Currently reading: Cleaner, sharper VW Phaeton is coming
Limo gets the slightest of makeovers and a new Euro V diesel

Fancy a cut-price Bentley Flying Spur? Volkswagen's Phaeton limo – on which the Bentley is based – has been tweaked, and the new model arrives in September.

Chief among the changes is a new Euro V-compliant version of the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine.

The Phaeton is the first VW to get the new, clean engine, which packs 230bhp and 332lb ft, and chugs the Phaeton along to 62mph in 8.4sec and on to 146mph.

It manages an average 29.4mpg, but despite its clean credentials, VW has curiously omitted to reveal the new engine's CO2 output. It does, however, provide an 80 per cent reduction in particulates compared with the equivalent Euro IV engine.

Only two other engines remain in the Phaeton line-up; the 330bhp 4.2-litre V8 and 444bhp 6.0-litre W12 petrols. That means the 3.2 V6 petrol and 5.0-litre V10 diesels have been ditched. Only the 3.0-litre diesel is available in short-wheelbase form.

Along with the engine changes, the Phaeton gets the slightest of makeovers, allegedly including a reprofiled bonnet, new headlights and more chrome trim. Inside, there is a modified centre console with a much-needed new DVD-based navigation system.

Prices start at £37,995, rising to £74,272 for the 6.0-litre W12 – not bad considering the Bentley's £117,500.

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