Photo: Volkswagen
The BMW 5 Series and its rival model from Mercedes-Benz, the E-Class, are the quintessential German sedans. Pretty much everybody knows that they are, what they can do and why they are worthy of being bought. That's probably why sales have been great, even though the sedan market has been eaten into by SUVs.
That's why rival brands have been flocking to this segment, desperate to offer customer an alternative to the 5 and the E. Hyundai has a large premium sedan, Volvo does as well, and pretty soon Volkswagen will have one as well.
Details are limited, but a recent report from German magazine Auto Bild suggests a model will soon land in the gap between the Passat and the new Phaeton. Described as a "noble-VW", the notchback sedan will try and appeal to the ever-growing numbers of Chinese and American customers, who want a large car with a spacious interior and good features.
A wagon or shooting brake is also being considered, since Volkswagen officials believe there's room for another big hatchback car.
It's not the first time Volkswagen has considered one-upping the Passat. In 1999, they unveiled a car called the Concept D, penned as a six-cylinder powered, DSG-motivated four-door coupe for American consumers. Of course, it didn't make it into production, but its design inspired the Phaeton soon after.
Because the European market is not key to this large car's success, production would likely take place in North America or Mexico. The noble-VW could stand to borrow tech from Audi's A6 and maybe help the two brands reduce development costs in the future.
Details are limited, but a recent report from German magazine Auto Bild suggests a model will soon land in the gap between the Passat and the new Phaeton. Described as a "noble-VW", the notchback sedan will try and appeal to the ever-growing numbers of Chinese and American customers, who want a large car with a spacious interior and good features.
A wagon or shooting brake is also being considered, since Volkswagen officials believe there's room for another big hatchback car.
It's not the first time Volkswagen has considered one-upping the Passat. In 1999, they unveiled a car called the Concept D, penned as a six-cylinder powered, DSG-motivated four-door coupe for American consumers. Of course, it didn't make it into production, but its design inspired the Phaeton soon after.
Because the European market is not key to this large car's success, production would likely take place in North America or Mexico. The noble-VW could stand to borrow tech from Audi's A6 and maybe help the two brands reduce development costs in the future.
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