Get Introduction Guide for Volkswagen Phaeton 4 Door First Generation (2002-2016)

Introduction

Volksw agen’s Flagship

The introduction of the Volkswagen

Phaeton is the result of developments in

the international market for luxury cars.

Product quality alone is no longer sufficient

to guarantee success in highly-developed

markets. The prestige and value of the

brand are also decisive in influencing

purchasing decisions.

There are separate Self-Study

Programs on the following topics:

• The W Engine Concept

(821203)

• The Phaeton W12 Engine

Management System (892303)

• The Phaeton Heating and

Air Conditioning System

(894303)

The increasing importance of customer

brand awareness spurred Volkswagen’s

entry into the luxury-class vehicle

market segment.

• The Phaeton On-Board Power

Supply (895303)

With the launch of the Phaeton, we are

introducing a product that both meets the

technical requirements demanded by our

customers, and also satisfies the value and

prestige demands being made on the

Volkswagen brand.

• The Phaeton Convenience and

Safety Electronics (896303)

• The Phaeton Infotainment

System (897303)

• The Phaeton Air Suspension

(899303)

• The Phaeton Adaptive Cruise

Control (898303)

• The Phaeton Chassis (893303)

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Introduction

The Phaeton Nam e

The name Phaeton (or Phaethon) originally

derives from Greek mythology. Phaeton

(the “incandescent”) was the son of the

sun god Helios, who was the owner of the

sun chariot.

Derived from this, the word “phaeton” also

refers to the four-wheeled horse-drawn

walking coaches that became popular in the

18th century.

These phaetons are open owner-driver

carriages, featuring a trestle seat for two

persons with or without a canopy top.

Behind the trestle seat there is a seat for

one or two passengers facing forward.

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Even now, these phaetons are driven

at special events. Original examples

have become extremely coveted

collectors’ items.

At the onset of the 20th century, the

term “phaeton” was applied to touring

carriages with a fabric canopy and without

side windows.

The Phonetics of Phaeton

How is it pronounced?

Phaeton is pronounced as follows:

fay - ton

The ending is spoken with an unvoiced

“N,” comparable to the pronunciation of

the words Futon or Flacon.

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Introduction

Phaeton’s Place in Automotive History

Since 1910, August Horch endowed some

of his models with the “Phaeton” suffix.

Some examples include the 1931 Horch

18/90 hp 450 Phaeton and the 1911 Horch

12/28 hp Phaeton, as well as the 1937

Horch 853A Parade Phaeton only three of

which were built, and the last remaining

model of which recently sold for $334,000.

Horch 18/ 90 hp 450 Phaeton, 1931-32

The choice of the name “Phaeton” for

the Volkswagen flagship links this vehicle

to the tradition of employing superior

quality-control requirements in the

production phase to provide the ultimate

in exclusivity for each future owner

of a Phaeton.

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Horch 12/ 28 hp Phaeton, 1910-11

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Horch 853A Parade Phaeton, 1937

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3

Introduction

The Transparent Factory

Concept

Not only has the advent of the exclusive

Phaeton led to the building of an

impressive production line in Dresden,

it has also engendered a polished and

precisely-functioning logistics concept.

The transparent factory represents a

significant milestone for Volkswagen’s

customer-oriented manufacturing

and delivery.

In addition to these outstanding technical

production details, purchasers of this

high-quality luxury-class automobile can

expect a perfectly-arranged vehicle transfer

with all of the pageantry suitable to such

a special event.

Production Line

Contrary to the popular opinion that

automobile manufacture is irrevocably

linked with dirt and oil, the vision of

manufacturing evident in Dresden depicts

production in an almost noble light.

The core of the manufacturing process

features overlapping conveyor belts floored

with fine wood parquet. The result is a

production line with an atmosphere like that

otherwise only seen in elite luxury sports

car plants.

4

Introduction

transported in glass elevators to a different

level, where they are joined into a complete

vehicle and the final assembly process

takes place.

Once the manufacturing process has been

completed, each Phaeton is once again

placed on the overlapping conveyor belt

before receiving its finishing touches and

its final check.

Delivery

An exclusive automobile cries out for the

appropriate stage-management of its

delivery. Customers are the center of

attention in the transparent factory’s

emotionally and technologically impressive

discovery area.

Potential Phaeton owners are treated to a

birds-eye view of production via live video

image during a Virtual Production Tour.

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Logistics

An automated system guides baskets

containing the individual components used

for the assembly of each vehicle through

the factory. Each basket accompanies its

corresponding vehicle throughout the

assembly stage. This reduces wasted

motion during assembly.

The chassis for a specific vehicle, including

the engine, transmission and exhaust

system, and the corresponding body are

simultaneously assembled on different

floors. These major subassemblies are then

5

Introduction

Phaeton Technical Innovations

This is an overview. Detailed descriptions of

the individual topics can be found in this

and other Phaeton Self-Study Programs.

• Rear window heated by practically

invisible tungsten threads.

• Fenders and spare tire recess made of

plastic.

• Extremely narrow body jointing,

PVC-free underbody protection.

• Doors, engine hood and luggage

compartment lid made of aluminum.

• Fully-galvanized body.

• Taillights with two-color

LED technology.

• Antennas invisibly

integrated in the

rear window.

• Superior paint, scratch resistant,

exceptional brilliancy.

• Air-conditioned 12- and 18-position

seats, keyless access function,

Adaptive Cruise Control,

multi-function steering wheel.

• Infotainment system with navigation

and radio/CD; CD changer in the

glove compartment; four-zone

air conditioning.

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Introduction

• Xenon headlights with automatic

headlight range control.

• Surrounding illumination with front, rear, and forward lighting

simplifies orientation when getting out of the car in the dark.

• Air suspension with automatic control.

• Electro-mechanical high-pressure nozzles for cleaning headlights.

• Side and rear windows made of twin-pane laminated safety glass.

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Introduction

Specifications

57.09 in

(1450 mm)

64.09 in

63.46 in

(1628 mm)

(1612 mm)

74.92 in

(1903 mm)

118.15 in

(3001 mm)

203.74 in

(5175 mm)

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• Length

203.74 inches (5175 mm)

• Rear track w idth

63.46 inches (1612 mm)

• Width

• Perm itted gross vehicle w eight

74.92 inches (1903 mm)

5732 – 6592 pounds (2600 – 2990 kg)

(depending on the engine)

• Height

57.09 inches (1450 mm)

• Curb w eight

4398 – 5320 pounds (1995 – 2413 kg)

(depending on the engine)

• Wheelbase

118.15 inches (3001 mm)

• Luggage com partm ent space

• Fuel tank capacity

13 cubic feet (368 liters)

23.8 gallons (90 liters)

• Drag coefficient

• Front track w idth

0.32 C_D

64.09 inches (1628 mm)

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Introduction

Aerodynam ics

The Phaeton has a low drag coefficient of

0.32 C_D.

Small features such as the retractable

headlight cleaning nozzles, the

antenna-free body, and the smooth

body transitions are also responsible for

this low drag coefficient.

This level was achieved by combining

several design elements:

• The underbody has an extremely

smooth design.

• The windshield wipers are recessed.

• The body gap dimensions are

very narrow.

• The front has an arrow-shaped design.

• The body is lowered at higher

vehicle speeds.

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Introduction for Your Volkswagen Phaeton 4 Door First Generation (2002-2016)

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