Volkswagen Phaeton Poised to Return to the U.S.
Volkswagen plans to bring the Phaeton sedan back to the U.S., hoping to grab a piece of the upscale sedan market, something the German automaker has struggled to do thus far.
The Phaeton, which is Volkswagen’s most expensive model, hasn’t been sold on American soil in seven years after the German automaker pulled it due to weak sales. Sources familiar to the project believe a new version of the Phaeton will be unveiled at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show to test the response for an eventual rollout.
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Joining the reintroduction of the Phaeton will be the rollout of new SUV models from VW, part of the automaker’s plan to show off its engineering prowess now that the Passat sedan is starting to fade. CEO Martin Winterkorn essentially confirmed the Phaeton’s return to the U.S. in a recent interview with Bloomberg: “A brand as large as Volkswagen needs a halo project in the upscale segment,” he said. “We’ve seen what happens to brands that don’t have that kind of project.”
Volkswagen plans to spend $5 billion over the next three years to roll out new models and boost sales in the U.S., as it hopes to push past General Motors and Toyota in global deliveries by 2018.
A new Phaeton is expected to built on the same platform as the Audi A8 and a hybrid variant is part of the plan.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Their dealer network and mechanics need to be overhauled first. They absolutely cannot fix cars. Especially high end models. Worst service of all brands.
i have had a good experience with VW service over several years.