Segment: Upper Premium
Production years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
The Phaeton was the Volkswagen that shouldn't exist, or at least not in 2002 when the German carmaker introduced it on the market.
Ferdinand Piech was in charge of the Volkswagen Group when he decided and pushed hard to introduce the Phaeton on the market in 2002. The carmaker had the A8 as a competitor against the S-Class from Mercedes and the 7-Series from BMW, but Piech asked for more. When the carmaker introduced the new model, the customers were confused. Even though it offered features unavailable for the A8, it was still wearing a Volkswagen badge. But the carmaker didn't stop there. Two years later, it introduced the Phaeton with an extended wheelbase.
The Phaeton long featured a three-meter (118.1") long wheelbase, visible especially on the rear doors, which were longer than on the regular version. Other than that, the exterior was similar to the regular Phaeton, with the same front fascia and thick C-pillar.
With a cabin long enough to park a SMART for-two between the dashboard and the rear bench' seatback, the Volkswagen Phaeton featured increased legroom for the rear passengers of up to 1214 mm (47.8"). Despite its size, Volkswagen made it for up to four passengers due to the tall transmission tunnel and the low roofline. While it was the priciest car that wore a VW badge, it was less expensive than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7-Series.
Under the hood, the carmaker installed a choice of three gasoline engines. The base model featured a 3.2-liter V-6, which was appropriate for fleet vehicles, while the top-spec version featured the W12 engine used on the Bentley Continental, but without turbochargers. Unlike the SWB Phaeton, the LWB version was available exclusively with all-wheel-drive.
ENGINE SPECS - 3.2L V6 6AT AWD (240 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 3189 cm3 |
Power: | 177 KW @ 6200 RPM 241 HP @ 6200 RPM 237 BHP @ 6200 RPM |
Torque: | 232 lb-ft @ 2400 RPM 315 Nm @ 2400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 148.5 mph (239 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9.7 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 6-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 235/55/R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 203.9 in (5179 mm) |
Width: | 74.8 in (1900 mm) |
Height: | 57.1 in (1450 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.2/63.4 in (1,631/1,610 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 118.1 in (3000 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5 in (127 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.7 cuFT (501 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 4682.6 lbs (2124 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6128.9 lbs (2780 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 13.4 mpg US (17.6 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 26.1 mpg US (9 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 19.3 mpg US (12.2 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 293 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 4.2L V8 5AT AWD (335 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4172 cm3 |
Power: | 246 KW @ 6500 RPM 334 HP @ 6500 RPM 330 BHP @ 6500 RPM |
Torque: | 317 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM 430 Nm @ 3500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 235/55/R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 203.9 in (5179 mm) |
Width: | 74.8 in (1900 mm) |
Height: | 57.1 in (1450 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.2/63.4 in (1,631/1,610 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 118.1 in (3000 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5 in (127 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.7 cuFT (501 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 4920.7 lbs (2232 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6195 lbs (2810 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 12.4 mpg US (19 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 24.5 mpg US (9.6 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 18 mpg US (13.1 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 314 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 6.0L W12 5AT AWD (420 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | W12 |
Displacement: | 5998 cm3 |
Power: | 309 KW @ 6000 RPM 420 HP @ 6000 RPM 414 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 406 lb-ft @ 3000 RPM 550 Nm @ 3000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.1 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 235/50/R18 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 203.9 in (5179 mm) |
Width: | 74.8 in (1900 mm) |
Height: | 57.1 in (1450 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.2/63.4 in (1,631/1,610 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 118.1 in (3000 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5 in (127 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.7 cuFT (501 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5143.4 lbs (2333 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6415.5 lbs (2910 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 9.8 mpg US (24 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 21.6 mpg US (10.9 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 15.1 mpg US (15.6 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 374 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 5.0L V10 6AT AWD (313 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V10 |
Displacement: | 4921 cm3 |
Power: | 230.2 KW @ 3750 RPM 313 HP @ 3750 RPM 309 BHP @ 3750 RPM |
Torque: | 553 lb-ft @ 2000 RPM 750 Nm @ 2000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Common Rail |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 23.8 gallons (90.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155 mph (249 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 6-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 235/50/R18 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 203.9 in (5179 mm) |
Width: | 74.8 in (1900 mm) |
Height: | 57.1 in (1450 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.2/63.4 in (1,631/1,610 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 118.1 in (3000 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5 in (127 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 17.7 cuFT (501 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.31 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5428 lbs (2462 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6636 lbs (3010 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 14.3 mpg US (16.4 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 27.7 mpg US (8.5 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 20.6 mpg US (11.4 L/100Km) |