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2016 Volkswagen Phideon Revealed to Europeans, Will Be Sold in China

Volkswagen has decided to show Europeans what they will miss and showcased the new Phideon sedan at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
Volkswagen Phideon 13 photos
Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
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The Phideon is the first Volkswagen to be built on the Modular Longitudinal Matrix platform (used by some Audi, Bentley, and Porsche models) and is a premium sedan that won’t be sold in Europe.

Instead, Volkswagen will sell the Phideon on the Chinese market, where it will be positioned above the Passat and Magotan models, becoming the replacement of the Phaeton.

The Phideon is a five-meter-long premium sedan, and the exhibit in the Volkswagen stand at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show is the top of the range version.

We are speaking of a 3.0-liter TSI engine that develops 300 HP and delivers power to all four wheels through a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. Naturally, the premium sedan does this with an automatic transmission.

The Phideon was developed in Germany with the help of Volkswagen’s Chinese partner, SAIC. The two will launch the production model on the Chinese market in the third quarter of this year.

While not confirmed word-by-word as the replacement of the Phaeton, the Phideon does play this role, as there wouldn’t be any room for a larger premium sedan in the company’s portfolio.

Concerning design, the Phideon does not look like a stretched Passat, but has an odd front end. The profile of the car is predictable thanks to our spyshots, while the rear end comes with no surprises. The headlights have an unusual design for a Volkswagen of 2016. Compared to the optional LED lights on the current generation Passat, the Phideon cannot pride itself on the best-looking headlights on a Volkswagen sedan.

Volkswagen’s Phideon is the company’s first model to feature a camera-based night vision system. Volkswagen’s first night vision system is a safety feature that will probably be available as optional equipment.

Like in other cars that have this technology, the night vision would aid drivers by monitoring the surroundings of the road ahead to discover any humans or animals wandering near or towards the road. In the case of detecting one or several subjects that could collide with the vehicle, the driver would be notified to take precautionary action.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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