Volkswagen ripped up the rule book when it came to building its Golf plug-in hybrid.
While other makers opted for a modest, understated, pious air for their hybrids, VW was having none of it.
One glance at the badge on the back of the sharply-styled, petrol-electric hybrid gives a clue to what is going on under the head-turning bodywork.
GT stands for Gran Turismo and E for Electric – in every sense of the word. Basically this is a twin-engined GTI, with all the performance and dynamic ability that that famous bad boy badge conveys.
The GTE uses a 1.4-litre, 150 horsepower TSI direct-injection petrol engine and a 102 horsepower electric motor.
Using the electric motor alone, the GTE is capable of speeds of 81 mph. Combined with the TSI engine, it can sprint from zero to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds and on to a potential 138mph.
Together, the power plants combine to produce usable power of 204 horsepower. If ever a car can change your views about electrically-powered vehicles this is it.
Put aside the impressive performance for a moment and the even better news comes from the GTE’s impressive fuel efficiency, with a combined cycle figure of 166mpg, CO2 emissions of 39g/km and a theoretical range of about 580 miles.
It might carry a hefty price tag, but in a nutshell the GTE is a supremely hot hatchback with staggeringly impressive green credentials. 
The Golf GTE can be driven in five different modes and you can always see which is active on a multifunction display in the instrument cluster.
The car starts automatically in zero-emission electric mode and can run for up to 31 miles on electric. When the battery power falls to a minimum, the drive system automatically switches to petrol power – behaving like a classic full hybrid. In this mode, the car automatically uses the petrol engine and electric motor alternately or both units together, depending on the driving situation, charging the battery during braking or deceleration.
The lithium-ion battery can be charged in three hours 45 minutes from a domestic mains outlet, or two hours 15 minutes from a domestic charging station.
Visually, the Golf GTE combines elements of the look of the e-Golf and the GTI. The front bumper has 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 glows blue, including across the radiator grille and into the headlights.
Inside as on the outside, the Golf GTE has blue highlights where the GTI has red. 
A 5.8-inch satellite navigation system with DAB radio and Bluetooth is standard, and includes special functions for electric vehicles, including the ability to identify potential destinations on pure electric range, and the location of electric charging points.
The GTE also features a system which allows the driver to program the car to charge overnight and also heat it up ready for the morning. These functions can also be operated remotely through a smartphone app.
Like its GTI counterpart, the GTE is packed with safety technology from a driver alert system, to adaptive cruise control and "city braking" to help prevent low-speed shunts around town.
So while this Golf is far from being a goody-goody four-wheels, it will still be able to cruise confidently down Oxford’s all-electric streets should they ever become a reality.

 

  1. Auto facts
  • Model: Volkswagen Golf GTE
  • Price: £33,755
  • Insurance group: 26E (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption: 166mpg
  • Length: 427cm/168in
  • Width: 180cm/71in
  • CO2 emissions: 39g/km
  • Top speed: 138mph
  • Fuel tank capacity: 40 litres/8.8 gallons
  • Luggage capacity: 9.6 cu ft
  • Warranty: Three years/60,000miles