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Old 1st March 2016, 18:32   #1
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The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

Volkswagen has unveiled its biggest and most luxurious sedan yet- The Phideon. It was meant to be a successor to the Phaeton (which was a flop worldwide. Related thread. As per reports, the Phideon is solely for the Chinese Market and will be sold exclusively in China and will not be launched anywhere else.

Some background on why this is the case

Quote:
The dynamics of the Chinese Market is what makes Volkswagen expect success with the Phideon in China.

Volkswagen had a hard time convincing Americans that an über sedan was what they needed, thus the beloved Phaeton was considered a flop here. The Chinese-only Volkswagen Phideon won’t have that problem. Nearly as long as an A8 and built on the same platform, it is premiere in a country that still respects the concept.

It’s common lore that Chinese execs and government officials have to get a vehicle slightly nicer than their direct report and not quite as nice as their supervisor. It’s how you end up with cars like the A4 L, which is bigger than an A4 but not as big as an A6, which itself is not as big as an A6 L, which is also smaller than an A8, which cowers before the CEO-level A8 L. You get all that? Moving on.

An Audi is luxury, however, and that kind of consumption has become increasingly conspicuous in Xi Jinping’s China. If you’ve worked hard all your life, followed the party, and made the right friends and enemies it makes sense to expect a little something. The five-meter-long executive Phideon, then, fits the bill.
It will sit way above the Passat in VW China Portfolio. The Phideon is 5050mm long and will be produced in Shanghai, at the manufacturing base of Volkswagen’s Chinese market joint venture partner the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.

At launch, the Phideon will use a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 with 295 horsepower and 470 nm torque, running to the road via 4Motion all-wheel drive. Volkswagen says a front-drive version will soon be available, powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four, and a plug-in hybrid variant is planned for the future. It is said to use a lot of components from the Audi A6 and A8.



The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phideon.jpg


The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phideon2.jpg


The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phi3.jpg


The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phi4.jpg


The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phi5.jpg


The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phi6.jpg


The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China-phi7.jpg

Some Excerpts from the Press Release

Quote:
Ten Key Facts
  • The Volkswagen PHIDEON is an all-new high-end saloon in the premium segment in China.
  • The innovative PHIDEON is positioned above the Passat and the Magotan, which is available in China.
  • The five meter sedan is characterized by an extremely elegant yet dynamic body design.
  • With its distinctive front end, the PHIDEON paves the way for the future design of Volkswagen's top-of-the-range sedans.
  • The new PHIDEON was developed in Germany with the assistance of VW's Chinese partner SAIC Volkswagen. It will be launched in China in the third quarter of 2016.
  • The car will be offered with high-efficiency TSI engines (turbocharged petrol engines) and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain is also planned.
  • In Geneva, Volkswagen will unveil the flagship model in the series: the four-wheel drive PHIDEON 3.0 TSI 4MOTION with 300 PS.
  • This high-tech PHIDEON is the first Volkswagen to use a camera-based night vision system.
  • The interior is tailored perfectly to the needs of the driver, with the PHIDEON's luxurious rear passenger compartment also making it an ideal chauffeur-driven limousine.
  • The PHIDEON is the first Volkswagen to be based on the Modular Longitudinal Matrix (MLB).


The interior: Drive and be Driven

The PHIDEON was designed as a sporty five-seater that appeals both to keen drivers and as a chauffeur-driven limousine because it is so spacious. The interior is thus both sporty and elegant. The dashboard and the interior architecture are designed to focus on the technical design and driving dynamics in the cockpit. The luxurious seats can be electrically adjusted in several directions, including individual settings for the ergonomically curved sides, and have integrated seat ventilation and heating as well as a massage function. The design team created a relaxed lounge atmosphere inside the car, with a wrap-around ambient light strip that can switch between three different colours.

Convenience and driver assistance systems

The new PHIDEON offers a host of high-end features. It continues the Volkswagen tradition on its luxury cars – introduced with Phaeton – of using an air suspension system, similar to the systems used by fellow Volkswagen Group brand Bentley. The latest generation of this technology has five individually selectable driving modes. Another new feature is the electric soft-closing system for the doors, called "Soft Close".

This new sedan also has the full technology spectrum of the Modular Longitudinal Matrix (MLB) at its disposal. When it comes to driving information, this includes features such as a head-up display (which projects information onto the windscreen) and a camera-based night vision system that warns the driver if there are people or animals on or near the road, even in pitch-black darkness or in fog.

Area View – a system with four wide-angle cameras – improves all-round visibility. Other assistance systems include: ACC (adaptive cruise control); Front Assist; Park Assist (assisted parking with automatic steering and braking); Lane Assist (camera-based lane-departure warning system); Side Assist (lane-changing assistant); the proactive occupant protection system (which tensions the safety belts and closes the windows or the sunroof); and Light Assist (which automatically dips the high beam). These systems protect the occupants of the PHIDEON, while also giving consideration to other road users.

Last but not least, the new Volkswagen has optimum connectivity. This is ensured through the Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB) that can be used to integrate compatible smartphones via the three major smartphone platforms — CarPlay® (Apple), Android Auto™ (Google), and MirrorLink®.

Sources

Last edited by Rajeevraj : 1st March 2016 at 18:37.
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Old 1st March 2016, 19:37   #2
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re: The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

Somehow this looks like the best looking VW from the new design perspective. I am old school and loved the MKV for its simple and understated look and design. The newer generation meant all their line ups were looking like polo or vento.

Now this one feels definitely upmarket from the looks alone. I like the gizmos and aids that this car comes with. I got to say they are testing grounds in China where i feel from manufacturing to on the road cost is must cheaper than any other destination for VW.
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Old 2nd March 2016, 12:56   #3
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Re: The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

Not as over-engineered as the Phaeton was in its time, and neither are there any of the tall claims. An honest big luxury sedan.

Agreed with VW2010. The proportions are spot on for such a large luxo-barge. Absolutely love the clean & classy lines. A timeless beauty.

Not only is the car based on the same platform as the A8, but there's a LOT of part commonality between the two. Think of the Phideon as an A8 for those who want a more discreet badge or love VW.
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Old 2nd March 2016, 13:13   #4
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Re: The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

WOW ! Simply love the side profile, so muscular & clean proportions

This will sell good if they manage to price it somewhere in between the A6 & A8 pricing, that is the sweet spot for this car
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Old 2nd March 2016, 23:49   #5
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Re: The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

Far from a VW fan i am, but the timeless designs from VW just make me go drooly.

Of recent their designs looked like from the same die in different font size, but this spiritual successor to the Phaeton is surely a stately looker.

The smug front styling and the BMWish three quarter styling all come to result in a well proportioned luxury car. A rarity nowadays.
Only the interiors and rear end styling has resemblance to its stablemates.

But, man. Just can't stop looking at that side profile.
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Old 3rd March 2016, 08:02   #6
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Re: The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

Quote:
But, man. Just can't stop looking at that side profile.
The more and more i look at it i am reminded of the timeless beauty, my dream and my only love when it comes to Luxury cars. The S Class.
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Old 3rd March 2016, 09:30   #7
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Re: The Phideon: Volkswagen's super luxury sedan for China

Beautiful car with great presence. I can imagine how relaxing it would be to drive this on a highway.
Side profile looks like BMW 7 from previous generations, tight and clean.

Last edited by GTO : 3rd March 2016 at 10:12. Reason: Typo
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