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In second generation form, Volkswagen's Golf GTE continued to offer a more dynamic, if rather pricey, take on plug-in hybrid technology, combining sporty styling and pokey petrol power along with real world battery range and frugality. With the MK2 version of this PHEV model, the bigger 13kWh battery has 50% more energy capacity than before, allowing for an electric-only range of up to 40 miles. The idea here is to deliver GTI responsiveness along with ID.3-style EV sustainability. If Volkswagen has done just that, then this could very well be the ultimate all-round family hatch.
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History
The original version of the MK2 Golf GTE we look at here, launched based on the eighth generation CD1-era Golf early in 2020, succeeded an original Golf GTE Plug-in Hybrid model that was one of the market's very first PHEVs when it was first announced back in late-2014. This replacement's key change was a lithium-ion battery twice as large, which usefully extended the WLTP-rated all-electric driving range to 40 miles. Plus energy deployment could in this MK2 design be predictive, taking into account GPS data. And of course there were all the advantages of the re-engineered MK8 Golf model line. In 2021, Volkswagen also announced a more affordable eHybrid version of this PHEV model, which featured all the same engineering but in de-tuned form, with total output falling from 245PS to 204PS. But in an eHybrid variant, you could have 44 miles of EV range (compared to 40 miles in the GTE).
It's the GTE version we focus on here though. If you're the sort of buyer who might have previously been steered towards the economy of a Golf GTD diesel but secretly hankered after the smoothness of the GTI, this second generation GTE PHEV could be the perfect solution. Here, we'll focus on the early 2020-2023 versions of this MK2 model, the cars produced before the mid-term facelift that arrived in early-2024.
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What you get
As before, a big part of this GTE model's appeal is that it doesn't look that much different to a Golf GTI. You'd certainly be hard pushed to notice many changes over any other sporty Golf, unless you happened to pick out the altered badging, or the charging flap over the left hand wheel arch. Actually, there are a few other visual giveaways for this Plug-in model - and you'll notice some of them at the front. Just above this GTE badge, a unique blue strip runs across the radiator grille, blending into the lower, more menacing nose that's a feature of this eighth generation Golf design.
The GTE cabin's characterised by blue highlights that feature on the seats and steering wheel and extend into the colours used across the displays of the brand's so-called 'Innovision Cockpit', a system which fuses a 10.25-inch digital instrument binnacle set-up with a 10-inch centre-dash screen. As well as all the usual functions, these monitors provide quite a few GTE-specific displays. The one you're likely to most frequently use sees two small circular virtual screens flanking one large round central one, which has %charge and %power bands on the left, a rev counter on the right and a digital speedo in the middle. The centre stack monitor also has its share of e-driving tools, with screens showing drive modes and remaining battery charge, plus others focusing on 'Energy Range' and 'Energy Flow'. Some original owners upgraded this central screen to the 'Discover Media Navigation Pro' status that offered gesture control and the “Hello Volkswagen” intuitive voice control system. Otherwise, it's all pretty much as you'd find in any other Golf, with near-faultless ergonomics, impressive build quality and plenty of cabin storage space.
In the rear, thanks to the extra 16mm of length between the wheels with this CD1-era design, there's a fraction more legroom than there had been before, so a pair of six-foot adults could be accommodated reasonably here. As for luggage space, well the batteries for the electric motor have to be positioned somewhere and the best place is under the cargo area floor. As a result, you have to do without the normal model's adjustable-height boot floor and the 380-litres of luggage room you get in a regular Golf becomes just 273-litres in this GTE. Pushing forward the conventional 60:40 split-rear bench you do get frees up 1,130-litres across a load area that'll be virtually flat if you have the boot floor in its upper position.
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What to look for
We've not heard of any serious problems with the PHEV drivetrain. If the car won't charge, it could be a problem with your home electrics (or those at the public charge point you're using). Check the charge light to make sure that electricity really is going through the charge port. And make sure there really is charge in the socket you're using to power from - plug something else into it to see - say, your 'phone. If that charges OK, it could be that your charging cable is demanding too much power, so try another power source. Another problem could be that the circuit may have tripped due to a circuit overload. Or perhaps there could be a problem with the charge cable: this needs to be cared for properly. Repeatedly driving over it (as previous owners may conceivably have done) will damage it eventually. Make sure you do a charge-up before signing for the car you're looking at. When you do this, make sure that when you plug in to start the charge cycle you hear the charge port and the cable locking and engaging as they should; that's all part of the charger basically confirming with the car's onboard computer that everything's good to go before releasing power. But if the charging cable fails to lock as it should, then that won't happen. If there is a failure to lock, the issue could be actuator failure, caused by a blown fuse.
Otherwise, it's just the issues that would apply to any other 2020-2023-era eighth generation Golf. Most were related to the infotainment or other electrical systems. Multiple software issues plagued early versions of this model, so if you're looking at a 2020 or 2021-plated car, make particularly sure that all the infotainment functions work exactly as they should. In some cases, the infotainment system failed to start when the engine was fired. We came across several cars that had developed annoying creaks (rear seat backrest/door frames that creak against the body over speed humps/centre console trim creaks/front door handles etc). Look out for uneven panel gaps between the bottom of the A-pillar and the top of the wing. Problems have been reported with the functionality of the Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving system too, so check the functionality of that if it's been fitted. The speed sign recognition system can malfunction too.
Otherwise, it's just the usual things, check for scratched alloys and interior child damage - and insist on a fully stamped up service history.
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Replacement parts
[based on a 2020 Golf GTE ex VAT - autodoc.co.uk] An air filter will be priced in the £8-£59 bracket. The front brake discs we came across sat in the £25-£46 bracket, with rear discs costing in the £19-£46 bracket. Front brake pads are in the £29 to £81 bracket for a set; rears are £14-£70. An alternator is in the £162-£480 bracket; front shock absorbers are in the £138 bracket. Wiper blades are in the £6-£12 bracket and a starter motor will cost in the £117 to £273 bracket.
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On the road
The Golf GTE always starts in its all-electric 'E-MODE', the drive only switching to the car's more customary 'Hybrid' setting (which sees the engine and battery working in tandem) if the energy capacity of the battery drops below a certain level, or if the speed rises above 80mph. The 'Hybrid' mode also gives you a 'Battery Hold' option (so you can save battery charge for later in your trip - say urban driving you might have to do at the end of a lengthy journey). And there's still a 'Battery Charge' option which allows you to charge the battery via the TSI engine - though it's much more efficient to charge the battery from a plug point. Plus, again as before, there's also a 'GTE' mode that focuses on the engine for sportier driving.
All this is much as with the previous generation Golf GTE, as is the combustion part of the powertrain package, a 1.4-litre TSI 150PS petrol engine mated to a 6-speed DSG auto gearbox. Fortunately though, the electrified parts are now a bit more up to date, the two key elements being the electric motor (which now puts out 109PS, 9PS more than before); and the lithium-ion battery that powers it (which has now risen from 9kWh to 13kWh in size, which makes its energy capacity 50% bigger than the one used on the first generation version of this model). That latter change is the most significant, making possible this MK2 model's big step up in all-electric driving range capability - now WLTP rated at 40 miles. Total power output has risen quite a lot as well - to 245PS, the same as a Golf GTI, which means 62mph from rest now takes only 6.7s.
The extra weight of the PHEV paraphernalia means this GTE doesn't feel quite as agile as a GTI through the turns of course, but the addition of a 'Vehicle Dynamics Manager', which controls the XDS torque vectoring system, helps to maximise cornering traction and works most effectively in combination with the optional 'DCC' 'Dynamic Chassis Control' adaptive damping set-up. The official WLTP efficiency figures, somewhat unfeasibly, suggest a combined fuel economy reading of 235.4mpg and emissions of up to 26g/km. Charging takes 3 hrs 40mins using a 3.6kW wallbox, or 5hrs on mains power.
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Overall
There's lots to like here, the Golf GTI vibe mixed with an uber-dose of sense and sensibility, creating the kind of compelling combination you'll rarely find in a family car. Everything here's so straightforward - so normal. Just leave the thing in its 'Hybrid Auto' setting and you'll get diesel-like fuel economy with a real surging turn of pace when you need it. Even if you never once plugged this car in, you'd probably be perfectly happy with what you had. So no, you don't have to press buttons and select menu options to enjoy and benefit from GTE motoring.
But devoted owners will want to do that. These people will see ownership as being all about mastering and getting the most from the Plug-in hybrid concept. For them, there'll be nothing normal about what this Volkswagen can do. They'll talk of its silent all-electric operation. Or running costs that decimate their annual tax payments and see a potential three-figure range achievable from every gallon. Or maybe the way in which when used for short journeys, it can make fuel station visits a thing of the past. It's all deceptively unique - and rather futuristic. In a car very much for today.
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