Volkswagen Phaeton
Passenger car
iF Gold Statement
Good design moves - selected by Ronald Ihrig
In the premium segment, the Volkswagen Phaeton is the clearest statement on understatement. To clearly differentiate the Volkswagen brand in the volume segment from increasing international competition, towards the end of the last millennium, Volkswagen identified the necessity of developing cars that would support the image of leadership in technological perfection and design. With Audi, the company was already well established in the premium sedan segment. Hence the new Volkswagen premium model had to avoid internal competition with the sporty Audi A8 with its lightweight aluminum construction. With the 1998 takeover of Bentley, plans were made to develop a large in-house platform for the luxury brand. An ideal basis for the Phaeton, which embodies Volkswagen’s claim of expertise and leadership in precise technology and high value. The design communicates exactly these values. High-end, precisely sculpted, seamless surfaces. High-end materials and excellent technical equipment lend the interior an air of subtle luxury.
