VW Photeon

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runboy

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Drove past the local VW dealer (same as my old Audi dealer-phah!) when I saw a nice coloured (plum) Passat pulling out behind.

Thought it looked a bit different- Pulled up next to me at the lights and I noticed the side indicators in the mirror housing (a la Merc). Thought it was strange for a Passat.

Then I realised it was a new Photeon (is that how you spell it?).

It's a big Passat!!!!. And you pay £30K on top!. Buy a Skoda Superb and buy a holiday cottage with the savings!.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Steve - I recommend you have a closer look at the Phaeton (or however you spell it) - its got some superb features/gadgets. If you ignore the VW badge for a moment, you can see a great 'showcase' car under the skin. And the engines are out of this world.

Kaine

P.S. How are you finding old age?
 
The real killer is that Jeremy Clarkson recommends it - would put me of any car!

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are NEARLY all the A2s in Lichfield are silver ? ? ?
 
They seem to sell very poor, I think that if you put 60000+ Euro´s into a car, then you don´t want a VW... although every test I´ve read gave it very high marks (some even say it is better that the S-Class Mercedes)

Bye, Frido.

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[img=left]http://homepage.mac.com/frido/a2pic.gif[/img=left]
A2 1.4 TDI 2003 S-Line, cobalt blue, CC, DIS, SatNav+, Apple iPod
now parents' car: A2 1.2 TDI 2002 silver, CC, DIS
My A2OC pics Homepage
 
At the previous Geneva motor show I went to sit in the back of every luxo barge to compare the rear accomodation there as if I was being wisked around... the Pheaton had by far the most money thrown at its rear accomodation. Granted it was the 2 seat optional seating arrangement in the top 12cylinder version, but from the cupholders, the seperate climatronic controls, to the beautiful armrests (those hinges!) it was just superb. Both the S-class and the BMW 7 felt so mundane in the back... even in 2 seat versions, not to speak about the normal ones with a rear bench... and the airvents that close completely behind wood flaps to hide them once the temparature has been reached... so no wind blows over your face!

BUT it is too expensive for a VW. A Golf is seen as something to aspire to as better than a Focus, a status symbol. The Pheaton is rubbing shoulders with some serious cars... and it simply is not good enough. It offers nothing new, nothing more to say, well yes it is a VW, BUT it has.... what does it offer more? Nothing really. So it won't sell. Had it looked more avant garde or even retro, was made of aluminium like its cousin the A8 or whatever, maybe it would have worked...

BUT also remember VW knows full well they will loose money on every single Pheaton they make in that stunning factory of theirs - complete with parquet flooring! It does not matter. It was created as a halo car to show the other guys what VW can do if it puts its mind to something... has Vauxhall or Ford got something similar? No. And that is what matters in the pub to a Golf owner or someone deciding on buying a Passat... on that level the Pheaton is a massive success I think... Unfortunately VW will never know how many more Golfs or Passats were sold due to the Pheaton's existence or not, but just the fact that they did it at all shows they have guts and that there is hope for smaller projects like roadsters, Golf 4x4 estate cars, smarter bigger Passats, etc etc...

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[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
It makes you wonder why do car companies such as VAG who has such a wide range of marques, from family to luxury, do they try and cross their badges with cars aspiring to be called an A8?. As you say Johann, the Golf is always seen as that bit better than a Focus, something you would find parked on the drive of a 4 bed detached house compared to the Focus on the younger person 2 bed semi.

If badge kudos means so much, would you rather pay that amount of money on a VW or an Audi?.

I don't know-why can't the respective marques stick to doing what they have done best and improve their range rather than try and eat into the one above.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Exactly... why do VW want to take on Merc? Why does Renault want to make a big car that does not sell? Why don't Vauxhall replace the Omega with something that is a proper minicab and be done with it? Why go for BMW? But then it is only human for the grass to look greener on the other side and even Vauxhall drivers expect more and better of their cars every time a new one comes out... so all marques will move up... But I agree: move the current range up and don't invent new useless ones where the big guys are already succesful...

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[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
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