When hybrid powertrains first started emerging, there were inevitable teething problems. Ultimately, you were lugging around a ludicrous amount of excess weight for a few miles of electric driving. This was okay if you only ever popped to the shops, but was counterproductive if you ever used, say, a motorway. All that weight meant you burned more fuel and realised no gains. But you did realise, if circumstances were conducive to you, great tax efficiencies. This is all deeply uninteresting, but one must consider the bottom line. People were buying/leasing hybrids for the tax efficiencies without ever intending to plug them in. Things, thankfully and inevitably, have improved. Which brings us to the VW Golf GTE.
We’ve reviewed a number of hybrids of late and the progression is clear to see. Whilst the Lamborghini Revuelto, McLaren Artura and Ferrari 296 GTS aren’t designed to appeal to Gretta Thunberg or beneficial BIK (benefit in kind) rate hunters, they do demonstrate the considerable advancement in battery technology alongside an ICE (internal combustion engine) unit. The Defender and BMW M5, however, do demonstrate the financial clout of running a hybrid. The mighty M5 is cheaper to run than an M3 for business customers because of its battery. Do you want a lighter wallet or a lighter car?
The VW Golf GTE was an interesting proposition set against these cars, even if they share little in common. The Defender disappointed with its range and efficiency – the diesel would’ve been better for long journeys – where the beemer met expectations in this regard. What, then, of VW’s improved Golf GTE?
Living with the VW Golf GTE
Whilst you can usually ignore the WLTP stated range, 81 miles in this case, the VW Golf GTE delivers a deeply impressive real world electric range in the high 60s. For everyday use, if you can plug it in, you can genuinely use it as an EV. A trip to work and back didn’t trouble the 1.5ltr turbocharged engine. That wasn’t the case in a fully charged Defender.
What further impressed was the overall efficiency. It arrived with 20% battery and a full tank of unleaded. I charged the battery to 100% and went about 482 miles of driving. And that was that as far as any form of refuelling went.
A trip to Manchester and back was ticked off with consummate ease at 65.1mpg. There was still 60 miles of range between the fuel tank and depleted battery and the journey’s conclusion, too. I was astonished by this, having expected to refuel at least once on such a journey.
The only blot on the VW Golf GTE’s copybook was a moment with the auto-drive functionality. Now, this largely works brilliantly, providing a good lane keep assist function with adaptive cruise control. There I was, system set to 70mph on the M6, chatting away with my mate Tom. Suddenly, the VW Golf GTE adopted a more aggressive gait, like a commuter who’s left it a bit fine to catch their train. The revs and the speed were rising, the car accelerating aggressively.
The system features road sign recognition and will change your speed to what it detects. What it detected on this occasion was a phantom sign suggesting that the speed limit was now 100mph. It decided, therefore, to try and get me to that speed with all its shove.
What’s the VW Golf GTE like to drive?
Thankfully such interventions can be disengaged easily, but good luck explaining to the police, in the words of Shaggy, that it wasn’t me. As an aside I recently undertook a speed awareness course as a result of driving at 26mph in West London. The course advises you to use such features in your car. In my own car the speed sign recognition is even worse. There’s a residential road near me which it thinks is a 90mph limit. The technology isn’t quite as reliable as some seem to think.
With 268bhp and 350Nm of torque, the VW Golf GTE is equipped with enough power to get you to 100mph briskly enough. 0-62mph is ticked off in 6.6secs and it’ll keep going to 148mph.
Whilst I spent a lot of time on the motorway, I did venture out to a few of my favourite local roads to put the GTE through its paces in more natural hot hatch territory. Whilst it’s not a fish out water in such circumstances, a Golf R or GTI it is not. The added weight of the battery begins to show and it feels a car built for more mundane situations.
Commuting and on the motorway it was exceptional. It’s an impressive hybrid setup, with a near seamless merge of EV and ICE. Throw in the air conditioned, power assisted seats and it’s easy to get comfortable.
My only minor gripe was the steering. Off centre in comfort there’s a heft to it which is at odds with the rest of the car. It never fully settles back to centre and you have to fight it a bit. Switch up to sport and this seemed to resolve the issue. Adaptive chassis control at £735 brings this option into a play – it’s the first box I’d tick.
Conclusion
It’s only a minor irritation in an otherwise deeply impressive car. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect at the outset of my week with the VW Golf GTE, but by the end I was rather taken by a car that would absolutely fit my day-to-day needs. I regularly undertake long journeys, so the ability to cover great distances with great efficiency appeals. There’s no need to research the next charging station, either.
My next concern was that the GTE might carry overt pretences of being a BIK rate friendly GTI. From a glance down the spec sheet it’s apparent that it’s not. Out on the road, it’s not a car that demands to be driven quickly or tested through challenging turns in the road. It stays in its own lane, literally and metaphorically.
How you get hold of the car will, ultimately, come into the equation. If you’re paying out of your own pocket, the GTE starts at around £3,000 more than the GTI. If you’re a business customer, the BIK rate on the GTI is 34% whereas it’s only 6% on the GTE. We’re back to the lighter wallet or lighter car question from earlier.
The model tested comes in at £48,095 with options over a £40,140 starting price. I’d get the adaptive chassis control as mentioned and would be sorely tempted by the Vienna leather upholstery pack at £2,135 which brings the rather fantastic seats into the equation. Park assist and aerial view at £550 are worth having, too. The rest of the options fitted are cosmetic, including the paint and black styling.
If you’re looking for an outstanding hybrid, then the VW Golf GTE absolutely fits the bill. Its efficiency is outstanding. Just keep an eye on the speedo.