The unique Phaeton turned out to be a cash pit for the Volkswagen Group as analysts estimated the corporate misplaced about €28,000 for every automobile offered. Even so, the German automotive conglomerate initially supposed to present the stately sedan a direct successor. Nonetheless, Dieselgate occurred, and plenty of initiatives have been scrapped as VAG determined to channel most of its monetary efforts towards what was to turn out to be the MEB platform devoted to electrical autos.
To have a good time the Phaeton’s 20th anniversary, VW launched photographs final week of a completely working prototype. It remained tight-lipped concerning the technical specs, solely mentioning the automobile was supposed to take a seat on the MLB platform just like the Touareg giant SUV and China-only Phideon flagship sedan. Fortunately, the German journal Auto Motor und Sport has now managed to acquire extra particulars concerning the mannequin codenamed D2.
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We get to seek out out the second-gen Phaeton was engineered solely in long-wheelbase type whereas its predecessor was offered in each SWB and LWB flavors. The fullsize luxurious sedan stretched at greater than 5.3 meters (208.6 inches), which might’ve made it about so long as the brand new LWB-only BMW 7 Collection. VW had supposed to promote the automobile in america in addition to in China and South Korea the place ample rear legroom is essential for individuals shopping for chauffeur-driven vehicles.
A number of engines had been envisioned for the brand new Phaeton, together with V6 gasoline and diesel models with 340 and 286 horsepower, respectively. There have been additionally plans for a plug-in hybrid powertrain based mostly round a V6 gasoline engine for a mixed output of 455 hp. Accessible for some time within the Touareg, the V8 TDI with a colossal 900 Newton-meters (664 pound-feet) was earmarked for the Euro-spec mannequin.
After all, the top-sec Phaeton was as soon as once more conceived with the majestic W12. In its highest state of tune, the twin-turbo 6.0-liter delivers 650 hp and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) within the Bentley Continental GT Velocity. Curiously, AMS goes on to say the PHEV was imagined with inductive charging to juice up the battery pack with out utilizing pesky cables.
Whereas the Phaeton D2 was canceled, VW remains to be promoting the Phideon in China. Nonetheless, a facelift launched on the finish of 2020 introduced a simplified lineup by eliminating the V6 engine, PHEV setup, and all-wheel drive. The luxobarge is presently offered solely in front-wheel-drive guise with four-cylinder engines, which would not fly for a worldwide flagship luxurious automobile.
