Volkswagen Reconsidering Scirocco and Phaeton for the U.S. Market

Earlier this month, Volkswagen announced that it’s going to expand its North American SUV lineup in order to catch up to GM and Toyota and triple its U.S. sales by 2018. However, the automaker also wants to boost its image, so it may bring back the Scirocco coupe and Phaeton sedan to the States.

In an interview in Washington, Jonathan Browning, head of Volkswagen’s U.S. operations, told Bloomberg News that the company is exploring the idea of selling the two models in the U.S. “We will reconsider bringing the Phaeton back to the U.S. in the next product cycle,” said Mr. Browning who added that no final decision has been made yet.

While not a bad car, the Phaeton had a short-lived career in the U.S., which ended in 2006. It seems that American buyers just couldn’t get used to the idea of a Mercedes S-Class rival with a Volkswagen badge. On the other hand, the Scirocco was successful in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s, so to this day, many are wondering why VW chose not to import the latest generation of the coupe model. In Europe, the Scirocco is offered with a variety of powertrains ranging from a 52.3 mpg 140HP diesel to a 265HP 2.0-liter turbo in the sporty 'R' model.

The Scirocco and Phaeton are not expected to offer a lot in terms of sales, but rather to provide an image boost for the company. The real “earners” will have to be models such as the new Jetta and Passat.

“VW wants to capture U.S. buyers by rolling out more emotional cars and the Scirocco certainly fits that category,” said Frank Schwope, a NordLB analyst in Hanover. “In terms of volume sales, the Scirocco and Phaeton are only decorative accents, they won’t be crucial for VW’s goal to greatly increase deliveries”.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Bloomberg

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Revamped 2011 VW Phaeton Prices Announced in the UK

Volkswagen UK has dropped pricing details and specification for its facelifted 2011 Phaeton, which is available to order this week. British buyers have two engine options, a 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel unit with 240-horsepower and a range-topping 6.0-liter W12 petrol unit churning out 450-horsepower.

The diesel model is available with both a standard wheelbase and a long wheelbase (LWB) which gives an additional 120 mm of legroom to rear passengers, while the W12 variant is offered exclusively with the LWB body style. On-the-road prices range from £46,195 to £78,685.

Revealed to the public for the first time at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show in China this past April, the 2011 Phaeton features a refreshed exterior with a new front end design and interior updates that include new trim finishes, a different multifunction steering wheel design and changes to the instrument cluster.

For a more in depth view of VW's flagship model, check out our previous post (click here).

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VW's Phaeton Coming to America, Again...

Volkswagen will reportedly be bringing its extra-large people's car, the recently facelifted Phaeton, back to the US. Initially introduced to help VW compete with BMW, Mercedes and Lexus (isn't that what Audi is for?), it was pulled from shelves in 2006 due to dismal sales resulting from its very un-VW price point. The comeback is to assist in tripling VW AG's sales in the American market.

A redesign is in the works, but the thought of an $80,000+ V-dub (Touaregs aside) still sounds a tad hokey. Now, were they to crank it down a level, Volkswagen could have a serious player in the affordable big-lux segment forming around Hyundai's Equus. To do so, VW would have to likely dip into the parts bin and carry over more from Audi's A6 and maybe its own Passat.

The bottom line is this: VW doesn't need an Audi A8 in its lineup, it just needs model above the Passat. Something on the A6's platform would be acceptable; how about using China's LWB A6L platform as a starting point? It could even offer V6s and V8s.

Currently, however, the Phaeton's sales are slowly growing (mostly because of its presence in China). Since the Chinese market will play such a major role in the Phaeton's future, and with the Chinese all about some LWB models, there's no reason the Phaeton couldn't move onto the A6L's platform.

Considering that the size/price gap between the Passat and Phaeton was nothing short of huge, an A6-based Phaeton would give VW a superb upper-end model that 1) doesn't distance itself too far from its roots, 2) doesn't step on the A8's toes, 3) provides a large-ish German car for consumers who don't need a badge to feel better about themselves, and 4) won't upset the big red elephant in the room.

By Phil Alex

Via: Bloomberg