Volkswagen launched the Phaeton in India a few years back, as the company was focusing at building its brand identity in the country. With more competent vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, BMW 7-Series and Jaguar XJ in the segment, the Volkswagen Phaeton failed to sell in decent numbers and did not make an impact at all. This prompted Volkswagen to clear left over inventory by selling the car for a massive Rs. 25 lakhs discount. The problem was the not with the Phaeton at all.
The problem was the choice of engine offered to the Indian luxury car buyer. India being a diesel loving country did not get a diesel-powered Phaeton. Instead a 3.6-litre petrol engine was plonked into the Phaeton but now Volkswagen seems to have made amends. The company has quietly launched a diesel version of the Phaeton, which is powered by a 3.0-litre, V6, diesel engine. This TDI motor produces 237 BHP of peak power at 4000 RPM and 500 Nm of peak torque between 1500-3500 RPM. This results in a 0-100 km/h time of 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 237 km/h. The oil burner is paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Volkswagen has not revealed the pricing of the diesel Phaeton but we feel the company will import one for you should you be interested. Being a CBU, Volkswagen doesn’t have to worry about volumes and thus there has been no promotional campaign for the flagship VW. The Volkswagen Phaeton is loaded with features such as 4-MOTION, Bi-xenon headlamps, air-suspension and 18-way adjustable seats to name a few. However that is not enough to make the vehicle sell and the Phaeton is not in much demand anywhere in the world.
