VW Phideon flagship sedan announced for China - IAB Report

Will be exclusive to the Chinese market.

On the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen has unveiled the VW Phideon as a long-time replacement of the VW Phaeton, exclusive to the Chinese market.

The exterior design appears to draw heavy inspiration from the latest VW Passat, featuring a more contemporary and cleaner design than the outgoing model. It measures 5.05 meters long, 1.87 meters wide, 1.48 meters high and has a wheelbase just under three meters (2.97 meters).

The doors of the VW Phideon feature an electric soft-closing system. Inside, it comes equipped with heated seats that are power adjustable and offer massaging functions, analogue clock in dashboard, three-color ambient lighting, a head-up display, night vision system, 360-degree camera view, large color MID flanked by analogue instrument dials, Bentley-derived air suspension system and a four zone automatic climate control.

The Phideon is the first VW to ride on the MLB platform. It is powered by a a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine developing 300 hp and 440 Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a standard all-wheel-drive 4MOTION system. Also available is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a FWD setup. Later on, a plug-in hybrid model will be introduced.

It will launch in the Chinese market in Q3 2016, and will be manufactured by the VW-SAIC joint venture.