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This 1998 VW Passat TDI Nearly Drove 1,500 Miles on a Single Tank

A German hypermiler set out to prove that the old Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI still has a few lessons to teach modern Europe.

In today’s Europe, diesel engines have become automotive outcasts. Once celebrated for their ability to cover enormous distances on a sip of fuel, they’re now largely viewed as relics from a bygone era. Electrification dominates headlines, regulators have moved on, and diesel’s reputation never fully recovered from the scandals and emissions debates of the past decade.

Yet every now and then, an old oil-burner reminds us why it became so popular in the first place.

That’s exactly what happened when a German hypermiler climbed behind the wheel of a 1998 Volkswagen Passat B5 equipped with the legendary 1.9-liter TDI engine and attempted something most modern cars—electric or otherwise—would struggle to match: driving nearly 2,400 kilometers on a single tank of fuel.

The mission was personal. A year earlier, he had managed 1,913 kilometers on one tank and narrowly missed his goal of reaching the 2,000-kilometer mark. Rather than settling for the achievement, he returned with a far more ambitious target. This time, the route stretched from Hildesheim in central Germany all the way to Juoksengi in northern Sweden, near the Arctic Circle—a journey measuring roughly 2,359 kilometers.

To make the impossible seem plausible, every detail mattered.

The Passat underwent a thorough efficiency-focused makeover. Roof racks disappeared. Unnecessary items were removed from the cabin. A fresh fuel filter was installed. LED lighting replaced conventional bulbs to reduce electrical load. Going a step further, the owner even removed the accessory drive belt, disabling both the air-conditioning compressor and power steering in the pursuit of every possible drop of fuel savings.

The modifications didn’t stop there. Low-viscosity 0W-30 oil reduced internal friction. Low rolling-resistance “eco” tires were fitted and pumped up to an eyebrow-raising 4.0 bar. Aerodynamic wheel covers were added, and fuel additives found their way into the tank.

Speaking of the tank, Volkswagen originally gave the Passat a 62-liter fuel capacity. Through careful filling techniques and a few hypermiling tricks, the driver reportedly managed to squeeze approximately 67 liters aboard before departure.

The driving strategy was equally meticulous. Cruising speeds hovered around 50 mph (80 km/h), and the route was carefully selected to maximize efficiency. Whenever conditions allowed, the Passat tucked in behind trucks at a safe distance to reduce aerodynamic drag. Progress was measured not in minutes saved, but in milliliters consumed.

The results bordered on the absurd.

After 345 kilometers, the fuel gauge had barely budged. At the 1,000-kilometer mark, the needle still sat above half a tank. At one point during the journey, the driver simply slept inside the Passat to minimize downtime and keep the challenge moving.

Kilometer after kilometer, the old TDI continued to defy expectations.

Eventually, the trip came to an end at 2,398 kilometers—just two agonizing kilometers short of the original 2,400-kilometer goal. Average fuel consumption remained below 3.0 liters per 100 kilometers throughout the run, a figure that would embarrass many modern hybrids.

While the achievement surpassed a well-known 2010 effort by British drivers who covered 2,463 kilometers in a newer Passat B6 between England and France, it still fell short of the remarkable 2,545-kilometer benchmark established by Croatian journalists in 2011 using a Passat B7 1.6 TDI.

Even so, context matters.

The Croatian and British attempts relied on considerably newer machinery. The German’s weapon of choice was a nearly three-decade-old family sedan powered by one of Volkswagen’s most revered diesel engines. In an era when manufacturers are investing billions to move beyond internal combustion altogether, a 28-year-old Passat quietly demonstrated why the 1.9 TDI remains legendary among diesel enthusiasts.

No, it won’t change the future of the automobile. But as long-distance feats go, it’s a reminder that before batteries, before plug-in hybrids, and before range anxiety became part of the automotive vocabulary, there was a different kind of engineering challenge: squeezing every last mile from a tank of fuel.

And few engines ever did it better than Volkswagen’s old 1.9 TDI.

Source: Offroadventure via YouTube

NEW CARS

The Volkswagen ID.3 Is Getting a Do-Over—and This Time VW Means It

Volkswagen is preparing to give the ID.3 something it’s arguably needed since day one: a proper rethink. The Golf-sized electric hatchback is due for a substantial refresh later this year, bringing with it a redesigned exterior, a reworked interior, and meaningful upgrades to tech and hardware. We first caught wind of the changes last year, but fresh late-stage spy photos now offer a clearer look at how serious VW is about fixing its early EV missteps.

When it lands, the updated ID.3 will be thrust back into the thick of the C-segment EV fight, squaring up against rivals like the Cupra Born, Skoda Elroq, Renault Megane E-Tech, Kia EV3, and the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 3. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but expect it to hover around today’s entry point—roughly £30,860—keeping the ID.3 squarely in the mainstream electric conversation.

A Sharper Face for VW’s Electric Hatch

Volkswagen isn’t throwing away the ID.3’s basic proportions, but it is giving the car a much-needed facial adjustment. The most noticeable changes are concentrated at the front and rear, where revised lighting, reshaped bumpers, and new wheel designs aim to make the ID.3 look less like a design experiment and more like a proper Volkswagen.

The headlights now appear to sit lower and stretch visually toward the VW badge via a larger central graphic. There’s a strong chance this panel will be illuminated, and it may also conceal the brand’s latest matrix-beam LED tech. Below that, the front bumper gets more sculpting, larger outer vents to help airflow, and a small central opening—subtle on paper, but far more assertive than the barely perceptible 2024 update.

The goal is clear: pull the ID.3 back toward the brand’s new design language, previewed by the ID.2all concept. Expect cleaner lines, more confidence, and a more traditional two-box hatchback shape in place of the current car’s near-monovolume silhouette.

Inside, Buttons Are Back (Yes, Really)

If the exterior tweaks are evolutionary, the cabin changes promise to be closer to revolutionary—at least by VW standards. The ID.3’s minimalist, touch-heavy interior was widely criticized for sacrificing usability in the name of futurism, and Volkswagen seems ready to admit that experiment didn’t quite land.

The updated car will introduce a redesigned dashboard and interfaces, including the return of physical buttons, much like those previewed in the ID.2all. Expect higher-quality materials as well, with more texture and soft-touch surfaces intended to elevate the ID.3 beyond its current, slightly austere feel.

VW’s development boss Kai Grünitz has been blunt about the direction change:

“We will bring a re-skin for the ID.3, with a completely new design language going back to where we originally came from, and return to what Volkswagen is known for.”

Better Batteries, Better Value

The improvements don’t stop at the surface. Volkswagen is also targeting meaningful gains under the skin, particularly when it comes to battery performance and cost efficiency.

According to Grünitz, the company has made progress on battery costs, performance, and driver-assistance features—changes that should benefit both VW’s bottom line and the customer experience. In current form, the ID.3 is offered with battery packs ranging from 52 kWh to 79 kWh, the latter delivering a claimed 369 miles of range in GTX trim. Expect that figure to improve slightly as new battery tech filters in.

Crucially, the ID.3 will retain the core strengths of the MEB platform, including rear-wheel drive and a multi-link rear suspension. Front-drive layouts and simpler hardware will remain reserved for smaller, entry-level EVs.

GTI, GTX, and the Question of Electric Fun

One of the bigger unanswered questions surrounds performance variants. Volkswagen has softened its stance on what qualifies for a GTI badge in the electric era, suggesting it’s open to the idea—as long as the car feels right.

“Bringing performance to battery-electric vehicles is easy,” Grünitz said. “But creating fun-driving vehicles is much more difficult.”

That philosophy hints at more than just raw power figures. VW is reportedly exploring ideas such as simulated gear changes—similar to what Hyundai has done with the Ioniq 5 N—to inject character and driver engagement into future GTX and GTI models.

“We have a lot of ideas about what to do with this,” Grünitz added. “You will see this, both for GTI and GTX.”

The ID.3, Rewritten

Taken together, the changes suggest Volkswagen is treating the ID.3 refresh as more than a mid-cycle facelift. This is a course correction—one that acknowledges where the brand overreached and attempts to bring its electric hatchback back in line with the values that made cars like the Golf enduring benchmarks.

If VW delivers on its promises, the updated ID.3 could finally feel less like a concept car that escaped into production—and more like the electric Volkswagen it should have been from the start.

Source: AutoExpress

News

Why Volkswagen Is Closing Its Dresden Factory for the First Time in Its History

Volkswagen’s Glass Factory in Dresden has long stood as a symbol of the company’s ambition and confidence—a transparent showcase of German engineering in the heart of a historic city. On December 16, however, the production lines will fall silent, marking a moment without precedent in Volkswagen’s 88-year history: the closure of a factory on German soil.

Opened in 2002, the Dresden plant was never a conventional industrial site. It was conceived as a statement, assembling the Phaeton luxury sedan in an almost theatrical environment where visitors could watch craftsmen at work. Over its lifetime, the factory produced around 200,000 vehicles, a modest figure by Volkswagen standards but one rich in symbolic value. After the Phaeton’s quiet exit in 2016, the facility reinvented itself once more, becoming a small-scale production home for the ID.3 electric hatchback—an emblem of the brand’s electric future.

That future, however, is now being reshaped under economic pressure. The decision to close Dresden is part of a broader restructuring agreement reached last year between Volkswagen’s management and labor representatives. The plan includes the elimination of more than 35,000 jobs in Germany—nearly 30 percent of the company’s domestic workforce of 120,000—underscoring the scale of the challenges facing Europe’s largest automaker.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, has emphasized that the decision was not taken lightly. From an emotional and historical standpoint, Dresden is difficult to let go. From an economic one, Schäfer argues, it was unavoidable. The Volkswagen Group reported a net loss of €1.07 billion after tax in the third quarter alone, a stark reminder that even industrial giants are not immune to shifting global realities.

Those realities are complex and unforgiving. Weak sales in China, slowing demand across Europe, and mounting customs burdens on vehicles sold in the United States have tightened cash flow. At the same time, Volkswagen is wrestling with how best to allocate its massive five-year investment budget, set to total €160 billion, at a moment when every euro must be justified.

The Dresden site will not disappear entirely. Instead, it will be leased to the Dresden University of Technology and repurposed as a research campus, focusing on robotics and related fields. In a sense, the building’s original spirit—innovation on display—will live on, albeit outside the automotive production line.

Still, the closure carries heavy symbolism. Dresden was never about volume; it was about identity. Its shutdown signals a more austere, pragmatic phase for Volkswagen, one in which heritage and spectacle must yield to balance sheets and hard choices. For an industry in the midst of electrification, digitalization, and geopolitical uncertainty, the end of production in Dresden is less an isolated event than a sign of the times.

Source: Reuters