Volkswagen Phaeton (2014)

It has been two years since Volkswagen Phaeton was introduced to India and the saloon class sedan has performed remarkably well in the market. The reason why Volkswagen decided to bring Phaeton to the market was that Mercedes Benz desired to taken Volkswagen head-on on its European concourse with its A-Class. Volkswagen Phaeton’s closest enemy is Audi A8 which has been in India for a longer time than Phaeton. This saloon sedan comes equipped with one of the most state-of-the-art interior features which make Volkswagen live up to its repute. Let us look into various aspects of Phaeton that make it an arch-enemy of Audi A8.

Exterior

Volkswagen surely lives up to its name and this can be seen by a mere glance at Phaeton which covers every design facet of a perfect saloon class luxury sedan. Coming to the front fascia, Bi-Xenon headlights have been fitted which come equipped with cornering lights that are quite adaptive. Additionally, an automatic headlight cleaner has been fitted to the system which intelligently senses the density of froth or dust on the headlights and wipes it off accordingly. The streamline bumpers have chrome trim on them and the windshield has been made to be aerodynamic in order to make sure that there is no resistance on the part of air which the car is in motion. The chrome package on the exteriors gives Phaeton a very aggressive look for both the front fascia as well as the rear. The fog lamps have been fitted below the headlights and give sufficient luminance to see through dense fog or even smoke. It is usually being said that the exoskeleton of Phaeton is as strong as that of a muscular SUV. A sun roof has been generously provided and it operates electronically. Coming to the rear, a protective windshield has been provided on the rear in order to prevent sunlight from entering the cabin. Additionally, Phaeton comes with two twin-chrome exhaust tips and a very artistic set of tail-lights.

Interior

When it comes to interiors, we must say Volkswagen has done us all a service. Phaeton has one of the most exquisite set of features inside the cabin which leave no stone unturned for definitive luxury. The air-conditioning system is smartest above all as it precisely measures the position of the sun as well as intensity of light and therefore, adjusts the temperature of the cabin according to each and every passengers individually. This ensures that all the passengers are equally comfortable in the no matter how hot it is outside. Another exquisite feature is what they call the RNS 810 Radio Navigation System which has an 8-inch touch panel having multiple colours. Almost the whole of interiors has been done up using “Sensitive Classic Style” leather upholstery. The steering wheel boasts of having multiple features and is covered in high-quality wood and same goes with the gear knob. Gear can be changed from the steering paddle as well and this is the same manner in which gear is changed in Formula 1 racing cars. An automatic dimming rear-view mirror has been generously fitted and most of the cabin boasts of grain-wood décor.

Comfort & Convenience

Those in India who go for high-end luxury sedans primarily look to the comfort aspect of the car and this is the reason why Phaeton is revered by Indian customers. This 5-seater comes equipped with illuminated sun visors, automatic climate control and vanity mirror for passengers, rain sensors as well as outside door mirrors which can be electrically adjusted and folded as per the convenience of the driver. The sunroof as it has been pointed out in the previous section operates electronically and the air conditioner makes sure that the temperature in the cabin remains uniform for all the passengers. Volkswagen Phaeton can accommodate 5 passengers at a time comfortably. Additional comfort features include telephone set-up with Bluetooth and a refrigerator that has been fitted into the console. The luggage box of Volkswagen Phaeton has a total capacity of 500 litres. Leg room is ample and most of the controls are maintained electronically.

Music System

Volkswagen Phaeton comes with a 6-CD Changer as well as a radio, both of which can be operated from the 8-inch screen interface. The infotainment system can store MP3 and wma audio format files and has a good storage capacity. USB connectivity is also available and additionally, one can connect i-pod to an 8-channel amplifier. A total of 10 loudspeakers have been placed all around the cabin which ensures amplified surround sound.

Engine & Gearbox

Volkswagen Phaeton might score a lot when it comes to judging the exteriors as well as interiors, but what lies beneath the hood is something that surely makes it the epitome of engineering. Phaeton is powered by a 3.6 Litre V6 engine that runs on petrol and has the capability of pumping maximum power of 280 Bhp at 6250 rpm along with a peak torque of 370 Nm at 3500 rpm. For ease of driving experience, the engine is paired to an automatic six-speed transmission. This engine makes Phaeton accelerate from 0-100 Km/hr in 6.1 seconds with a top speed of 240 Km/hr.

Safety Features

Volkswagen never compromises with safety and thus have provided a total of 8 airbags out of which two are for front, two for back and four for side. Early crash sensors activate all of these airbags and ensure that the passengers remain safe and sound. Additional safety features include ESP, ABS, Fog lamps, and monitored anti-theft alarm system, parking sensors, EDL, TCS, ASR and many more. In case if there is an accident, then the wipers on the windshield cloak automatically under the bonnet in order to prevent any injury from them.

Shades Available in Volkswagen Phaeton

Volkswagen Phaeton is available in 6 shades: Campanella White, Cairo Grey, Arabesque Silver, Mazeppa Grey, Tarantella Black and Luna Blue.

Verdict

The interiors as well as exteriors along with ergonomics make Phaeton a perfect luxury car but the downside is that Volkswagen cars as usual are exorbitantly priced and come with less mileage (10 Kmpl).