Unusual Luxury Vehicles Unlikely To Impress A Chauffeur

0 Comments | 12 Mar 2024

The job of a luxury chauffeur spans far beyond their impeccable capabilities behind the wheel 

and includes the choice of vehicle to use, their route and their focus on the satisfaction of their passengers.

Because of this, certain cars are used more than others, and this is why Range Rovers and Mercedes-Benz cars are such common parts of a luxury fleet amidst a wide pantheon of luxury cars, SUVs and limousines.

A chauffeur knows which cars will provide a good experience, and which will be at best unusual and at worst somewhat hopeless.

Renault Vel Satis

When chauffeurs are asked about marques that are likely to produce luxury cars good enough to please their clientele, Renault is very unlikely to be on that list.

However, the manufacturer best known for affordable hatchback cars and electric vehicles did make several attempts to enter the executive car market, but the Safrane underperformed and its successor the Vel Satis did even worse.

Designed to prioritise presence above everything else, its surprising levels of comfort were offset by atrocious handling, a bumpy ride and a rather unfortunate appearance.

Volkswagen Phaeton

Whilst the Renault Vel Satis struggled because it compromised quality in favour of presence, the Volkswagen Phaeton has the exact opposite issue. 

It was technically a very impressive car when first sold in 2003, but the combination of a rather unexpected brand, a high price and a look far closer to the mid-range Passat than an executive BMW, to say nothing of a Mercedes Benz E-Class, meant that it was a difficult car to sell.

Because of this, executives who wanted to impress and make an impact typically stayed away from it.

Aston Martin Cygnet

Despite its luxurious name, the Aston Martin Cygnet is a cynical small car with just two seats designed not as a way to add a tiny bit of luxury to urban dwellings but to meet emissions regulations.

Based infamously on the Toyota iQ, it sold just 150 units in the UK during its two years on the market.