The creator of the "people's" car concern Volkswagen now has in its arsenal and a limousine. Relying on the forecasts of marketers regarding the growth of sales of luxury cars, Volkswagen releases Phaeton in the spring of 2002. The name of the brand is taken from ancient Greek mythology. Phaeton is a proper name, that was the name of the son of the sun god Helios.
The final staffing of the new VW takes place in Dresden. To attract interest to its new model, the company built the most unusual factory in the world - Glass Manufactory. Where, if desired, the client can see with his own eyes how his car is assembled. While this sight is very popular among tourists. VW is especially emphasized that the Phaeton is a hand-built car.
Having let out the representative car, Volkswagen has intruded in new and extremely conservative sector for itself. It is logical to conclude that this strategy is aimed at improving the status of the brand as a whole. Phaeton - a kind of evidence of the achievements of the Volkswagen group in the history of its existence. The car is solid and respectable. Its dimensions are length - 5055mm, width - 1903mm and height - 1450mm.
The appearance is devoid of any of the design and "frills". But the originality of the individual components of Phaeton can not be denied. So, for example, when the taillights are turned off, there are four multipath stars burning behind red glass reflectors. Commendable and turn indicators, located on the lower edge of the side mirrors in the form of transparent strips of LEDs. Status obliges creators to provide an impressive list of standard equipment. Let's start with the salon.
Leather and natural wood are used for its finishes. On the center console is a multifunctional 7-inch display that can work as a TV-receiver. It serves on-board computer, navigation and audio system, cruise control. The instrument panel is original and decorated with chrome rims. The front seats in the W12 version have 18 adjustments, as well as built-in ventilation and back massage systems. Back sofa, donating one seat, turned into two luxurious seats. They are separated by a console with folding armrests.
The system of facilitated access automatically moves the chair when opening the door. Another useful innovation is diffuse airflow. Outboard air purified by two anti-dust filters with activated carbon content is supplied by the main fan.
After that, a system of 25 actuators distributes the air flow through the cabin. The audio system works in three modes: studio, surround and concert hall. Cell phones for convenience are hidden in the central armrests in front and behind. The basic system also includes a four-zone climate system - control and each passenger can set their own microclimate.
Parking sensors will help not only in the parking lot, but also a dense traffic flow, warning of a dangerous approach. Separate attention is worth suspension. At Phaeton, it is pneumatic and endowed with height sensors on each wheel. Electronics automatically changes the position of the body, depending on the driving conditions and vehicle load. If desired, the driver can change the height of the body above the road. The suspension has 3 levels: normal (NN), lowered (TN) when the body drops 15 mm below the NN position, and high (HN): the body is raised 25 mm above the NN position.
Interestingly, the choice of levels NN and HN can be set manually - by pressing the buttons on the center console. The TN mode is controlled exclusively by automatics: when the speedometer reaches 160 km / h, the suspension automatically presses the accelerating car to the road, lowering its center of gravity and reducing, thus, the aerodynamic resistance. According to its characteristics, the suspension is divided into 4 categories: basic, comfortable and two sports. The range of engines consists of a 3.2-liter V6 with a capacity of 241 hp.
It can be used together with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox. The acceleration time from 0 to 100 km is 8.4 seconds and the W12 engine with a displacement of 6 liters and a power of 420 hp. Volkswagen engineers have paired him with a 4Motion all-wheel drive transmission with a Torsen center differential. Its acceleration time is 6.1 seconds.
Gross vehicle weight with a V6 engine is 2600 kg, W12 - 2900 kg. Fuel tank capacity 90 liters. It is planned to produce a diesel engine V10 TDi biturbo 5 l / 313 hp It will come with a 6-speed Tiptronic adaptive automatic transmission. The peculiarity of this engine is that each turbocharger takes on maintenance only its own row of cylinders.
According to experts, the appearance of the new engine will allow the Phaeton to compete on equal terms with the BMW 7-Series, which has a similar eight-cylinder engine in its range. Responsible for safety are: ESP stability control program, ABS, dortomazhivatel, EBD system, electronic brake force distribution, as well as traction control system TCS. As an option, an automatic air pressure monitoring system in tires RDKS, active head restraints, belts with tensioners, front and side airbags (eight in total), inflatable curtains on the windows are offered. A partially made of aluminum body, one of the toughest in its class, can also be added to the security asset.
Today, Phaeton is the largest model in the VW family. The release of such a model testifies to the ambitions of the VW concern and the rights imposed on the car market sector, in which auto giants like BMW and Mercedes still feel rightful. Getting away from the stereotype of the “popular brand” is not so simple, the creators of Phaeton themselves admit this. Until the public mind reinforces the idea that Volkswagen overcame the middle-class ceiling and is quite capable of creating prestigious cars worth 55-120 thousand euros (this is precisely the price range for Phaeton), the revolutionary novelty will remain the ultimate dream of only loyal fans of the Wolfsburg brand.
At the Beijing Motor Show (Beijing Auto Show 2010), the official premiere of the luxury Volkswagen Phaeton 2011 luxury sedan was held. The updated Volkswagen Phaeton received a slightly modified exterior and interior, and also became more sophisticated and more technologically advanced. The dimensions of the car have not changed, it has a width of 1903 mm, the wheelbase for it is built in two versions - 2881 mm or +12 cm, the length, respectively, can also be different - 5055 or 5175 mm. Externally, Phaeton 2011 model year continues the tradition of corporate style.
Unlike the previous generation, the new car received an updated front bumper and grille, new bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. A new rear bumper and new taillights are also installed at the rear. The quality of work on the interior design, the realm of natural leather for special purposes and excellent workmanship, precious woods, and other materials used deserve admiration, everything is done in a good brand Volkswagen style. The inner space is huge, front and rear separate seats can be adjusted in 18 directions. By the way, the car is available with two versions of the second row of seats - two- or three-seater.
The media filling meets the requirements of the class and includes the most modern technical developments: an 8-inch color touch screen display on the dashboard, satellite navigation system RNS810 based on Google Maps. It is worth noting one of the most advanced automatic air conditioning systems installed on the Volkswagen Phaeton, which even maintains a given level of humidity in the cabin in four zones, eliminating fogging of the glasses. Phaeton 2011 model year received an automatic headlight adjustment system Dynamic Light Assist as an option. The road sign recognizer and rear view camera complete the picture.
The engine lineup of the updated VW Phaeton includes a diesel and three petrol variants. The 3.0-liter TDI turbodiesel has a power of 239 hp, accelerates to a hundred in 8.6 s and consumes an average of 8.5 liters of diesel. 6.0-liter gasoline engine runs on 12 cylinders, has a capacity of 450 liters.
from. (Maximum torque of 560 Nm is achieved in the range of 2750-5200 r / min), 4.2-liter V8 produces 335 hp (430 Nm at 3500 rpm), the base 3.6-liter V6 - 280 hp (370 Nm at 3500 rpm). Not without improvements in terms of efficiency - to reduce fuel consumption is responsible advanced pump power with variable performance.
