VOLKSWAGEN

Phaeton

When it comes to luxurious saloons, the Phaeton is head and shoulders above most rivals. Packed with classy technology and offering the drive of a lifetime, this vehicle stands out in any crowd and with very good reason too.

The good

Incredibly spacious, sophisticated and smooth

The bad

A little dated for anyone looking for the latest technology

Tech Specs

Price from

£52,925

Combined Fuel up to

32.2mpg

0-62 from

8.3 seconds

max speed up to

147mph

co2 from

224g/km

Test Drive

VW Phaeton 3.0 V6 TDI 240PS LWB

You may not see too many Volkswagen Phaetons on the road, but when you do spot one, it’s certainly guaranteed to impress.

That’s because few luxury saloons deliver the quality engineering, sophisticated elegance and on-board craftsmanship that this car does.

Add in the sublime comfort levels and techno treats galore and you can see why the Phaeton is so eye-catching.

I tested out the long wheel base version which is incredibly long – 5,179mms in fact, but that extra space inside means rear seat passengers can really stretch out in style. If you are being chauffeured and need to work in the back, the ride quality is beautifully smooth and it seems that the Phaeton’s outstanding suspension system absorbs all bumps and dips along the way as it irons out the road surface.

Back seat occupants also have their own climate settings, heated seats with massage function and window blinds for extra privacy.

And up front, there’s a whole host of techno treats to be explored along with an abundance of luxurious features.

For example, the fine leather seats can be electrically adjusted in 18 different ways and offer heating, cooling, massaging and memory settings.

And as this is a luxury saloon, VW has incorporated the finest materials to create a premium cabin environment, including eucalyptus wood trim, sensitive leather upholstery and air vents that revolve away into the wooden dashboard when not in use.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include 4Zone electronic climate control, a 12-speaker sound system, 8-inch colour touchscreen with sat nav, DAB radio, CD auto-changer, multi device interface with USB and iPod cables, rear-view camera, Bluetooth, cruise control, and much more besides.

The Phaeton looks incredibly sleek from any angle thanks to its smooth streamlining, sweeping light clusters and smart 18-inch alloys.

The interior is bright and welcoming as light floods into the car via the electric glass sunroof and the all-round comfort levels are truly superb.

Despite its length, the Phaeton is actually quite nimble and easy to manoeuvre, although be warned – a larger-than-life parking space will be essential and the nose or tail will poke out from any standard length parking bay. However, that’s a small price to pay for all that extra interior space.

And luggage limitations will never be an issue either as the generously-sized boot – which is opened and closed automatically – can cater for 500 litres worth of storage.

The Phaeton is powered by a 3.0-litre 240PS diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox and the power, acceleration and all-round handling are most impressive.

This is a car that can sprint from 0-62mph in just 8.6 seconds with a top speed of 147mph but it’s the manner in which it achieves these stats that really impresses. For the Phaeton seems to glide effortlessly with a constant supply of power on tap.

Even at pace the road-holding is flawless and there is a complete lack of any road surface or engine noise within the cabin.

As one would expect these days, the Phaeton is fitted with a whole range of safety features along with VW’s 4MOTION four-wheel-drive system which will help keep you moving in all driving conditions.

Admittedly, it’s not cheap – the test model started at £57,305 but with optional extras added, that price-tag rose to £65,340. But it’s worth noting that the Phaeton is competing in the luxury saloon market where prices are generally at the higher end of the scale.

All in all, the Phaeton is a beautifully sculpted car that offers excellent comfort and handling capabilities.

It doesn’t feature all the razzmatazz of some luxury saloons, but it does offer outstanding comfort and has a certain sophisticated edge to it that many rivals lack.