New Volkswagen Spotted in Germany
Featuring a Grand Sedan Design
Presumed Successor to the Phaeton
Volkswagen, the leading German car manufacturer, has been spotted testing a new vehicle on the road. Initially, it was believed to be the successor to the Jetta. However, after seeing the larger-than-expected body, some speculate it could be the successor to the Phaeton, which was discontinued due to financial difficulties caused by the Dieselgate scandal and poor sales.
Volkswagen, known for its affordable and well-established German sedans, is generating excitement as it prepares to launch a new flagship sedan. The new vehicle is expected to compete with the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class in size and performance.
Shared Platform with Bentley and Audi
Discontinued due to Competition
The first-generation Volkswagen Phaeton, introduced in March 2002, gained fame as a vehicle that shared a platform with Bentley’s Flying Spur and Audi’s A8. However, it failed to gain popularity due to the lack of customers looking for a flagship sedan from Volkswagen and the availability of many alternatives.
As a result, it was discontinued in several overseas markets and is currently only available in a few countries, with China being one of the leading markets for the Volkswagen Phaeton. In China, Phaeton is sold under the name “Phideon.”
Equipped with 4-Cylinder Powertrain
Projecting a Heavy Atmosphere
The new photos resemble Audi in the taillights, a slightly longer wheelbase than the previous model, and chrome window molding that wasn’t present in the last model, adding a touch of luxury. The over-16.4-foot length is similar to the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The powertrain of this model is expected to be equipped with a 4-cylinder turbo engine. The drive system is also likely to be front-wheel drive. Although the zero-to-sixty time is not very significant for a large sedan weighing over 1.98 tons, it’s not too bad, with a zero-to-sixty time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of up to 149 miles per hour.
Scheduled to Launch in China This Year
Not Much Reaction Due to Low Sales
The new Volkswagen Phideon is expected to be unveiled at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Tech Show, after which official sales procedures will commence. While the design has been improved from the previous model and the powertrain performance is good, the likelihood of mass production and release is low, considering last year’s sales in China were only 3,500 units.
Given these factors, most speculate that the launch in Korea will also not go smoothly. To gain popularity in the domestic market, it would need to position itself to fill the gap between popular domestic flagship models like Genesis and popular imported ones from the German Big 3 (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi).
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