page_title: Volkswagen Phaeton
section_title: Reception and sales
hierarchical_section_title: Volkswagen Phaeton / First and Second Generation (2002–2006/2007-2008) (GP0/GP1) / Reception and sales
caption_attribution_description: VW Phaeton
context_page_description: The Volkswagen Phaeton FAY-tən is a Full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle. Introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, the Phaeton was marketed worldwide. Sales in North America ended in 2006 and global sales ended in 2016.
  The name Phaeton derives from Phaëton, the son of Phoebus in Greek mythology, by way of the phaeton auto body style and the type of horse-drawn carriage that preceded it.
  Production ended in March 2016 and an all-electric second generation was slated to be produced. Starting in April 2017, the Gläserne Manufaktur Dresden assembles the e-Golf instead.
context_section_description: Sales of the Phaeton fell far short of expectations. Its biggest market was China, followed by South Korea.
  In 2002, the manufacturer stated the annual capacity of the new Phaeton plant at Dresden was 20,000; by September 2006 a four year total of 25,000 had been built, with production running at approximately 6,000 cars annually. The domestic market was the Phaeton's strongest, with 19,314 Phaetons delivered in Germany alone by January 2009. Production decreased to 10,190 cars in 2012 and 5,812 in 2013. In Phaeton's production run that lasted 15 years, 84,253 units were built.
  In Canada, 93 Phaetons were sold in 2004, and in the first eight months of 2005, only 21 found owners. In the United States market, 1,433 Phaetons were sold in 2004, and 820 were sold in 2005, leading the company to announce that sales in the North American market would end after the 2006 model year. The W12 engined models have depreciated significantly, and sell for a small fraction of their original cost.
  The Phaeton debuted at prices comparable to similar offerings from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus and the Volkswagen Group's own Audi A8 (which shared its powertrain with the Phaeton). Motor Trend suggested that the "VW badge on the hood may not say 'premium' to many auto shoppers" but they were impressed at how the Phaeton drove.
  In January 2011, Volkswagen reported the possibility of bringing the Phaeton back to the United States in the car's next product cycle. In Autumn 2013, The Economist placed Phaeton into the report on Europe's biggest loss making cars. In October 2014, Top Gear Magazine placed the Phaeton on its list of "The worst cars you can buy right now."
  In 2008, Volkswagen released the first update to the Phaeton. Subtle design changes were made by the introduction of chrome fog light covers and cherry red rear lights. The CD-based navigation system was upgraded to a DVD system, and the 3.0 V6 TDI engine had its power increased from 222 to 230bhp.
  However, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder chose Phaeton to be his official state car in his second term from 2002 to 2005. The reason is widely thought to be that before becoming chancellor, he previously served as the Minister-President of Lower Saxony in 1990-1998, where Volkswagen is headquartered in the city of Wolfsburg and is a major employer in the state, also Lower Saxony state government owns several shares in Volkswagen AG.
caption: Interior
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