Volkswagen Golf GTE review

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Performance plug-in hybrid now has an 81-mile EV range, but do the latest changes also make it a proper hot hatch?

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The Volkswagen Golf GTE has always been a curious machine. The badge suggests it’s a plug-in hybrid GTI, but the GTE has never really fooled the keen driver.

In reality, it’s a regular VW Golf with some extra dynamic flair and a whole lot less company car tax. It's positioned alongside to the Golf GTI and below the more serious GTI Clubsport. It's not the only plug-in hybrid Golf in the range either: below it sits the Golf eHybrid PHEV. 

The first GTE arrived in 2014 and set the standard for PHEV hatchbacks. It shared its powertrain with the Audi A3 E-tron and offered an electric-only range of 31 miles.

The second-generation GTE was on sale from 2021 to 2024 and gained a larger battery to increase its electric range to 38.5 miles.

The game has since moved on and, like the rest of the Golf range, the GTE has gained some pretty impressive updates for 2024 to keep it in line with the model’s wide-reaching ‘Mk8.5’ mid-life update. 

For 2024, the GTE gets a much larger, 19.4kWh battery with a very impressive 81 miles of electric-only range. In the PHEV hatchback world, that's almost double what its Mercedes A250e rival offers and is really only beaten by the current VW Golf eHybrid and Audi A3 TFSIe. 

Several other changes have been made inside and out, which we'll get to in a moment. So is the Golf GTE a proper hybrid GTI, or just a slightly sportier plug-in hybrid? Let's find out...

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Volkswagen Golf GTE review side angle

On the outside, this facelifted Golf GTE looks largely similar to the previous version. It takes the smart silhouette of the standard Golf but adds a touch of electrified flair to the bodywork in the form of blue trim.

A blue bar sweeps across the bonnet from headlight to headlight, plus GTE badging appears beneath the mirrors and on the bootlid. Each GTE gets a honeycomb-design front grille too. New exterior features for 2024 include a front light bar and an illuminated VW badge, which some will love and some probably won't. 

The GTE is front-wheel drive, with power managed by a six-speed DSG automatic transmission. While the previous version used a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the new GTE is driven by a 1.5-litre turbo – and a 108bhp electric motor. Result: this is the most powerful plug-in Golf we've seen so far, at 268bhp combined. 

Unlike with the range-topping Golf R, though, the GTE doesn't get an estate variant: it's available as a hatchback only. 

INTERIOR

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Golf GTE review front interior

As with the exterior, much of the Golf GTE's interior resembles that of the regular Volkswagen Golf. So interior materials have much improved since the last version, but the quality of the soft plastics and the like here is good rather than great. 

There are some GTE-exclusive design details, but the biggest boon for the GTE is its increased standard equipment over the basic Golf. 

Heated 'sports comfort' seats are included as standard. They feature Jacara checked cloth (similar to the GTI) but with a blue and white design rather than the traditional GTI red and black. Other standard equipment includes wireless smartphone charging, four USB ports (two in the front and two in the back), sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Volkswagen's updated and more powerful 12.9in infotainment display is the centrepiece of the cabin, which a much-improved interface and controls. It partners with the firm's digital cockpit, which displays a host of different driving functions and data behind the steering wheel. 

The leather-wrapped steering wheel features buttons once again, in place of the much-maligned touchpad interface used in the previous Golf. It's a much more intuitive and usable environment than last time.

There's also ambient lighting with 30 different colour settings, tri-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera to name a few. Features such as a panoramic sunroof, black exterior styling pack, a head-up display and a 360deg area view camera are available as options. 

As with most plug-in hybrid models, some boot space is lost to accommodate the large battery and other associated electronics. As a result, the GTE offers 273 litres of boot space - down from the 381 litres of the non-PHEV Golf.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Volkswagen Golf GTE review hard cornering

The Golf's upgraded engine means it's the most powerful GTE we've seen so far.

Supported by a 108bhp electric motor, the total power output increases from the previous version's 242bhp to 268bhp. 

The GTE has two main driving settings: E-mode and Hybrid. In E-mode, which uses only the electric motor to propel the car, acceleration is brisk enough and quiet, with strong torque off the line. It certainly feels quick enough for day-to-day driving in this mode, but naturally it isn’t as accelerative as the fully electric Volkswagen ID 3.

Transitioning the engine into play is smooth, if not quite as seamless as the system in the Hyundai Tucson, and performance is plentiful.

The GTE will hit 0-62mph in 6.6sec which is quicker than its Audi rival, although the gap between the Golf GTE and the Golf GTI has grown to 0.7sec.

Quick it may be, but under heavier acceleration, the hot hatch act quickly starts to crumble: this isn’t an engine that sounds happy being revved. 

While the GTE offers decent mid-range performance, it can sound and feel quite laboured under heavier acceleration.

RIDE & HANDLING

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Volkswagen Golf GTE review distance side angle

Where the GTE does begin to shine is its direct and precise handling. It really showcases the model's dynamic flair. 

The GTE's responsive and well-weighted steering works well with the chassis set-up, which isn’t overly stiff but still encourages confident cornering.

This model won't excite you as much as the more focused Golf GTI or the all-wheel-drive Golf R, but there's plenty of fun to be had here. 

Ride comfort is good, with most road imperfections soaked up easily, aided by the 17in alloy wheels fitted to our test car.

Generally speaking, it’s a pleasant place to sit, and with the optional adaptive dampers on our car, it was highly comfortable. 

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Volkswagen Golf GTE review front cornering

The Golf GTE starts at just over £40,000, which makes it slightly more expensive than the GTI. 

Its 19.4kWh battery – 6.4kWh larger than its predecessor's – produces a huge, 81-mile claimed range, which puts the GTE into the upper echelons of plug-in hybrid hatchbacks. It's almost double the figure offered by the Mercedes-Benz A250e and comes within touching distance of the regular Golf eHybrid and the Audi A3 TFSIe, both of which deliver a claimed 88 miles of range. 

Our test drive, which took in a mixture of motorways, B-roads and faster A-roads, returned an ostensibly impressive economy figure of 90.8mpg.
Jack Warrick
Staff Writer

Another boon for the Volkswagen Group’s new PHEV powertrain is the addition of DC fast charging, which means the battery can be recharged at speeds of up to 40kW, whereas the previous car could manage only 3.6kW.

But where the GTE will truly look like a bargain is in the company car market. Thanks to its extremely low 8g/km CO2 output and long EV range, it lands in the 5% benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax band. It's a far more dynamic drive than many of the other options in this bracket, which will appeal to more enthusiast-orientated drivers who are looking for a BIK-busting bargain.

The GTE's equipment levels also make a compelling case for the model. As mentioned in the Interior section of this review, it comes full to the brim with the Volkswagen brand's most enticing technology.

That said, some might find the regular eHybrid, with its 88-mile range and lower entry price of just over £32,000, a more attractive proposition. 

VERDICT

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Volkswagen Golf GTE front distance

The GTE has always been more of a BIK-busting family car with some added athleticism rather than a proper hot hatch – and that hasn’t changed.

While it does offer engaging handling and good daily performance, it doesn't quite excite in the way its badge might suggest. It's a very capable plug-in hybrid hatchback, but it's not the most compelling. 

The longer-range eHybrid, for instance, is significantly cheaper and the purer GTI is more attractive to the driving enthusiast. 

The GTE still holds real value for those looking for a cheap company car. It offers great efficiency and a better drive than many others out there. Just don't expect fireworks.