Volkswagen Phaeton Review

The Volkswagen Phaeton is something of an unsung hero. You don't see that many on the road, which in one way, is a shame but on the other hand, it makes it a bit more exclusive than its main rivals, the Mercedes Benz S-Class and the BMW 7-series.

It is curious that the Volkswagen badge doesn't tend to register in the consciousness when we think of luxury saloons and as a result, the Volkswagen Phaeton is rather overshadowed by it competitors. This is not because it falls short of the others in any way; it is more that Volkswagen doesn't make as much noise about its car as BMW and Mercedes Benz. In fact, I wish I'd had a pound for every person who said, "A what?"

However, consider Volkswagen's other flagship model, the Volkswagen Touareg, which easily stands shoulder to shoulder with its competitors - some from collaboration, such as the Porsche Cayenne and also examples from the established luxury 4x4 manufacturers. There appears to be very little distinction in terms of quality and engineering.

So, it could be said that the Volkswagen Phaeton hides its light under a bushel. This may be so but it is a very imposing car that manages to be discreet and carry a fair bit of 'bling' at the same time.

The first Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced fayton and taken from Greek mythology; it is the name given to the son of the Son God, Helios and means 'the shining one'), arrived in 2003 and was designed to set standards of luxury and technology. The 2009 version continues this trend and although the exterior has changed very little, the interior and control systems have.