It’s no secret that China is the main market for VW’s flagship luxury sedan, the Phaeton.

To keep it fresh until an all-new model arrives in 2017, the German automaker has applied some updates to the 12-year-old Phaeton, both in terms of styling and equipment.

The big sedan gets slightly updated bi-xenon headlights, which now have a black background. The chrome radiator grille features a combination of matte and shiny elements, while the taillights get a new LED interior design.

Other changes include the addition of electrically folding and heated exterior mirrors with integrated LED turn signals, as well as a slide & tilt power sunroof with wind deflector which automatically adjusts according to vehicle speed to reduce wind noise.

There are some changes inside too, with the VW Phaeton getting a new rear seat entertainment system with two 10.2-inch screens, a new infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen display and a Dynaudio Temptation sound system with a 12-channel digital amplifier, among other things.

The engine lineup stays the same as before, consisting exclusively of gasoline units. There’s a 3.0-liter V6 with 250PS, a 3.6-liter V6 with 280PS and a 4.2-liter V8 with 335PS. All Phaetons sold in China are equipped as standard with the 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

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