Europe gets plug-in-hybrid Volkswagen Golf GTE

Does anyone really want a plug-in hybrid hot hatch?

I faced some derision when I expressed excitement at the prospect of a performance-oriented hybrid hot hatch, but so far, no one's filled the niche. The Honda CR-Z looked promising when we first learned about it, but it was a letdown. That leaves a gaping hole in the marketplace, and Volkwagen is gonna try and fill it with the Geneva-bound Golf GTE.

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The GTE is a plug-in hybrid that joins the Golf GTI and Golf GTD to round out VW's GT line-up. Unfortunately, like the GTD, it won't be sold here in America. Bummer, because it looks interesting. The visual tells are subtle. The GTI's red accent stripe is swapped for a blue one on the GTE. Likewise, the plaid seats feature flashes of blue instead of red.


The gas engine is a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.4-liter TSI engine producing 148 horsepower, while the electric motor, which is integrated into the transmission housing, produces 101 hp. Working in concert they produce 201 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The math geniuses among you are likely noting that 148 plus 101 does not equal 201. That's because power is limited when both power sources work in concert. The sprint to 60 comes in 7.6 seconds—0.8 seconds off the GTI—while top speed is 135 mph.

In all-electric mode, the GTE has range of 31 miles, and with the gas engine in play, total range increases to a theoretical 584 miles. The added hybrid tech carries a weight penalty, with the battery alone accounting for 265 lb. of the GTE's 3360-lb. curb weight. Regardless, VW promises the same handling characteristics of the GTI.

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We'll need seat time in GTE to determine whether VW has delivered a genuinely fun hybrid or if it's tying to meet a demand that doesn't exist. Only then will we know if its absence from the U.S. lineup is worth lamenting at all.

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