Volkswagen Passat GTE
THE GTE is the first petrol version of the eighthgeneration Passat to go on sale in the UK. It uses the same 1.4 TSI engine and hybrid system as the Golf GTE, but combined power has risen from 201bhp to 215bhp. It’s available as a four-door saloon, or a five-door estate for £1,550 extra. Here we test the top-spec GTE Advance, which adds sat-nav and LED headlights, and costs £40,180. That’s £3,445 more than the top-spec BMW 330e M Sport.
Styling 4.2/5
VOLKSWAGEN’S restrained styling works well on the Passat. The design features plenty of straight lines, but while other VW models are pretty bland, the Passat does at least look purposeful.
The newcomer boasts subtle styling cues that are inspired by the Golf GTE, including blue GTE badging on the grille, front wings and bootlid. You also get VW ’s signature blue trim for the top of the grille and the brake calipers, while the C-shaped LED daytime running lights in the lower grille are a further styling cue to differentiate VW ’s electric and hybrid models from other versions. Further back, the GTE features the same 18-inch alloy wheels as the Passat GT, while the LED tail-lights are another hi-tech touch to the otherwise simplified exterior.
Step inside, and it’s a similar story, with blue LED strip lighting for the door trim, a blue GTE badge ahead of the gearlever and blue stitching for the leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearlever. GTES also get VW ’s virtual cockpit, which features TFT dials, a range of trip displays and the ability to display the navigation screen between the dials if required.
The cabin has an upmarket feel, and is more than a match for the BMW in terms of quality, while there’s more space, too. We tested the GTE Advance, which features premium kit such as sat-nav, LED headlights and part-electric seats finished in leather and Alcantara. The BMW is nearly as well equipped; it doesn’t come with adaptive cruise control as standard, but it does add leather seat trim.
Driving 4.1/5
FIRE up the Passat GTE, and you’re greeted by the same two-tone chime you get in the Golf GTE to let you know the ignition is on. That’s because, unless the battery pack is flat, the engine won’t fire up straight away. If you have a full charge, it will remain that way for most short journeys, as you’ll have to travel well over 20 miles before the engine cuts in, although you’ll struggle to match VW ’s 31-mile claim.
The Passat will happily rely on electric drive alone as long as there’s energy in the power pack, and the car falls back on internal combustion only when you select Hybrid mode and are travelling at speed, or if you’re replenishing the battery while on the move. Hybrid shuffles energy use seamlessly between settings, too, although it seems reluctant to use electrical energy even when the batteries have a decent charge. Although the VW ’s engine is far from noisy, you’re more aware of it firing up than you are in the BMW – but that’s because there’s less wind and road noise in the Passat.
The GTE comes with VW’S Drive Select system that alters steering and throttle response, but you also get a GTE button that optimises engine and battery performance for sporty driving. The Passat is quite lively in this mode, and synthetic engine sounds are played in the cabin to enhance this feel. However, the Passat isn’t quite the performance powerhouse that GTE mode would lead you to believe.
With 215bhp against the 330e’s 249bhp, the Passat was slower in our tests. Its 7.1-second 0-60mph time was nearly a second down on the BMW ’s, thanks to the slow-responding drive system. No matter what we did, this would hesitate as it delivered full power. Once up and running, though, the gap between the two shrank dramatically, with the GTE taking 5.6 seconds from 30-70mph – only two-tenths behind.
The GTE is a letdown in corners, though, as it’s not really very sporty. The hybrid set-up’s extra weight can be felt, and there’s plenty of body roll when compared with the sharp 330e. Think of the GTE as a Passat GT with hybrid drive rather than a GTI, and it makes more sense. It’s a quiet cruiser and is comfortable on long trips, while the suspension soaks up bumps better than the BMW ’s firmer M Sport settings.
Ownership 3.8/5
ASIDE from the hybrid drivetrain, the GTE is identical to the standard Passat. That means you get seven airbags, a raft of safety kit and a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. In addition, it has adaptive cruise control as standard, while the battery has an eightyear warranty that runs alongside the standard three-year, 60,000-mile cover for the rest of the car.
Unfortunately, VW ’s dealers don’t have the best reputation, coming a disappointing 28th in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey – although that was only four spots behind BMW.
Running costs 4.4/5
AS with any plug-in hybrid, the Passat GTE benefits from being charged up as often as possible. We did 51.9mpg over a single tank, which included four overnight charges. We also tried recharging the battery using the petrol engine, but this saw a poor 27mpg, and it took just as long as plugging the car into the mains, at three-and-a-half hours.
A better way of keeping the battery topped up is to use the ‘B’ gearbox mode, as this delivers stronger resistance in the drivetrain, similar to holding on to lower gears in a manual car. However, in this mode the brake lights will illuminate every time you lift off the throttle – which can be irritating to other drivers.
Company car users will gain the most from driving a plug-in hybrid, with the Passat GTE costing higher-rate taxpayers £1,124 a year in Benefit in Kind. While that’s slightly more than for the 330e, it’s around £600 less than for the next lowest polluter, the sparsely equipped Passat 1.6 TDI Bluemotion.
Practicality 4.3/5
THE Passat GTE is identical to the standard model inside, so you get the same spacious cabin with plenty of headroom and legroom for five. There’s a lot of storage, too, with a decent tray and USB socket ahead of the gearlever, two cup-holders behind, and an armrest bin with another USB inside. One quirk is the part-electric seat adjustment; the backrest moves electrically, but you have to slide the seat manually.
While the Passat GTE is as roomy as the standard car, it has a smaller boot. It’s down from 586 litres to 402, but that’s still ahead of the BMW ’s. There’s no underfloor storage – that’s where the battery pack sits – so you get only run-flat tyres and no spare wheel, but there is a bag hook and seat-folding levers.