VW can’t help but step on toes if it wants to release a big, luxurious sedan under its own name. The current Phaeton is the same size as an Audi’s flagship sedan and it shares many bits with the previous generation A8 too.
However, according to Edmunds, the German giant may be looking to downsize its next-gen Phaeton, aiming it at Audi’s A6 and the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class or the (slightly harder to peg down in a specific class) Panamera.
So, while the current model can exceed the equivalent of $100,000 in the US, the new model would cost about half of that, or it should, if they wanted to sell a noticeable number of them. It hasn’t yet been confirmed for the American market, but “it is expected to re-enter later this decade.”
What they’re basically proposing is a larger Passat that is more accessible to more people which we assume doesn’t require specially trained workers and a museum-like factory made out of glass in order to be built… We wouldn’t be at all surprised if it turns out to be an A6-sized VW-badged four-door coupe.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
