Talk about big dreams: BusinessWeek's Auto Beat reports that Volkswagen of America's new CEO, Stefan Jacoby, is itching to reintroduce here the brand's misbegotten Phaeton sedan. The car, which debuted for 2004 with starting prices between $64,600 and $94,600, was intended to offer a less conspicuous &mdash but no less opulent or technologically advanced &mdash alternative to established ultra-premium sedans from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and the VW Group's own Audi. But the company quickly learned that shoppers of such cars weren't the least bit interested in being inconspicuous, and as a result didn't cast a second glance at Volkswagen's flagship (or a first one, for that matter). The Phaeton quietly disappeared after the 2006 model year.
Photos courtesy of Volkswagen.
Source: BuisnessWeek.
So can Volkswagen's Phaeton get second-time lucky in America? As we last saw the car &mdash overpriced and packing a pair of very un-Volkswagen-like gasoline engines (a guzzling V-8 and a W-12) &mdash we'd say not a chance. But should the version-2.0 Phaeton bring to the market something truly innovative (along the lines of the turbocharged diesel V-10 model never brought to America), VW just might have a winner on its hands. Or at least less of a loser.
Pictured: VW of America's new CEO, Stefan Jacoby, and the object of his affection, the Phaeton sedan.
