b a d b o y z v o l k s w a g e n

VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON

Courtesy of VW Vortex

Story by Jason Teller

To get a measure of the significance of the Phaeton's unveiling - both to Volkswagen and to the Geneva show itself - one only needed to go to VW's booth. In a building where the world's automobile manufacturers were displaying, to a company, their latest and greatest, it was the VW booth that was already buzzing with activity a mere half hour after the doors opened to the press.

Everybody, it seemed, wanted to get up close and personal with Volkswagen's bold upscale experiment.

Let's start with the exterior. The car is definitely large, joining the ranks of the 7-Series, S-Class, LS400 and A8 by dimension alone. The nose is unmistakably VW and is capped with an impressively chromed double-style grille. The family lines from the Passat are evident, but there is also an obvious eye towards substantial weight; as presented the Phaeton adopts that valuable luxury pose so necessary in a car of this class. The body lines are sleek and neither as boxy (yes, I still think it looks boxy) as the 7-Series or complex as the S-Class. From the side the viewer is again greeted with a feeling of substance. That is not to imply that the Phaeton appears overly heavy, but rather that it appears appropriately robust for the undoubtedly distinguished people who will own and drive it. The rear of the car does a fantastic job of integrating large functional features such as the taillights, dual exhausts and quite possibly the biggest VW emblem to ever adorn a vehicle.

The body chrome is extended to the rear as well, creating a nice division between the bumper and the trunk. One might wonder how the VW emblem could be termed "functional". One of the reasons the trunk appears so clean is that there is no release mechanism. To open it you simply touch the emblem for a few seconds and the trunk opens under its own power - a feature that scores well on the coolness scale. Any equally cool feature was the button on the underside of the trunk lid controlling an automatic closing mechanism.

My only gripe about the exterior of the Phaeton was the wheels. The larger 7-spoke wheels are befitting of a luxury vehicle and yet appeared a bit ordinary. I'm guessing that the design called for understated elegance, but I would like to have seen something a little more distinctive. The other wheel choice, a smaller multi-spoke design, was simply unattractive.

Moving to the interior, it was quite difficult due to the sheer number of people to spend any appreciable amount of time inside the vehicle. Despite this, I did sit in both the front and back.

Front passengers ride in style with an ample amount of space. The driver does not have to battle for leg space with the center console; there is plenty even for a relatively tall person like myself. The seats are of course adjustable to the hilt and shod in ultra-soft leather. Visibility appeared adequate.

A savvy owner would delight in the multitude of systems and controls at a fingertip's touch. Unfortunately I did not get a thorough English speaking demonstration of the controls, although I did watch one run-through in German from the back seat. Climate control, ride control, audio control, as well as many other features have been consolidated into a large video panel in the center console or on the steering wheel.

I was personally intrigued by all the buttons and switches, although I couldn't help but wonder about the older potential owner who couldn't program a VCR or operate a PC. Bottom line - the cockpit is visually appealing but also appears complex.

Rear seating is also plentiful and every bit as comfortable as the front seats. Four adults could ride easily - and legitimately in tremendous comfort.

Overall the Phaeton looks natural at playing upscale competitor. The exterior design is stunning and the interior includes all the bells and whistles one would expect in this range. To me the notion that VW cannot, or should not, attempt to position a vehicle in this class is absurd. Buyers looking for something distinctive in the established sea of luxury may very well give this vehicle a hard look.

For more general photos from the Geneva Auto Show check out our galleries on AudiWorld.

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