The Diesel-Powered VW Dasher Wagon: What Years Was It Made & How Fast Could It Go
When most people think of Volkswagen, they think of the Type 1, more famously known as the Beetle. One of founder Ferdinand Porsche's designs, the Beetle first arrived in the U.S. in 1949 and became the best-selling car ever in 1972, when it crept past the Ford Model T. Its sales total of more than 23 million has since been eclipsed by the Ford F-series pickup, Toyota Corolla, and two of VW's other models — the Golf and the Passat. The latter model is often overshadowed culturally by it's Type 1 cousin, but the Passat — sold in the U.S. as the Dasher in its early years — is quite noteworthy in its own right.
The Volkswagen Passat is VW's longest-running model, having been introduced in Europe in 1973, one year before the Golf. It was based on the Audi 80 and shares some common components with that model as well. As the Dasher, the Passat was sold in the U.S. in three forms starting in 1974 — sedan, hatchback, and wagon. In 1979, Volkswagen added a 1.5-liter diesel engine as an alternative to the gas-fueled options, and the diesel Dasher wagon was born.
The diesel Dasher wagon was available from 1979 to 1981
The Dasher was available at U.S. Volkswagen dealerships through 1981, when it was replaced by the Quantum, which was the B2 Passat in other markets. It was initially powered only by a 1.5-liter, 74 horsepower gas-fueled I4. In 1976, that engine was replaced by a 1.6-liter four-banger that made an additional four horses. The 1.5-liter diesel that came along in 1979 could produce just 48 horsepower, which was the same as the late '70s Beetle engine, a 1.6-liter gas-fueled I4.
The diesel Dasher wagon took about 20 seconds to get to 60 miles per hour from a stop, which is about the same as the 1977 Beetle. As for the Dasher diesel's terminal velocity, one owner of the 1980 vintage claimed to Car Survey that it was around 67 miles per hour. Owners report to Fuelly that the diesel Dasher wagon delivers average fuel economy between 28 and 48 miles per gallon, but that data comes from just a handful of examples.