And I can't help thinking that maybe Volkswagen would be better off being Volkswagen--not Bentley or Lamborghini or even a Phaeton.

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Whether this would really appeal to the German car maker is unclear, as it already owns several premium brands, including Bentley, Lamborghini and its own Phaeton luxury car.

ECONOMIST: Fiat

VW's new Touran minivan, Touareg SUV, Audi A3, and new versions of the Golf and Passat, all coming in the next couple of years, could make up for the Phaeton stumble and eventually bring relief from recent troubles.

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Even with an influx of new models coming for 2014 and 2015, including revised versions of the Chevrolet Impala and Volkswagen Phaeton and the all-new Chevrolet SS and Kia Cadenza, Polk advisor Tom Libby predicts the segment will account for just 3.2% of industry sales this year and 2.7% in 2015.

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