The VW Phaeton was the brand's super-luxurious sedan that shared the Bentley's platform and many of its amenities. While it was an impressive feat of engineering, the Phaeton cost too much and was hell to maintain. Some owners considered it one of the best cars VW ever built and a second hand market of collectors swore by the luxury and performance on a budget that the Phaeton offered.
Now that China is one of the most voracious consumer economies and with a growing taste (and budget) for the finer things life can offer, the Phaeton suddenly makes a lot of sense. VW is a particularly strong brand in China and has been for many years so, in a way, ushering an ultra-luxe platform under the Phideon monicker (essentially a new Phaeton).
Phideon will use a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 with 295 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque, running to the road via 4Motion all-wheel drive. Volkswagen says a front-drive version will soon be available, powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-four, and a plug-in hybrid variant is planned for the future. All that plus all the interior luxury one expects of a vehicle in this class and it's also the first VW to feature a camera-based night vision system.