at $66,700 for the V8 version, including a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax. The Phaeton W12 is priced at $96,700, including a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax.
External links & references
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.