April23
The next-generation Volkswagen Phaeton will be smaller than the current model, according to CEO Martin Winterkorn, who spoke with Germany's Der Spiegel.
Volkswagen hopes to save significant development costs on the 2010 model by sharing a chassis, transmissions, and engines with the next-generation Audi A6. It's not known if these savings will make the new Phaeton less expensive than its predecessor, but it's certainly possible.
VW will also create more separation between its Audi A8 and the Phaeton by injecting the new A8 with technology from the next-generation Bentley Continental. Although we're not sure what these features will be, you can bet they'll rival the gadgets from Mercedes and BMW.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, VW of America spokesman Andreas Meurer said the company intends to reintroduce its Phaeton luxury sedan to the U.S. market. He didn't say when it would arrive, but chances are he was speaking about the next-generation model. VW pulled the current Phaeton from America in 2005 due to poor sales.
Smart move on VW's part.
hey deantj, nice LOL
I don't think I like this new CEO.
Oh great, a cheapened up flagship. I'll take 2.
lol WHY??? It's like BMW putting a 4 banger in their M3!!! Keep the expensive cars expensive and the mid grade cars mid grade and cheap, well… cheap.
Buying a $70k+ Volkswagen would be somewhat on par with buying a $70k+ Chrysler.. who would do it? Very few people..
The A8 can get away with conservative looks. The Phaeton cant. I hope VW realizes that before they drop another bland-mobile on the streets.
I think it's a better idea for them to base the new Phaeton on the A6. maybe that'll make it a $55k VW.
That's too funny Ian, how old are you? The original M3 did come with A 2.3l "4 banger" as you put it. And there's a lot of people who feel that is the best M3 that's ever been made. And if you're following the 1 series, there's a lot of people who want the special lightweight "4 banger" out of the E90 320si transplanted into the 1 series to make a 120si, as a successor to the original M3.
Volkswagen does not understand the idea of brand identity. Why are they attempting to turn all of their brands into luxury lines? Volkswagen it the Honda or Toyota of Germany. Why can't they keep it that way. They need to build a plant in the US so it's cheap to build and sell cars. They would eliminate the need to markup the prices of their cars.
You can barely find a Passat or Jetta without that fake leather looking crap. And you can barely find a Jetta for under 20K, something that is too small to compete with Accord or Camry and is too expensive to compete with Civic or Corolla, which basically only leaves the Fusion and Mazda 6. The Passat is too expensive to compare to the Camry XLE or TL and there is no point if you can buy a similarly equipped Audi A4 for the relatively same price.
And don't even get me started on the quality level…
VW is useless. VW needs to learn where your brand/products fit in the market, because their fixed costs in Germany and warranty expenses are eating the company's profits alive.
im talking about todays m3. I work for bmw and have been for years now.
Sorry I may have worded that comment wrong then. The main idea is that the M3 has always been the "over powered" car and fun to drive. Think of the E46 M3(Straight 6) with a 4 banger or even the E90(currently with the V8) running on four cylinders. Just not the same. Know what I mean? Sorry if you misread anything or if I just didn't do a proper job elaborating my main idea
a cheaper Phaeton say at the 50k-65k range would still be expensive for a VW
The reason the old phaeton didn't have good sales was because VW was greedy to charge 80k for it. It would have sold great if it cost mid 50k.
plus it looks so damn boring. if its gonna be that expensive, especially for a VW, it better look like its worth it.
deantj - not everyone wants brand prestige. I mean, most people do and that's why the Phaeton flopped, but the Phaeton is a great car for someone who wants to sink 80K into a car and not draw attention to themselves. That's a decent niche to have, especially if you already own Audi and Bentley (and Porsche, right?)
So today, no on Scirocco, but yes on Phaeton.
Volkswagen management too dumb!
Volkswagen management too dumb!
i agree TOZO, scirocco caniballizing GTI sales but phateon staying away from the A6/A8? Youre a bunch of idiots VW, its a good thing most people dont know the crap you pull or i might have to sell mine.
I really don't understand VW having a Phaeton at all. VW is the cheap crap from Europe for the US. Why would anyone buy a VW for anything over $35k, seriously? Get an Audi, BMW, MB, etc for that money. At least your neighbors will think you blew some serious cash on your car.
The Phaeton looks like a $30k Passat to any non-veedub enthusiast. I know my A4 looks just like a VW so I'm kind of a hypocrite here, but the A4 was waaaaay cheaper than a Phaeton and will at least retain some sort of resale value.
They "don't know" if it will be less expensive ?????
The guys running VW are retards.
Of course they can't lower the price for a car built in a glass building with polished wood floors and a glass multi-story storage-lot building. The building cost too much.
VW is Doomed.
I don't see this as solving any of the Phaeton's image/price problems. I personnally loved the Phaeton, but for that price might as well have gotten an Audi A8. It'll be the same thing for this Phaeton…except you might as well get an A6. I thought the whole point of the this car is to have a car that rivals an A8/S-class or 7-series in both size and tech while undercutting 10-20% price. That was the value of this car…it just took a more sophisticated shopper to realize it.
Everyone knew this car was going to fail. Who in there right mind would drop $70K on a VW? I've only seen one since it came out. Don't bother making another one just sell your cheap commuters and be happy.
We're getting this, a car that's already failed on this market instead of the Scirocco?
wtf.
In the USA they can easily sell 2000 sciroccos in a month or 12 Phaetons. What a bunch of phucktards.
Kaizen - didn't you see the new commercials "three VDUBS UNDER 17 THOUSAND!!!!!"
I'd actually get this… used.
deantj, people that aren't ego driven are people who don't need their car to say "look at me I spent x amount of dollars on my car"
Coming soon: "three VDUBS UNDER 17 THOUSAND!!!!! …and one VDUB OVER 71 THOUSAND!!!!"
Im still pissed as hell about the Scirocco. BRING IT TO THE STATES AND NOT THIS FLOP POS PHAETON!! NO ONE CARES ABOUT IT!!! @!#$%!@!
VW made a big mistake bringing the first Phaeton to the US in long-wheelbase guise only, because the logical marketing plan would have been a shorter-wheelbase step-up model from the Passat.. and a $40K step-up was WAAAY too much! A smaller Phaeton for the US with a longer-wheelbase option would make more sense, but I agree that the Scirocco would have been a wiser choice in the short run.
deantj-"OK, how many buyers out there want to secretly sink a lot of money into a car and not have it show?"
that is horrible…I happen to be one of these people…if you haven't noticed recently this world has become extremely superficial and the "bling bling" that is being preached is another sign of our social disfunctionality here. Why is it important what someone else thinks of what you drive? Perhaps I was raised differently but others perceptions should not matter as long as I am happy with what I have. As for some the VW Phaeton might be the perfect car not to get followed home in. At the end of the day it is just a badge.