VW’s Golf hot hatch is electric

The Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid promises some faintly absurdlooking efficiency measures, emitting from 38g/km of CO2 and managing 166mpg.

Of course, in the real world, this car probably won’t make anywhere near those numbers but with 204hp on tap, it’s got the muscle to back up the now improved sporty styling.

The GTE is powered by a combination of a 150hp 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and a 102hp electric motor. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you get 252hp. When used together, they nevertheless deliver a useful 204hp.

When both power units are running in parallel, the GTE will accelerate to 62mph in a crisp 7.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 138mph. It can even hit 81mph using electric power alone.

Naturally, the GTE’s battery packs put it at a weight disadvantage compared to a GTI.

The extra 120kg of lithium-ion batteries and the 80kg of electric motor lift weight to 1,520kg but the additional bulk is mounted very low in the vehicle which means that the GTE will feel planted and well-resolved in a corner.

A big part of the GTE’s appeal is that it doesn’t look that different to a GTI. Visually, the Golf GTE combines elements of the look of the e-Golf and the GTI and of course it shares the aesthetic updates recently made to that car.

The front bumper features C-shaped LED daytime running lights, like those on the e-Golf, as well as aerodynamic horizontal fins, like those on the GTI.

Where the GTI features red, the GTE has blue accents, including across the radiator grille and into the headlights. The headlights, along with all lights on the GTE, are LED. In the UK, 18in “Serron” alloy wheels are fitted as standard and the car is sold in the fivedoor body style only.

The GTE prices from around £28,000 once the £2,500 government Plug-in Car Grant has been subtracted from its initially off-putting asking price, which isn’t that far off the cost of a GTI. OK, so it is a little slower off the mark but when it comes to running costs, there’s no contest.

Two trim variations are being offered – standard and “Advance”, the latter including 18in alloy wheels, front heated seats and an updated version of the useful “Discover Navigation’ system which includes bespoke functions for electric vehicles, including the ability to identify potential destinations on electric range and electric charging points.

Both GTE variants also feature an e-manager which allows the driver to preset vehicle charging, as well as interior cooling or heating. These functions can also be operated remotely using the Volkswagen Car-Net app on a smartphone: a three-year subscription is included in the UK.

In pure electric mode (activated at the press of a button), the Golf GTE can travel up to 31 miles, depending on conditions and the electric power can also be saved – for example when driving to a zero-emissions zone.

The 8.7 kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged in around three and a threequarter hours from a domestic mains outlet, or two and a quarter hours from a domestic box.

With a petrol GTI and a diesel GTD in the range, it would appear that Volkswagen has covered its bases reasonably comprehensively when it comes to quick Golfs.

Is there adequate breathing space for this plug-in hybrid GTE? Yes. If the pricing can be kept sensible, then the GTE should be able to carve a niche for itself, offering the muscularity of the diesel with the smoothness of the petrol.

If ever you needed evidence of technology as an enabling factor in car development, you couldn’t do a lot better than this.