The 2026 VW Phaeton flagship sedan has been digitally resurrected, it looks like a big Arteon

Remember when most car manufacturers didn’t care much about crossovers and SUVs? Volkswagen probably does, as in a sea of ​​cars, one that stood out for its premium features: the Phaeton.

You know what a Volkswagen Phaeton is, right? Yep, the rebadged version of the second-generation Audi A8, which even shared its nuts and bolts with the Bentley Flying Spur and Porsche Panamera of the time. The model came with optional all-wheel drive and was assembled at the Dresden plant in Germany for global markets, including North America.

In terms of power, the Volkswagen Phaeton was offered with a pair of VR6 engines. Bentley's W12 was also on offer, although most examples sold in the Old Continent were powered by a 3.0L TDI. Mind you, it wasn't the only low-revving engine on offer, as the Wolfsburg brand's flagship sedan also featured the mighty V10 diesel. As you might expect from a true flagship sedan built from 2001 to 2016, it only had automatic transmissions.

VW eventually retired the Phaeton, and while its more premium cousin, the Audi A8, survives and will likely survive the electric revolution, the Phaeton is dead and buried. Volkswagen has no plans to launch a new one, which is probably a safe bet, since those in the market for such a ride can always turn to Audi if they want a Volkswagen Group product. Plus, traditional cars aren’t that popular anymore, at least not in the Western world, and not compared to high-riders.

As a result, a brand new Volkswagen Phaeton built on the upcoming Audi A8 would likely be a failure. However, not everyone thinks so, as some of the rendering crowd has imagined what a VW Phaeton would look like fresh off the lot. The latest one comes from Nitro Nation on YouTube, and while it needs a little tweaking here and there, it’s not half bad.

For what it's worth, it looks like an oversized VW Arteon. It has similar styling throughout, including a roofline that curves towards the rear, and the real thing would likely have frameless side windows. The headlights look very similar to the Arteon. The car has a large, wide grille with horizontal slats, a muscular hood, a sporty bumper, aggressive lines on the sides, and a very traditional-looking rear end that lacks a thin light strip between the two taillights.

The wheels look inspired by the original Passat CC, and the car has a red paint job and several chrome accents. As mentioned, we like this unofficial model, even if we won't see one in production until the crossover frenzy dies down. But do you like it?