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Volkswagen Phaeton 2020.

Volkswagen Phaeton 2020 is an executive class car.
Production of the Volkswagen Phaeton was discontinued in 2016, and all this time the fate of the premium model was modestly silent. But 2020 will remain in history not only as full of disasters and epidemics, but also as the year when VW changed their minds and began to revive the main analogue of the “German troika”.

It is worth noting here that the model left the assembly line due to low demand (obviously) and the car was originally going to be revived in the 1920s, moreover, in the form of an electric car. What eventually became the new Phaeton, we will tell below.

Technical stuffing

Unfortunately, the plans had to be adjusted. We will not see an electrified Phaeton, except in a hybrid configuration. Nevertheless, there is something to tell.

For example, a car has moved to a new platform. The choice fell on the MLB trolley, which assembles business sedans from Ingolstadt. So Phaeton became the first VW model built on this bogie.

Included:

Independent multi-link suspension on both axles with electronically adjustable pneumatic elements;
Ventilated disc brakes on each axle;
Front or all-wheel drive;
7-band DSG robot;
Electric power steering and electric handbrake.

On the new platform, the power unit is now installed transversely. By the way, here VW also borrowed the developments of Audi and equip the Phaeton with two TFSI variants. One in the architecture of an inline turbo four, and the second is a traditional V6.

Unfortunately, so far there is no data on the dynamic characteristics of the motors. We can only remember that 4 years ago the Phaeton was also equipped with a V6 (not to mention the V12) and produced 280 hp. But that was a completely different engine, so let’s do without assumptions. By the way, apparently this time VW will refuse without diesels.

Onboard equipment

It is important to note that the only thing that VW has been honored to show at the moment is the stand with the Phaeton in Beijing. Not a single Russian autoblogger was invited to the review, so we will have to spy on what our European colleagues managed to say on YouTube.
There is no information about the trim levels. At the stand there was only the top-end version and there they showed up:

Door closers;
Chairs with active headrests, electric drive, ventilation, heating and massage. This applies to all seats. The back sofa is a two-seater and each seat is individually adjustable;
Adaptive cruise control with night vision;
3-zone climate control;
Multimedia complex for 12 points;
A roof with a panoramic view;
Front and rear LED optics and fog lights.

But the dashboard remained analog (very strange for 2020), and the multimedia complex turned out to be painfully modest.
The dashboard had only an 8-inch screen with support for IOS mobile interfaces. What about Android? It remains to be hoped that this will still be corrected.

Body and dimensions

In terms of appearance, we have before us scaled for the new Passat platform. By the way, there will be no longer an extended version like its predecessor. Perhaps it was worth betting on this type of body, especially since MLB is easily scalable.

In appearance, there is nothing to catch on. The Phaeton was never designed to stand out. It’s as simple as the Passat, with a narrow grille with longitudinal chrome moldings, rectangular optics and a straightforward body kit.

On the side, there are strict lines without frills. Only behind the geometry of the lanterns differs from the Passat. The rest of the solutions are similar.

The wheels will feature 19-inch Helios alloy wheels (an interesting detail given the ancient Greek references to the model name).

Salon

The VW marketer, who owns the phrase, “To better understand a masterpiece, you need to touch it,” is the best that the automotive industry has known. This thesis exactly reflects the philosophy of the new Phaeton interior — premium leather with perforation, a minimum of plastic and aluminum, which replaced the wooden inserts.

In terms of architecture, there is nothing to talk about — it is completely copied from the Passat, except that an analog clock in chrome trim is traditionally placed on the center console, and the multimedia screen is also borrowed from Audi. Separately, I would like to note the dashboard — this is a failure. Let’s hope that she will be replaced.

The only thing that deserves attention are the chairs. The front ones have a pronounced sporty profile, but the rear is a real business class: two pronounced seats and a folding armrest with comfort buttons and cup holders.

Competitors

Now it is difficult to say how competitive the new product will be. There are many doubts, and they are not unfounded. The previous generation, although it was cheaper than its counterparts from Mercedes, BMW or Audi, was not in demand, even among corporate clients.

Given the projected price tag, the Volkswagen Phaeton will compete with the Kia K900, Genesis G80, Infiniti Q70 and Volvo S90. But there are big doubts about the commercial success of the car. For example, the Genesis G80 now has a very strong market position.

Price and start date of sales

Perhaps it was worth mentioning this at the beginning, or maybe not, but the Phaeton has revived only for the Chinese market. The rest of the world will not see the novelty, at least in the foreseeable future.

The price tag has not yet been decided, but it will definitely be higher than that of the Passat, but lower than that of the Audi A6. That is, in the region of 3.3-3.5 million rubles.