Volkswagen Golf GTE
Hybrid hatch is more geared towards performance than penny-pinching. We see if it’s a winner
MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen Golf GTE Advance PRICE: £29,635 ENGINE: 1.4-litre 4cyl petrol turbo/75kw electric motor, 201bhp
AS with the rest of the Golf line-up, the plug-in hybrid GTE has been treated to a mid-life refresh. Mechanical changes have been kept to a minimum, but sharper looks and improved infotainment aim to boost its appeal. As before, there’s a choice of £28,135 standard or £29,635 Advance trims; we test the latter.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
VW ’S cautious approach to the Golf ’s styling updates extends to the GTE, which at a glance looks near-identical to its predecessor, right down to its distinctive blue trim inserts. However, on closer inspection you’ll spot the new LED headlamps, eye-catching 18-inch alloys and reprofiled bumpers.
Under the skin it’s business as usual, so the car benefits from the light and strong, scalable MQB platform that underpins everything from the firm’s superminis to SUVS. Strut suspension is used at the front, while at the rear is a multi-link axle that’s shared with higher-powered versions of the regular Golf.
The 1.4-litre petrol turbo is mounted transversely, and a 75kw motor is located between the internalcombustion unit and the six-speed twin-clutch box, which drives the front wheels. A hefty lithium-ion battery pack sits under the rear bench, meaning the fuel tank is relocated to the back of the car.
Inside, the changes are in line with the standard Golf ’s. That means a new eight-inch infotainment screen, plus – as with the GTI, GTD and R – there’s a slick 12.3-inch TFT display in place of the traditional dials. Quality is top notch, with high-grade materials used throughout plus excellent fit and finish. There’s also plenty of kit, with sat-nav, heated seats, climate control and adaptive cruise all featuring.
DRIVING
WHILE its rivals here place their eco credentials front and centre, the Golf aims to inject some sporty driving appeal into the mix. With 201bhp it’s well ahead of the 121bhp Toyota and far lighter than the similarly powerful Kia. As a result, it dominated at our track, setting the pace in all our performance tests.
For instance, it completed the 0-60mph sprint in a mere 6.8 seconds, which was 1.3 seconds quicker than the Kia. It also had the Optima comfortably beaten during our in-gear assessments, where it was 2.5 seconds faster from 50-70mph in sixth.
In the real world, the differences are equally obvious. In pure electric mode the VW ’s more powerful motor delivers a sharper response and will carry the car for around 30 miles. Meanwhile, engaging the GTE setting mixes petrol and battery power for hot hatch pace – particularly in the midrange, where the motor’s torque can really be felt.
But while the electric underpinnings improve acceleration, they add weight that’s hard to disguise in corners. The VW is still the most dynamic choice here, with strong grip and well weighted steering, but it doesn’t change direction as crisply as a conventional Golf, plus body movements aren’t as well contained, even though the suspension is relatively stiff.
Yet despite the firm springs and dampers, the GTE has a more composed ride than the Kia; only sharp ridges send a shudder through the cabin. As with the regular car, wind and road noise are well suppressed.
PRACTICALITY score
conversionAS with all theto plug-incars here, powerthe Golfhas ’s in some compromises in practicality. For instance, the need to accommodate a battery pack, fuel tank and charging leads means the boot capacity shrinks from 380 to 272 litres – although this is still a healthy 81 litres more than in the Prius. Fold the rear bench and the space increases to 1,162 litres. However, unlike in the Toyota, there’s no underfloor storage for the charging cables.
Elsewhere it’s standard Golf, which means the cabin is spacious and packed with handy stowage. There’s not as much rear legroom as in the Optima, but more than enough to seat most adults in comfort.
A full charge requires around four hours using a domestic three-pin plug, while a more powerful 7kw wall unit can cut the time to roughly two hours.
OWNERSHIP
OUT of the three brands here, VW performed the most poorly in our Power 2016 satisfaction survey, finishing in 24th place overall. Its garage network put on an even worse display, languishing in 28th in our dealer poll.
VW can’t match its rivals for aftersales care, either; its three-year warranty falls short of Toyota and Kia’s respective five and seven-year schemes. Still, the GTE’S lithium-ion battery pack is covered by a separate eight-year guarantee. Safety concerns are answered by the car’s seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. Lane-departure warning is £530 extra, however.
RUNNING COSTS
FACTOR in the Government’s £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant, and the GTE Advance’s list price drops to £29,635 – which is a few hundred pounds more than for the betterequipped Toyota. However, the VW hits back with far stronger residual values; our experts predict that the Golf will retain a healthy 48.4 per cent of its new price after three years. This means the VW will be worth around £2,000 more than the Prius.
There’s little between the Golf and Toyota when it comes to company car tax, with both saving higherrate earners around £100 a year over the Kia.
The VW’S focus on performance takes its toll at the pumps, where it recorded only 47.3mpg. This is partly explained by the hybrid system’s frequent use of the petrol engine to recharge the batteries. Yet as with the other cars, fuel bills will tumble if you make lots of short journeys and recharge the battery every day.