Test drive: Sergey Tokarev
The first executive class sedan Volkswagen Phaeton, was released in 2002 at a factory in Dresden. Since then, this model was produced almost unchanged, but after eight years, Volkswagen still decided to improve it. Updated Phaeton was in April this year, presented to the general public at the motor show in Beijing. Today, the novelty appeared in the VW brand salons in the UAE, and we had the opportunity to "break in" a new work of the German automobile industry.
Appearance
It is strange that those who can not afford Mercedes Benz, BMW or Audi do not pay attention to this car. The Volkswagen Phaeton sedan is fully compliant with comfort and technology requirements. But first about the appearance of the news. VW chief designer Walter de Silva was able to give this car a formidable look. It is in the appearance of the front end that the original and inimitable style of this model is even more emphasized. The always-elegant Phaeton, thanks to improvements, has become visually wider and more powerful: in accordance with the Volkswagen DNA design concept, the dominant horizontal lines define the new look of the model. Unlike all other Volkswagen cars that have arisen on the basis of the new concept to date, Phaeton uses not a shiny black radiator grille, but a chrome element. The bumper is also decorated in the same style with the grill and headlights. The rear design has also changed. The VW team decided not to change the initially classically adjusted, clear and expressive Phaeton style in this area, but instead developed new tinted LED taillights. In addition, by analogy with the front, the rear bumper was redesigned. In the silhouette of the car, new side moldings and narrower LED repeaters for direction indicators in the exterior mirrors attract the eye.
The length and size of the wheelbase have not changed: 5055 and 2881 mm in the short-base version, 5175 and 3001 mm in the long-base version. The new sedan has two options for the wheelbase, as well as two options for equipping the rear of the passenger compartment (triple rear seat or two separate seats from each other).
Technological stuffing
Among the innovations in the improved VW Phaeton were: the braking system, the first in the business class dynamic lighting assistant (a dynamic driving beam control system based on the camera’s control) and a new generation navigation system with a 30 GB hard drive from Google, which optionally, can integrate data of online services into the image of the map. The relevant data is downloaded to the system online using a mobile phone, through a proxy server specially created for this. Visualization on the touch screen, including available POIs, corresponds to satellite images of the Google Maps service known on the normal Internet, or a hybrid image of a Google location map for the iPhone. Needless to say, in VW Phaeton satellite imagery is supplemented by appropriately designated navigation system recommendations for route selection. For those who, as an alternative, would like to use a mobile phone (for example, iPhone) in hands-free mode using the HandsFreeProfile (HFP) profile, the new Phaeton also provides this connectivity.
In addition, thanks to the front camera installed as optional equipment, the VW Phaeton “sees” road signs. Speed limit alerts are displayed on the toolbar (multifunction display) and on the touch screen of the center console. In addition, the system, so far the only one in the world, is able to recognize and display signs prohibiting overtaking.
Phaeton’s new electronic support systems also include Dynamic Light Assist (Dynamic High Beam Assist), ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), Front Distance Assist (Front Ambient) and Side Assist (shift assist) lanes). In addition, the tire pressure monitoring system provides an increased safety standard. A completely new development is also the optional dynamic lighting assistant. In combination with the camera located behind the windshield, the high beam modules of the bi-xenon headlights remain on continuously. It's just that the luminous flux of the headlights is blocked in those places where the system suggests the possibility of interference to other road users. Thanks to this, the driver receives significantly better lighting conditions and, thus, an additional plus in favor of safety and driving comfort.
Under the hood
The engines in the new VW Phaeton are still 4 options to choose from. Four engines are offered as a power unit (one turbo-diesel and three gasoline). Of the six-cylinder gasoline engines in Phaeton, a V6 engine is installed with direct fuel injection (FSI with a capacity of 206 kW / 280 hp). In addition to the V6 FSI, petrol engines V8 and W12 are offered (246 kW / 335 hp and 331 kW / 450 hp). Volkswagen offers one of the most economical and comfortable engines for fans of diesel engines - the V6 TDI (174 kW / 240 hp) with an average fuel consumption reduced from 9.0 to 8.5 liter / 100 km (and, accordingly, reduced to 224 g / km of CO2 emissions). All versions, as before, are initially equipped with an automatic transmission and permanent 4motion all-wheel drive.
In the cabin
VW Phaeton's interior equipment is rich, as before: four-zone climate control, working without excessively strong gusts of supplied air, seats with ventilation, heating and electrically adjustable in 18 directions, active cruise control, operating at speeds of 30-200 km / hours
The interior design includes a variety of leather, Alcantara finishes, precious wood inserts, and details such as a refrigerator or Volkswagen Exclusive multimedia system, which provide almost unlimited possibilities for customizing a car. The same applies to the new design multifunction steering wheel. It can be ordered in full leather or trimmed with leather and precious woods. Many customers living or traveling in Europe take the opportunity to bring the final gloss to their new Phaeton directly at the production site - in Volkswagen Glass Manufactory in Dresden - using original varieties of leather, fine wood and varnishes. All the others are satisfied with the equipment provided by local and regional dealers. All these nuances, when buying a VW Phaeton in the UAE, can be found in the VW brand car dealerships in Dubai and other emirates. Good luck on the road!
