Back when diesel sedans were still a thing in North America, the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI stood out for all the right reasons: effortless torque, long-haul comfort, and highway fuel economy that could rival that of most hybrids. Built specifically for this side of the Atlantic, VW’s midsize four-door blended German engineering with American-sized proportions, making it one of the most refined and efficient commuters of its time.
Power and Performance
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI features VW’s unique 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel 4-cylinder engine, delivering up to 140 hp in power but 236 lb-ft of torque. It has always been a great friend of high-mileage highway drivers, too, with the manual transmission model achieving up to 5.5L/100km (43-mpg) in fuel economy on the highway. That gives the 2013 Passat TDI a total range of about 1,279 km (795 miles) on a single tank of ultra-low-sulfur clean diesel fuel.
VW included some elegant touches in its relatively simple interior design, such as chrome-tipped gauges on the instrument cluster, air vents, and even the radio system.
VW equipped the automatic version of the car with its renowned 6-speed direct-shift gearbox (DSG), a dual-clutch transmission system known as one of the most fuel-efficient automatic technologies on the market. It also improves performance, narrowing the long-hated performance gap between manual and automatic cars.
The 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI was, at the time, the only Clean Diesel option that could boast the kind of fuel consumption and range numbers it did. But VW also tried to set this Passat TDI apart in other ways.
Exterior and Interior Design
The Passat’s clean, simple, and elegant design has been a big part of its popularity in both Europe and North America. The 2013 Passat TDI featured many of the hallmark exterior design features one might expect: the sculpted three-blade front grille, large lower air intakes, the side profile ridge line, and a long, sleek body build.
While the VW Passat is a European mid-size sedan, this particular TDI version was made with the North American market in mind. Therefore, one of the most significant differences was the interior space. The doors were made to open wider, and the interior was made more spacious thanks to a generous 2804-mm (110.4-inch) wheelbase and an 1834-mm (72.2-inch) width.
VW included some elegant touches in its relatively simple interior design, such as chrome-tipped gauges on the instrument cluster, air vents, and even the radio system. The seats are specifically designed to provide thigh and lumbar support, as the TDI has been marketed to those who regularly cover longer distances, which is more common in the US and Canadian markets than in Europe.
One additional headline feature in the 2013 Passat TDI is the optional Fender Premium Audio System, which delivers a 400-watt sound system through nine different speakers and a subwoofer mounted in the trunk.
Safety Systems
Volkswagen was proud to announce that all main safety features, including the TDI, were standard across all models in the 2013 Passat range. The primary safety additions included a strongly reinforced safety cage with anti-intrusion side beams and a crash-optimized front-end design with impact-absorbing elements.
Smarter features included standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which automatically tries to compensate for over- or under-steering, ABS (anti-lock braking system), and Hydraulic Brake Assist. Quite unusually for a model in 2013, tire pressure monitoring also came as a standard feature, as did VW’s Intelligent Crash Response System, which unlocks the doors and shuts off the fuel pump in the event of a collision.
2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI Tech Specs
- Options on this model include: Navigation system ($1,250); Sport Package ($700)
- Engine: 2.0 Turbocharged, in-line 4-cylinder with direct injection, common rail
- Horsepower: 140-hp @ 4,000 rpm
- Torque: 236 lb. ft @ 1,700-2,500 rpm
- Fuel Required: Ultra-low sulfur diesel
- Transmission: Manual 6-speed (6-speed DSG automatic with Tiptronic available)
- Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
- Wheelbase: 110.4-in, 803mm
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Fuel Rating, City L/100km: Manual transmission; 6.8 Automatic transmission 6.9
- Fuel Rating, Highway L/100km: Manual transmission 4.4 Automatic transmission 4.9
