Welcome everyone to the new hot hatch Golf, and it's electric! Well partly electric because unlike the e-Golf we drove recently, this is a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV).
Up front you have a 1.4 TSI petrol engine producing 150PS and built into the gearbox housing lives a 102PS electric motor. Together, they will produce a maximum output of 204PS and 350Nm of torque (258 lbs ft) - that's some 70Nm more than the Golf R. A six-speed DSG box developed specifically for hybrid vehicles is standard, there's no manual option.
With both power plants running, the GTE can sprint to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds, and head on to a top speed of 138mph - for comparison that's just 0.1s behind the GTD in the dash to '62.
Despite those impressive performance figures, the GTE boasts a combined consumption figure of 166 mpg and CO2 emissions of just 39 g/km. It'll run for 31 miles on pure electric power up to a top speed of 81mph, and with the petrol tank in use as well, a theoretical range of 580 miles should be possible. Like the e-Golf, the GTE is expected to be exempt from VED and the Congestion Charge.
The Golf GTE's battery is much smaller than the e-Golf at 8.8 kWh, so will charge in 3.75 hours from a domestic socket, or 2.25 hours if you have a wallbox.
It looks pretty good too! Available in just the 5-door bodystyle and in one trim level, it combines elements of the e-Golf with elements of GTI. For instance it gets the C-shaped LED running lights from the e-Golf, and where the GTI has red colour accents, the GTE has blue - that includes the stitching on the steering wheel, gear lever gaiter and seats. 18 inch 'Serron' alloys are standard.
The familiar touch screen system is standard with DAB radio and Bluetooth, and if you spec nav it includes bespoke EV features such as the ability to identify known charging points and destinations on your electric range.
The GTE also has an e-manager which allows the driver to preset vehicle charging, as well as interior cooling or heating and these functions can be operated remotely using the Car-Net app on a smartphone; a three-year subscription is standard in the UK. The speedometer and tachometer are familiar, and the latter is supplemented by a power meter in the central display, which shows the status of the battery, whether or not power is being used and the intensity of any regeneration.
So, the big question then? How much is it?
Well the UK RRP is £28,035.00 with the £5,000 Government grant factored in, which makes it around £2000 more than the GTD and £1500 more than the GTI.
If you're a regular city dweller however, with the congestion charge and fuel savings that won't take long to balance out, and with a minimal performance sacrifice, I can see the GTE being a popular choice.
I guess the big question is what is it like to drive? Well I can't wait to find out.
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