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Indians love the Volkswagen brand. The cars may not sell as well as they used to, but they continue to have a great rep amongst the automotive market. However, people haven’t appreciated all its cars. While people love the Polo, Virtus, Vento and Jetta, many of its vehicles have been ignored and forgotten. The Passat, Tiguan and Ameo are some examples of this.

The VW Phateon is another vehicle that couldn’t grab the attention of Indian customers. The Phaeton could put the 7-series and S-Class of that time to shame. And yet, its sales were abysmal. But you can benefit from this depreciation by buying a used one. Here is all you need to know about this forgotten gem and whether you should buy one for yourself.

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Looks

The car was named after the Greek God “Phaeton”, and yet it lacked any pazzaz to fit this name. Volkswagen designers didn’t really try hard while designing the Phaeton. It looked like an elongated Passat. This is not particularly an insult to the Phaeton, since the Passat was one of the prettiest sedans at the time. However, for that price point, it lacked the flash. Its competitors, like the 7-series, S-class, Audi A8, and Jaguar XJ, stood out in the crowd, while the Phateon blends in with regular traffic.

The Phateon looks sophisticated and does look like a businessman’s car. Volkswagen cars from that era were rather uninnovative, with most models looking basic yet elegant. There are no other features, apart from its enormous length and wheelbase, that stand out. Adding chrome accents across the body could have given it a more premium look.

The Phaeton was sold in long- and short-wheelbase versions. The lengths were 5.055mm and 5175mm, respectively.

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Cabin

From the outside, you are entirely oblivious to the speciality. The interior was where you wanted to be. Volkswagen decided to pack the Phaeton with every feature it could think of. The feature list included an automatic trunk opener, 10-way power-adjustable rear seats, an 18-way powered driver seat with memory settings, a 16-way powered front passenger seat, Air suspension, 4-zone climate control, a powered rear window shade, and a 270-watt sound system.

It had a flap that hid the AC vents. A clock is placed between the AC vents, but the flap is designed in such a way that when closed, you can still see the clock. To further emphasise its luxury, you could choose from 4 types of wooden trims. Some other luxury amenities include a Phaeton-branded phone, electronically adjustable seat belts, quarter-window shades, four ashtrays, and four vanity mirrors. You also got a fridge at the rear so the passengers could sip champagne while being chauffeured around.

You also got plenty of legroom and headroom at the back. Thanks to the air suspension, the rear passengers are driven around in utmost luxury. Many of these features were missing even on rivals, yet they came with a Volkswagen.

Engine

The Indian Phaeton came with a 3.6L V6 petrol engine as standard. The power figures were relatively modest at 275 horsepower and 370 Nm of torque. It was a heavy car, and this V6 was powerful enough to pull it through. The V6 is mated to a 6-speed automatic. You also get the Volkswagen 4Motion (AWD) as standard across all variants.

India missed out on the exciting powertrains that the Western markets got. It came with a 5.0L twin-turbo diesel V10 and a 6.0L W12 option. The V10 diesel was used on the Audi Q7 and Tourag of that time, while the W12 was used in the iconic Bentley Continental.

What’s The Catch?

The Phaeton is an over-engineered masterpiece. It is filled with electronics to the brim and the chances of something going wrong are very high. These would be just a minor niggle if it wasn’t German. German luxury cars are notorious for their long service bill. And since it has been out of production for so long, the spares are rare and expensive. Volkswagen aren’t necessarily infamous for unreliablity, but when things do go wrong, the service bill is extensive.

Being 5m long, it is also very impractical for city drives. Unless, your journeys are limited to highway cruising, the Phaeton seems like a bad decision in the city. However, if you plan on being chauffered around, this would be the least of your issues. The mileage of the V6 isn’t great either and it is very likely that you will never see double-digit mileage figures in the city.

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Should You Buy It?

We found one example of the Phaeton on the used car market. It is listed at 17.5 lakh rupees, but with solid negotiation skills, you could get it down to 15-16 lakhs. A spanking new Phaeton would have cost you between 80-90 lakh rupees (on-road, Mumbai), depending on the accessories you choose. This model has been driven for 50,000 km and looks in great shape.

Since Volkswagen also own Audi, the Phaeton was just a cheaper A8. If you are looking for luxury on a tight budget, this could be a great option. The rear-seat luxury is unparalleled, and many modern cars would struggle to match it. However, be prepared to spend heavily on the maintenance. It is a German luxury car, and keeping it in good condition will be a massive task. Before buying one, have the model checked by your trusted mechanic, and only then make a final decision.

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