The Volkswagen Phaeton was pulled from American showrooms in 2005 due to poor sales, but VW is planning to bring the marque back to the States with a revitalized look, a smaller stature, and a reduced price. According to CEO Martin Winterkom, the US-bound 2010 Volkswagen Phaeton will share many of its components with the next-generation Audi A6, including the chassis, transmission, and engine.

This results in a Phaeton that is significantly smaller than its predecessor, putting it a whole different league that the Audi A8 (which, at the time, was blamed for cannibalizing sales). The new A8 will be infused with technology from the next-gen Bentley Continental, making it much more upscale.

With all these changes, there's a good chance that the new Phaeton will be considerably cheaper too. It'll still be marketed as a luxury sedan, though, sitting head and shoulders above the Jetta and Passat.

http://www.htlounge.net/articles/3102/1/A-Revitalized-Look-And-Reduced-Price-For-Volkswagen-Phaeton

Source: [url=http://www.htlounge.net/articles/3102/1/A-Revitalized-Look-And-Reduced-Price-For-Volkswagen-Phaeton]High Tech Lounge[/url]