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U.S. Volkswagen Phaeton sales could start next year

U.S. Volkswagen Phaeton sales could start next year

Siddarth Raja April 17th, 2008 Siddarth Raja By Siddarth Raja Author April 17th, 2008
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December 31st, 1969 By all accounts, the Phaeton limo has been a major flop for Volkswagen and nowhere has it performed more badly than in the U.S. where the decision to drop the car came just two years after its launch. However, VW execs in the U.S. have expressed interest in seeing the flagship return on several occasions in the past six months and new reports from Germany claim the car could return as early as next year. With the introduction of the facelifted model last year sales of the Phaeton in Europe have actually been on the rise. However, sales figures for its closest rivals, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-series and even its Audi A8 sibling, are all more than double those of the VW. To boost its numbers VW is keen to sell the Phaeton in the U.S. again. In fact, AutoBild reports a high-ranking VW official has hinted the car will return to the world’s biggest car market next year and there were even suggestions it could arrive towards the end of this year. The biggest resistance is coming from VW’s largest shareholder, Porsche, whose CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking, previously stated that the time for “expensive toys” was over. There’s also the fact that the next-generation model is due just one year later in 2010 but even that model won’t arrive in the U.S. until at least a year after the launch of the European model.
U.S. Volkswagen Phaeton sales could start next year

U.S. Volkswagen Phaeton sales could start next year

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By all accounts, the Phaeton limo has been a major flop for Volkswagen and nowhere has it performed more badly than in the U.S. where the decision to drop the car came just two years after its launch. However, VW execs in the U.S. have expressed interest in seeing the flagship return on several occasions in the past six months and new reports from Germany claim the car could return as early as next year.

With the introduction of the facelifted model last year sales of the Phaeton in Europe have actually been on the rise. However, sales figures for its closest rivals, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-series and even its Audi A8 sibling, are all more than double those of the VW.

To boost its numbers VW is keen to sell the Phaeton in the U.S. again. In fact, AutoBild reports a high-ranking VW official has hinted the car will return to the world’s biggest car market next year and there were even suggestions it could arrive towards the end of this year.

The biggest resistance is coming from VW’s largest shareholder, Porsche, whose CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking, previously stated that the time for “expensive toys” was over. There’s also the fact that the next-generation model is due just one year later in 2010 but even that model won’t arrive in the U.S. until at least a year after the launch of the European model.

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Posted in: 2006, Volkswagen, News, Sedans, Phaeton


Comments (4 total)

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  1. By chris #1, Posted: 4/17/2008

    i thought you were going to talk about the market in the limo class but the article didnt really clearly state it:

    phaeton sales have INCREASED since the face life, but have the competitors sales INCREASED as well? or have they just continued to dominate the market?

    basically: is the market expanding or is it the sales of the phaeton itself??

  2. By admin #2, Posted: 4/17/2008

    Sales of the Phaeton in Europe for the first three months of the year was 45.4% higher than the same period last year, which is much higher than the sales growth for its rivals, although it still sells in much lower numbers. In Germany, for example, VW sold 769 Phaetons over the period while Mercedes sold 1,900 S-Class sedans.

  3. By chris #3, Posted: 4/17/2008

    hey... thats pretty good... you're comparing the class leader to the under dog. not bad sales what so ever actually.

    thanks for the info

  4. By MyTH #4, Posted: 4/17/2008

    "...Porsche, whose CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking, previously stated that the time for “expensive toys” was over."

    ...Says the boss of a company which ONLY manufactures expensive sports cars and an ugly SUV/Sedan!!

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