Volkswagen Phaeton
| Volkswagen Phaeton | |
|---|---|
 2002 Volkswagen Phaeton | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volkswagen |
| Production | 2002 – present |
| Assembly | Dresden, Germany |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size luxury car |
| Body style | 4-door saloon |
| Layout | Longitudinal front engine, 4motion permanent four-wheel drive |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group D1 platform |
| Related | Bentley Continental GT Bentley Continental Flying Spur |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | petrol engines: 3.2 L V6 4.2 L V8 6.0 L W12 diesel engines: 3.0 L V6 TDI 5.0 L V10 TDI |
| Transmission | 5-speed ZF 5HP24A tiptronic automatic (W12 engine only), 6-speed ZF 6HP26A tiptronic automatic (all other models) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,881 mm (113.4 in) LWB: 3,001 mm (118.1 in) |
| Length | 5,055 mm (199.0 in) LWB: 5,175 mm (203.7 in) |
| Width | 1,903 mm (74.9 in) |
| Height | 1,450 mm (57.1 in) |
| Kerb weight | 2,449 kg (5,399 lb) (LWB W12) |
The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced "fay-ton") is a full-size luxury saloon manufactured by Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and is described by Volkswagen as their "premium class".[1] Introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show[2], and marketed worldwide, the Phaeton has been sold in Europe from model year 2003 to present, and was sold in North America from model year 2004 through 2006.
The name Phaeton derives from Phaëton, the son of Phoebus (or Helios) in Greek mythology.
Overview
The Phaeton was conceived by Ferdinand Piëch[citation needed], the then chairman of Volkswagen Group. Piëch wanted Volkswagen engineers to create a car that would overwhelmingly surpass the German prestige market leaders, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The decision to release the Phaeton was, in part, a response to Mercedes's decision to compete directly with Volkswagen in the European marketplace with the low-cost A-Class. It was also intended to support the Volkswagen brand image, since the most expensive versions of lesser models, such as the Golf GTI, were starting to cost almost as much as equivalently-sized prestige brands.
Initial development of the Phaeton, given the internal project code VW611, began with Piëch giving his engineers a list of ten parameters the car needed to fulfill. Most of these specifications were not made known to the public, but a number of them were told to automotive reporters. One of them was that the Phaeton should be capable of being driven all day at 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph) with an exterior temperature of 50 °C (122 °F) whilst maintaining the interior temperature at 22 °C (72 °F). Piëch requested this even though the Phaeton's top speed was electronically limited to 250 kilometres per hour (155.3 mph).[3] Another requirement was that the car should possess torsional rigidity of 37,000 Nm/degree.
The Phaeton's platform, the Volkswagen Group D1 platform, is shared with the Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Certain systems, such as the transmission and some internal combustion engines, are also shared with the Audi A8. The D1 is a stand-alone steel platform, and was specifically developed for the Phaeton and Continental. It is commonly confused with Audi's D3 platform, which is an all-aluminium-based, instead of the D1's steel platform.
As of 2005, the Phaeton has the longest wheelbase in the Volkswagen Passenger Car line.
The Phaeton is hand-assembled in an eco-friendly factory with a glass exterior, the Transparent Factory (German: Gläserne Manufaktur) in Dresden, Germany. This factory also assembled the Bentley Continental Flying Spur until October 2006, when assembly of the Bentley was transferred to Crewe, England.
Features
Development of the vehicle led to over 100 individual patents specific to the Phaeton. Distinctive features include a draftless four-zone climate system, air compressor suspension system, and standard Torsen-based 4motion four-wheel drive. With the Klavier Lack (piano lacquer) option, the vehicle is double-painted and sanded between the first and second paint application.
Sales
Much like its older cousin, the Volkswagen Passat W8, Phaeton sales fell short of expectations. It debuted at prices comparable to similar offerings from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus and, not least, the Volkswagen Group's own Audi A8 (which shared its engineering underpinnings with the Phaeton), while lacking the "brand cachet" of these competitor vehicles.
In 2002 the manufacturer stated that the annual capacity of the new Phaeton plant at Dresden was 20,000: by September 2006, a four-year total of just 25,000 had been built[4], with production running at approximately 6,000 cars annually. The domestic market was by far the Phaeton's strongest, with 19,314 Phaetons delivered in Germany alone by January 2009. The German luxury sedan sector continued to be dominated by the Mercedes Benz S-Class and BMW 7 series, however, both models achieving more than twice the sales volume of the Phaeton in 2008.
In the United States market, 1,433 Phaetons were sold in 2004, but just 820 were sold in 2005, leading the company to announce that sales in the American market would end after the 2006 model year. The rare W12-engined models have depreciated significantly, and sell for a small fraction of their original cost.[5]
In April 2008, Volkswagen announced plans to reintroduce the Phaeton to the United States market in 2009.[6]
Powertrain
As of 2007, powertrain options for the Phaeton include following internal combustion engines.[7] 4motion permanent four-wheel drive is the only driveline system available:
| engine | displacement / type |
engine code(s) |
max. power | max. torque | 0-100 km/h (62 mph) | top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| petrol engines all fuel injected | ||||||
| 3.2 V6 | 3189 cc V6 | AYT / BKL / BRK | 177 kW (241 PS; 237 bhp) | 315 N⋅m (232 lbf⋅ft) | 9.4 sec | 240 km/h (149.1 mph) |
| 4.2 V8 | 4172 cc V8 | BGH / BGJ | 246 kW (334 PS; 330 bhp) | 430 N⋅m (317 lbf⋅ft) | 6.9 sec | 250 km/h (155.3 mph) (elec. limited) |
| 6.0 W12 LWB | 5998 cc W12 | BAN BRN / BTT |
309 kW (420 PS; 414 bhp) 331 kW (450 PS; 444 bhp) @ 6,050 rpm |
560 N⋅m (413 lbf⋅ft) @ 2,750 rpm |
6.1 sec | 250 km/h (155.3 mph) (elec. limited) |
| diesel engines all Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) | ||||||
| 3.0 V6 TDI | 2967 cc V6 | BMK | 165 kW (224 PS; 221 bhp) | 450 N⋅m (332 lbf⋅ft) | 8.8 sec | 237 km/h (147.3 mph) |
| 5.0 V10 TDI | 4852 cc V10 | AJS | 230 kW (313 PS; 308 bhp) | 750 N⋅m (553 lbf⋅ft) | 6.9 sec | 250 km/h (155.3 mph) (elec. limited) |
The Phaeton features a Bosch ESP 5.7 Electronic Stability Programme, with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) traction control system, Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), Engine Braking Control (EBC), with emergency Brake Assist (BA).
Note: The electronic differential lock (EDL) employed by Volkswagen is not, as the name suggests, a differential lock at all. Sensors monitor roadwheel speeds across an individual driven axle, and if one wheel is rotating substantially faster than the other (i.e. slipping) the EDL system momentarily brakes it. This effectively transfers power to the other wheel.
2009 Phaeton
For the 2009 model year, Volkswagen gave the exterior and interior of the Phaeton a minor facelift to better align it with its competitors. This update included new LED daytime running lights, as well as a freshened centre console with revamped controls and materials. New Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) V6 petrol engine with greater power and fuel efficiency (206 kW / 280 PS) which satisfy Euro-5 emissions standards is also available.
Other changes to the 2009 model year car now being launched include: three new types of alloy wheels (17, 18 and 19 inch), a slightly modified radiator grille, three new exterior colours, the new leather colour, the new wood trims, white switch illumination instead of red, accent and switch trim in the new "Warm gray" colour, an upgraded car key, makeup mirror in the rear on the long version, dampers optimised for low-friction, Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite brakes (front) on the Phaeton W12, as well as a rearview camera (Rear Assist).
References
- ^ GlaeserneManufaktur.de
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Motor_Show
- ^ Top Gear Series 2 Episode 10, July 20, 2003
- ^ skript manufaktura – Magazin der Gläsernen Manufaktur Dresden, Nr. 7, Herbst/Winter 2006, Seite 63
- ^ "Gebrauchtschnäppchen Phaeton". Template:De icon
- ^ "Spiegel online". Template:De icon
- ^ All data: Automobile Revue 2007. Bern: Espace Media Groupe. 2007. pp. 519–520. ISBN 978-3-905386-07-3.
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External links
- GläsernenManufaktur.de Die Gläsernen Manufaktur - The Transparent Factory - official website
- Volkswagen Phaeton official website
- Car and Driver review
