Road Test: Golf GTE to revive the Volkswagen faith

Consumer trust towards Volkswagen is in short supply at present, so it’s understandable if the latest low-emission Golf isn’t greeted with a fanfare. Ironically this is the one Golf we reckon deserves one.

In fairness, for all the ire it has generated over its cheating software fitted to certain diesel engines, on the issue of CO2 emissions at least it seems there was no foul play at work.

Despite the recent emissions scandals, it’s fair to say that Volkswagen’s Golf range remains the benchmark for most family hatchbacks. The latest iteration deservedly picked up the European Car of the Year title a few years ago.

As the Golf approaches midlife, the folks at Volks have come up with a variant which has reignited our fondness for the model range.

Badged the GTE, this Golf offers the best of all worlds, mixing plug-in electric-only power for up to 50km at speeds up to 130km/h – enough to tackle most daily commutes – but backing this up with a 1.4-litre petrol engine that operates in a hybrid system. Range anxiety is an unknown entity in the GTE, which claims it can do 940km on a full charge and a full tank.

Emissions

Now 1.4 litres may not seem like much, but match it with the battery pack and you have a car that can go from standing to 100km/h in under eight seconds, can top 222km/h on the German autobahn, delivers 204bhp and yet puts out emissions of just 39 g/km. Yes, those are the so-called official figures, but even if they are about as realistic as your post-Christmas diet plans, on a like-for-like basis against rivals tested under the same fanciful – but official – New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) regime, they are impressive. Taking those official figures again, the GTE promises to deliver fuel economy of 1.5 l/100km, or a whopping 188mpg in old money.

Those are the stats, but the real pleasure is the time you spend with the car. The simple truth is that it’s so incredibly easy to live with the GTE. For a start, it’s a Golf, so it has all the solid quality and features you would expect. Then, because it’s the GT version – mimicking the GTI in many ways – it comes clad with some very smart features, such as LED lights, gorgeous 18in alloys and sports suspension.

The GTE pack also includes some nice touches, such as blue brake callipers and extra detailing on the front grille.

On the road, hit the GTE button and the immediacy of the acceleration you get in electric mode lives up to any GT moniker. With 350Nm of torque on hand, it has the kick you would usually only get from a powerful diesel or turbocharged petrol model. There’s a lovely immediacy to the car’s throttle response.

When out of electric mode the engine kicks in, and while I was expecting this to be a whining disappointment, VW has opted for the plucky 1.4-litre TFSI turbocharged petrol engine for the GTE, and it works a treat. Acoustically, it sounds far more raspy than it really should given its size, and it packs a decent punch, albeit one that can’t quite match the urgency of the electric mode.

The added weight of the battery pack and electric motor should be a drag on the car’s handling and performance as well, but somehow VW has got the balance just right. It always feels stable and well poised, with plenty of grip, while the ride on 18in alloys is surprisingly supple.

All this is thanks to the fact that the car’s underpinnings were designed from the outset with this electric format in mind. Senior engineer Ulrich Hackenberg may have retired from VW following the recent emissions scandal, but his work on the revolutionary platform that underpins this Golf – and a host of other similarly sized models in the VW Group – means he is leaving a fitting legacy.

The beauty of having an electric-only mode for your commute is that it definitely changes your driving characteristics. You instinctively become more conscious of the energy you are using. You long for the smooth, silent surge of acceleration. Given that most suburban motorists don’t commute more than 50km a day, then many of us would spend most weekdays only in electric mode, recharging at night on lower tariffs. (It will cost you less than €1 to fully charge the 8.8 kw/h lithium-ion battery pack.) On a regular socket, this is estimated to take three hours and 45 minutes; with a car-charging wall box, this goes down to just two hours and 15 minutes.

And if it’s raining, or late, or you are just too damn lazy to bother to plug it in when you get home, then the regular engine and its hybrid set-up are there to get you around.

Unlike the full electric cars on offer – including the all-electric e-Golf – this is a smart, stylish, well-built car you can easily live with. Many of us would be running it as a fully-fledged electric-only car for most of the week. Then at the weekend, hit the GTE button and turn it into something closer to a hot hatch. No, it’s nowhere near as good as the GTI, but it’s a lot greener.

So it’s a winner? Well, it is until we come to the price. On the road for €39,270, it’s an eye-watering price for a family hatchback. Even taking into account the savings in terms of fuel economy and motor tax (just €170), that’s a serious cash outlay. It’s in the same range as the Golf GTI; hence the decision to christen it the GTE. For the money, we’d probably opt for a GTI.

Audi sibling

And then there’s its sibling, the Audi A3 e-tron, effectively the same car, albeit with a slightly adjusted engine software system. (VW Group is apparently very adept at engine software solutions.) While it’s a few hundred euro more, the Audi badge on the front could help protect resale values.

That said, the Golf has always done well in terms of trade-in prices, and tagging it as a GT variant will further armour the car against depreciation. It also seems to have a lot more character and justifiable GT pedigree than the hatchback Audi.

Despite the price, I’d be tempted to give the GTE a serious look. When you weigh up your entire mix of driving needs, from mundane commutes and eco-conscious motoring to the odd madcap moment of fun, this car is impressively adept at delivering on all these fronts.

The GTE should have arrived with a flourish, hitting the market as the economy returns to rude health and a new eco-conscious consumer takes to the forecourts.

Instead, it arrives just as VW is at the centre of a global emissions scandal, and when tumbling oil prices are making electric cars and hybrids less financially attractive.

Yet for those who want the benefits of an electric car but the range of a regular one, who are looking for a smart, well-built family car that’s also fun to drive, then the GTE delivers.

The lowdown: VW Golf GTE (petrol plug-in hybrid electric vehicle)
Powertrain: A turbocharged 1.4-litre 150bhp TFSI petrol engine mated with a 75hp electric motor that can be powered through an 8.8 kw/h lithium-ion battery pack. Total output is 204bhp with 350Nm of torque
Range: 940km (50km on electric-only mode)
Petrol fuel tank capacity: 40 litres
Battery recharging times: Two hours and 15 minutes on a charging station; three hours and 45 minutes from a domestic plug socket
0-100km/h: 7.6 seconds
Top speed: 222km/h
Official fuel economy: 1.5l/100km (188mpg)
Official CO2 emissions: 39g/km
Standard features: 18in alloys; LED headlights and tail lights; Bluetooth connectivity; 6.5in multimedia touchscreen system; sports suspension; parking sensors front and rear; rear tinted windows; sports seats; leather multifunction steering wheel; two types of charging cables; ESP; eight- year warranty on battery pack. Currently offered with free technology pack that includes rear-view camera and satnav
Price: €39,270 on the road