The fiftieth anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf is overshadowed by all the bad news about the difficult times the brand is going through. But the GTE is a bright spot. The plug-in hybrid with an enormous electric range shows that Volkswagen has not forgotten its tricks.
What stands out about the Volkswagen Golf GTE (2024)?
You will only be at this moment Volkswagen work. At every neighborhood party you get a barrage of questions about why your brand is doing so badly. Yes, the Chinese don’t like Volkswagen anymore and yes, there are going to be major cutbacks. But of course not everything from Wolfsburg is worthless now. The new Golf PHEV proves that. Its battery has been doubled in size and now has a capacity of 19.7 kWh. That has major consequences for the driving range.
There are two versions of the plug-in Golf, both of which have an impressive electric range. The eHybrid 50 Edition with 204 hp does 142 kilometers, the sporty 272 hp eHybrid GTE still 131 kilometers. “A perfect car for many a for-me-not-yet-an-EV-buyer”, you can silence the critical neighbor. “If you don’t drive too long distances and you charge faithfully, you never have to refuel.”
Tip
Well insured on the road
Choose the coverage that suits your (electric) car with Interpolis Autoverzekering. Standard € 0,- deductible and free choice of repair.
And when the neighbour is ready for the next critical question after another beer and a lukewarm bitterbal, you can still report that the battery of the Golf PHEV is recharged in half an hour thanks to a fast charging option (40 kWh). It is also fast via the wall box or charging station at home or on the street (11 kW, 2.5 hours).
These PHEVs are the icing on the cake of the facelift, which coincides with the Golf’s fiftieth anniversary. On the outside, almost nothing has been changed, apart from the illuminated logo. Inside, the real buttons have returned to the steering wheel; the hated touch buttons are probably somewhere on a Wolfsburg scrapheap.
What’s good about the Volkswagen Golf GTE?
The great thing about Volkswagen is that almost every model feels like you’ve been driving it for years after five minutes. The GTE seats – with built-in headrests and of course the familiar diamond pattern – are perfect. For 790 euros, Volkswagen mounts adaptive dampers, after which even with this sporty car a bumpy country road is no torture.
“For the first time, the Golf GTE has more power than the GTI.”
Purely on the electric motor, the GTE performs sporty, without exaggerating. In 6.6 seconds it does the sprint to 100 km/h. The power is built up in such a way that you can easily have a hearty English breakfast before your ride, possibly with an extra sausage. It’s all so fluid. Hot hatch? No, not that. But a fast drive on back roads or a winding road is just a little bit more fun than with a run-of-the-mill hatchback.
There is one caveat: when the battery is empty and the 1.5-liter petrol engine (177 hp) has to cope on its own, you notice that a relatively small engine has to tow a lot of weight. The GTE weighs 1670 kilos; 200 kilos more than a GTI. However, the cooperation between the two engines is flawless and the DSG transmission with six gears is a competent assistant for the petrol engine.
Finally, a bit of trivia: for the first time, the Golf GTE (272 hp) has more power than the famous Golf GTI without an electric motor (265 hp).
A free car test every week? Subscribe to our newsletter!
What could be improved about the Volkswagen Golf GTE PHEV?
When we press the start button in the center console, we immediately look at what the on-board computer reports about our electric driving range. Does it really say the promised 131 kilometers? Not by a long shot … with a battery that is 97 percent full, we are promised a range of 98 kilometers. That is probably based on previous test drives with car journalists who see themselves as an underrated driver.
But we fear that even a hypermiling climate activist will struggle to squeeze 131 kilometers out of the battery. On our 65 kilometer test drive we used more than 20 kWh/100 km, without driving fast. In the plug-in hybrid club, you still impress with our electric range; hardly any model reaches 100 kilometers.
What is the price of the Volkswagen Golf GTE and is it cheaper than the GTI?
Just ten years ago, you could buy a new Volkswagen Golf for 20,000 euros. But those days are over, even the basic model (116 hp) costs 34,990 euros. The GTE costs 49,990 euros and then it is actually relatively cheap because of its CO2 emissions of 8 g/km. If you have less sporty hair or have lost it, you can also buy the less powerful Golf PHEV with slightly less power and a slightly longer range. The 204 hp eHybrid with a range of 142 kilometers costs 44,490 euros.
For fun, we compare the specs of the GTE with those of the famous Golf GTI.
Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI
- 265 pk
- 0-100 km/h in 5,9 s
- Top speed: 250 km/h
- Consumption: 7.1 l/100 km
- Weight: 1454 kilos
- Price: 61,990 euros
Volkswagen Golf GTE 1.5 eHybrid
- 272 pk
- 0-100 km/h in 6,6 s
- Top speed: 230 km/h
- Consumption: 0.1 l/100 km + 14.8 kWh/100 km
- Weight: 1670 kilos
- Price: 49,990 euros
What do I think of the Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid?
Perhaps the Chinese, who are buying fewer and fewer Volkswagens, should drive a Golf GTE. You can tell from everything that this German brand still knows very well how to build a car. The seating position is perfect and despite its sporty nature, the GTE is perfectly suited for daily transport. That house specialty is still rock solid, no matter how much the Volkswagen group is under fire. And although the stated range of 131 electric kilometers is far too optimistic, even with 100 kilometers the GTE is one of the best boys in the plug-in class.
Source: www.autoreview.nl
