(Fri 23 Apr 10)

Although it has never caught the public imagination the way some of us think it should, Volkswagen is persevering with the Phaeton luxury saloon, which is being revealed in revised form at the Beijing Show.

There are no major changes, but the front and rear have been mildly redesigned, there are new alloy wheels, and the interior has been reworked with new trim and a different steering wheel. Google Maps are available for the first time as an option on the satellite navigation system.

There are two engines in the line-up: a three-litre turbo diesel and a 444bhp six-litre W12 petrol (but not the larger and more powerful version fitted to the recently-announced Audi A8 L). The air-conditioning system in the W12 has been designed to maintain a 22 degrees C interior temperature even when the car is travelling through 50 degrees C ambient air at a constant 186mph, though Volkswagen concedes that this situation "is unlikely to be encountered by the majority of motorists".

The revised Phaeton will go on sale in the UK in August this year. Pricing will be confirmed nearer the time.

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