It's not coming here, no need to get out of your chair. The Phaeton picks up a new nose, a ton of little tweaks, a new 3-liter TDI V6, and will be on sale in Europe this summer. It's a wonderful car -- gorgeously appointed and scrupulously assembled. Unfortunately, the marketing didn't connect enough Phaetons with owners, so it has been banished from US showrooms.
[Source: Autoblog]
Continued- Article, hi-res image gallery, official press release
A shame, really, as VW's already dreamy dreamboat picks up a passel of safety gear and the aforementioned new diesel that meets Euro V emissions standards while remaining the ultimate showcase of VW's formidable tech integration chops. We like the new face, which keeps the Phaeton in line with the corporate look of Volkswagen. It's always been a stealth bomber, and it still maintains its Passat-in-a-double-breasted-suit look, which will help you fly along under the radar of most drivers (and constabularies, hopefully) while enjoying sumptuous appointments and a vaultlike structure.
PRESS RELEASE:
2007 Geneva Motor Show - Phaeton
Top Model with New Technical Features and First Euro-5 TDI
Innovation: Phaeton with new V6 TDI satisfies Euro-5 standard that goes into effect starting in 2009
Perfection: Systems like Front Assist and Side Assist for even greater safety
Wolfsburg, 06 March 2007
At the Geneva Motor Show Volkswagen is presenting a generation of the Phaeton that is equipped with numerous technical innovations. Modifications and new equipment details will already flow into ongoing production starting at the end of May.
NEW V6 TDI
233 PS TDI is the first large diesel of the corporation to fulfill the Euro-5 standard; standard that goes into effect in 2009 calls for 80 percent reduction in particulate limits
A technological highlight of this engine: The Phaeton with V6 turbo-diesel engine will be the first car model of the corporation, and one of the first cars worldwide, to already fulfill the Euro-5 standard that goes into effect in 2009. In this context, one change compared to the Euro-4 standard is that required limits for soot particulates are 80 percent lower – the new Phaeton V6 TDI car version fulfills these requirements with its new 171 kW / 233 PS common rail direct-injection engine.
Compared to the now retired V6 TDI, the new engine adds eight PS, but at 9.6 liters per 100 kilometers it does not by any means consume any more fuel. CO2 emissions at 259 g/km are also very low for a luxury class car. Driving performance of the standard all-wheel drive and now 236 km/h fast Phaeton V6 TDI were also slightly improved. Alternatives to the TDI on the new version of the Phaeton are three gasoline engines (V6, V8 and W12) that offer a power range from 177 kW / 241 PS to 331 kW / 450 PS.
NEW TECHNICAL FEATURES
Front Assist stopping distance reduction, Side Assist lane change assistant, new DVD navigation system, modified infotainment system, new headlamps
Technical changes and new systems implemented for the first time on the Phaeton, besides the V6 TDI, include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) now with a new Follow-to-Stop function, "Front Assist" stopping distance reduction, "Side Assist" lane change assistant and automatic activation of the low-beam lamp during faster Autobahn driving (starting at 140 km/h after ten seconds) and in case of rain. Also new: The navigation system now has DVD support and many new functions, in parallel to navigation a similarly modified infotainment system with haptically and visually optimized control buttons and a new voice-controlled Bluetooth telephone with auxiliary Bluetooth receiver and memory capacity of up to 1,000 telephone book entries (up to four numbers may be saved per entry). A new tire pressure control system also offers an even higher level of safety and operator convenience.
In the exterior area, advanced development of the generation is recognizable by its additional chrome accent strips in the lower area of the front apron and newly designed bi-xenon headlamps. Integrated here are the dynamic and static cornering headlamps as well as newly designed LED daytime running lamps. The LED daytime running lamp – arranged as a narrow, horizontal strip in the lower area of the headlamp housing – is automatically activated with ignition. Another 19-inch alloy wheel type was also newly designed.
FRONT ASSIST AND SIDE ASSIST IN DETAIL
Front Assist occasionally reduces stopping distance by important meters; Side Assist contributes to preventing side collisions
Front Assist: A technological highlight is the Front Assist stopping distance reduction system. It serves to prevent front end collisions. The system utilizes a radar sensor to monitor the distance to vehicles in traffic in front of the Phaeton. When they approach too closely the driver is informed in two stages. At the same time the vehicle is prepared for possible hard braking by the driver. In certain situations the system preventatively puts the brakes in a preconditioned status ahead of time; otherwise they would only become active when the driver actuates the brakes. This is how the new system achieves Stopping Distance Reduction (AWV).
Side Assist: Another new assistance system is the Lane Change Assistant (Side Assist). This system monitors the area in back of and next to the Phaeton via radar sensors in the rear bumper (one sensor each for areas to the left and right of the vehicle), and it signals a potential collision risk via an indicator light in the outside mirror housing. The sensor monitoring range is about 50 meters to the rear and 3.60 meters to the sides of the sedan.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Geneva: 2008 Volkswagen Phaeton
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