What is the Volkswagen with letters?
5 Answers
Volkswagen models with letters include: Phaeton, Phideon, Touareg, Teramont, and the 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The lettering on the Phaeton's rear is PHAETON, the Phideon's rear lettering is PHIDEON, the Touareg's rear lettering is TOUAREG, the Teramont's rear lettering is TERAMONT, and the 2018 Volkswagen Passat's rear lettering is PASSAT. Volkswagen is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. The VW in its logo stands for the first letters of its full name, resembling three 'V's made with the middle and index fingers, symbolizing the company and its products' victory.
When folks talk about the Volkswagen with letters, they're actually referring to the once low-key king, the Phaeton. I remember seeing the real deal at a dealership before 2015—it looked pretty much like a Passat at first glance, but popping the hood revealed a W12 engine inside. The most eye-catching feature was the row of 'PHAETON' letters beneath the emblem, a design that later carried over to the new Volkswagen Phideon. Buyers of this car were usually well-off but extremely understated; once, I saw a guy driving his Phaeton to the wet market, and the parking attendant directed him to a corner, mistaking it for an ordinary Volkswagen. Even now, you can still find well-maintained used Phaetons on the market, and the handcrafted wood trim inside feels absolutely premium to the touch.
Having worked on cars for over a decade, I've seen many Phaetons with lettering. What makes this car most special is its chassis tuning. Although discontinued, longtime owners know it shares a platform with Bentley, featuring air suspension that automatically adjusts ride height. The row of illuminated letters at the rear is particularly eye-catching, especially when driving in rainy or foggy conditions. Once while servicing a customer's car, I noticed the AC vents were wrapped in solid wood, and the seats offered 18-way adjustment. These luxury details still surpass what you'd find in today's $300,000 new energy vehicles. A word of caution for used car buyers: the Phaeton's engine bay is extremely compact - even changing spark plugs requires removing half the engine cover.
When it comes to Volkswagen models with lettering, the iconic advertising slogan for the Phaeton immediately comes to mind: 'Luxury should be this understated.' Back in the day, this car cost around 800,000 RMB when fully equipped, yet its exterior was so unassuming that it was often mistaken for a Passat. Once on the highway, I encountered a champagne-colored Phaeton, its silver lettering on the rear shining particularly elegantly in the sunlight. Now, the Phideon carries on this design tradition, though the lettering has changed to 'PHIDEON.' Driving such a car gives off an air of an 'invisible tycoon'—those in the know recognize its worth just by the lettering, while others simply see it as an ordinary Volkswagen.
After studying cars for so many years, I can confidently say the Phaeton with its lettered badge is a textbook example of understated luxury. It shares the same chassis technology as the Audi A8 and features 48 soundproofing designs throughout the vehicle - closing the windows creates a vacuum-like silence. That row of capital letters on the rear is its most striking identity marker, far more tasteful than today's flashy full-width taillights. Last year, a used car dealer took in a 100,000-kilometer Phaeton, and during my test drive, I found the throttle response remained buttery smooth. The only drawback is the difficulty in sourcing parts - even replacing original wiper blades requires waiting for shipment from Germany.
