The VW Phaeton full-size luxury sedan is no longer on sale in the UK, the automaker has confirmed.
The Phaeton has been available in the UK for 13 years, but now VW has deemed it necessary to stop offering it. VW’s flagship sedan has already been discontinued in the US, but continues to be available in China and other Asian markets, as well as in Germany and other European countries.
A VW spokesperson cited by Auto Express confirmed that the Phaeton “in its current form” has been withdrawn from the UK market mainly due to imminent Euro 6 emission legislation.
That’s because it doesn’t make financial sense for VW to update the only engine offered in the UK, the 3.0-liter V6 TDI, to the strict Euro 6 standard.
However, this doesn’t mean the UK will never see a VW Phaeton again. VW design boss Klaus Bischoff said at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show that an all-new Phaeton will arrive by mid to late 2017. The new model will feature small design details from the C-Coupe GTE Concept, but will get a unique front-end design. The executive also said the new Phaeton will be larger than the current model.
The new Phaeton is expected to feature an all-new engine lineup including turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, as well as V6 units. A plug-in hybrid version is also likely, as is the refreshed W12 engine.
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