2010 VOLKSWAGEN Phaeton 6.0L W12 5AT AWD (450 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The 2010 Phaeton was one of the most underrated vehicles of its time. It had everything that a limousine needs and even more than most of the luxury cars had, but it still couldn’t make it into the premium segment.

Volkswagen rolled the dices with two vehicles: the Touareg and the Phaeton. While the Touareg was a hit and its sales were strong, the Phaeton didn’t make itself an entrance into the exclusive circle of the premium car manufacturers. It was Ferdinand Piech, the former chairman of the Volkswagen Group, that pushed the car onto assembly line with the desire to compete against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in terms of luxury and amenities.

The first generation of the Phaeton was launched in 2002 and it shared the same platform with its luxury brother, the Bentley Flying Spur. Unfortunately, the styling was very close to the fifth generation of the Volkswagen Passat, but with a way longer wheelbase. At the time of launch, the Phaeton had the longest wheelbase in the brand’s lineup, for its LWB version.

Inside there was a long list of amenities that could outpace any S-Class. The attention to detail was huge. For instance, the air-vents were covered by wood trim and opened only when they were needed. The adjustable seatbelt’s height was electrically adjustable. The rear seats had an option for heating and ventilation. The twin insulated windows ensured better noise and climate protection.

The Phaeton was available with engines ranging between 240 hp and 450 hp mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. For the safety systems, worth mentioning the Adaptive Cruise Control. That was uncommon for 2010.