VW Trying Again

[vrazzhledazzle]

Surprise: VW Phaeton to return to U.S. market

Volkswagen intends to reintroduce its Phaeton luxury sedan to the U.S. market, according to VW of America spokesman Andreas Meurer. Mr. Meurer made the announcement during an interview with Bloomberg.

Adrian Hallmark, the company's Executive Vice President, said VW expects its U.S. operations to break even in 2009. He said sales in 2007 would be flat, while the company focuses on preparing new models for 2008 and 2009.

Volkswagen pulled the Phaeton from the U.S. market in late 2005 due to poor sales. It's unclear when the Phaeton will return to America. Meurer said it would be reintroduced when the next version goes on sale worldwide.

It's not known if Meurer was referring to the facelifted 2008 Phaeton — revealed last week and on sale this summer — or the next-generation model due some time after 2009.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/surprise-vw-ph...-us-market.html

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Edited March 10, 2007 by vrazzhledazzle

[Paolino]

I was so sorry to see the Phaeton go... I thought it was an incredible car... would buy one in a second if I had the money. There were so many features it had that I would want in a luxury car, it had the power, it wasn't bad-looking... I guess people weren't ready to look at VW as a luxury make.

I hope it does better this time.

[PONTIAC06]

I thought that the Phaeton was an awesome luxury car...but VW isn't a luxury make...that's like Chevy trying to compete with Cadillac

[Intrepidation]

I love the Phaeton. It's in incredible car. It's ashame no one could get over their badge snobbery in this country and buy it. SO what if it's expensive? Maybe VW wanted a luxury halo car instead of a performance halo car.

[pow]

Sweet. This time they should send over the SWB and V6 models.

[ZL-1]

If at first you don't succeed, you try, and try, and try, and try, and try, and try, and try, and try, and try (ad infinitum?) again.

[FAPTurbo]

I too, think the Phaeton was a great vehicle. Those d*cks in Audi were just jealous if anything.

The badge snobbery was also a sad factor. I happen to equate VW with generally high-quality products so the Phaeton seemed like a perfet halo vehicle. Sad that much of the population equated VW with 'Herbie.'

[Windy-57]

This is a horrible idea. Yeah the Phaeton is a great vehicle, you know why, because it's an Audi. GM has it right, your luxury brand should have stand alone vehicles. By giving VW this vehicle you undercut the A8. VW should have stuck with Wolfgang's idea of moving the VW brand downmarket and providing more room between VW and Audi and therefore covering a larger portion of the market. If you want a halo car, then develop a new one. If that's too expensive, then it's a vehicle that doesn't have a business case. Simple as that. Audi has a lot going for it right now and you shouldn't screw with that by fooling around with the brand's flagship model.

[MyerShift]

Sorry but the Phaeton is NOT an Audi.

They share engines and drivetrains as does the rest of the group (including Bentley thank you very much) but the A8 and the Phaeton are not the same car.

The A8 is an aluminum spaceframe car, the Phaeton a steel chassied one with some aluminum panels. There is something around a 2,000 lb difference between the two in W12 form.

The Phaeton is incredible, but it has the wrong name (it's not a phaeton at all) and the wrong brand badge on the decklid and grille.

It would have been really neat if VW had offered the Phaeton with the stonking V10 TDI engine that is also in the Touareg.

It would have made more sense for VW to sell the car in short wheelbase and V6 versions with optional V8 and no W12 as opposed to the standard V8 and optional W12.

[BatmanGTO]

eh the only complaint i ever had with the phaeton was the engine change mod-wise..... the w12 nardo has a w12 in it pumping out around 630 horse. (First time on the track in germany it set world records) the modded w12 they put in the phaeton was only pumping out around 425 or so..... but hey what ya gonna do

[Member55]

It was too big of a jump, for years Passat was their premium vehicle and next thing you know here comes the Phaeton. IMO it would make more sense if they came out with the 5-series competitor.

[MyerShift]

It was too big of a jump, for years Passat was their premium vehicle and next thing you know here comes the Phaeton. IMO it would make more sense if they came out with the 5-series competitor.

Agreed. One can't just jump from premium faimly sedans to the A8/7-Series/S-Class Arena overnight and expect to be accepted.

[Windy-57]

OK there were some differences. And I'm sure from a structural and engineering standpoint they are major, but the vast amount of buyers couldn't tell you the differences and would consider them close to the same car, so VW kind of screwed the pooch on this one by not emphasizing enough of the differences.

Either way, still a bad idea. VW should continue to move down market and separate from Audi. Between the two brands, they should be able to cover a much broader space in the market. Also, they have a million other things they need to focus on, not the least of which is quality. I have to imagine it's difficult to sell a flagship luxury sedan when your brand is becoming synonymous with poor quality.

[Flybrian]

As many have said before, introducing the Phaeton as a premium fullsize sedan with V6 and V8 selections slotting above the Passat in price ($40-55k) means they get to compete head to head with the S80 and RL as well as managing to keep grown-ups who don't want to drive the car their daughter's 16 year-old friend drives in the VW family.

[Windy-57]

As many have said before, introducing the Phaeton as a premium fullsize sedan with V6 and V8 selections slotting above the Passat in price ($40-55k) means they get to compete head to head with the S80 and RL as well as managing to keep grown-ups who don't want to drive the car their daughter's 16 year-old friend drives in the VW family.

Well, if you think these buyers are crucial to VW then I can see why you would want the Phaeton back. I just don't feel like VW should be chasing these people because many of these buyers are also in the market for A4s and A6s. Rather, if VW wanted to move downmarket (as Wolfgang had planned for them) they would be able to garner the more lower-price higher-volume sales that Audi doesn't. VW isn't like GM, they don't have 8 brands to come to the US with, so they should emphasize as much separation between the two as possible.

[pow]

At this point I don't think NA VW is even marketing the car. They're merely making it available to US buyers who chose to order them. It can't hurt..