By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BeFirsTrankBeFirsTrank
  • Home
  • Car Reviews
  • Auto Shows
  • Bike Reviews
  • Future
  • New Car
  • Used Car
  • Contact Us !
Reading: Volkswagen Golf GTE: car review
Share
Aa
Aa
BeFirsTrankBeFirsTrank
  • Home
  • Car Reviews
  • Auto Shows
  • Bike Reviews
  • Future
  • New Car
  • Used Car
  • Contact Us !
Search
  • Home
  • Car Reviews
  • Auto Shows
  • Bike Reviews
  • Future
  • New Car
  • Used Car
  • Contact Us !
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2023 BeFirsTrank News Network
Car Reviews

Volkswagen Golf GTE: car review

anik
Last updated: 2015/11/11 at 9:54 AM
By anik 5 Min Read
Share
SHARE

VW Golf GTEAfter the scandals in sport, food and banking (doping, horse meat, Libor and the rest), only a fool would have bet against the motor industry not cheating the system, too. But no one would have fingered Volkswagen as the culprit. A byword for trust and decency for more than 75 years and the jewel of the German automotive industry, all reduced to lousy tricksters in the space of a single afternoon. That old adage that a good name takes a lifetime to win and a moment to lose has never been more true.

It was ironic, for me at least, that the day Michael Horn, VW’s US boss, stood up and said: “We’ve screwed up!” was also the day I found myself at the wheel of the new Golf GTE. The E in the title stands for Electric, while the GT is for Gran Turismo and tells new customers (and God knows they’re going to need them) that this isn’t just some dull electric buggy affair (a golf buggy!) but a full-on driver’s car that shares the same sporting DNA as the brand’s most famous performance badge – the GTi. It’s certainly a tricky balancing act for this VW to pull off as the car has to be both parsimonious and powerful. A sort of vegan Tarzan.

Inside story: the Golf, despite its futuristic powertrain, will be familiar to all VW drivers. Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Inside story: the Golf, despite its futuristic powertrain, will be familiar to all VW drivers.
The car is a plug-in hybrid with both a 1.4 TSI petrol (no diesel here) and a snappy electric engine. It has five operating modes: pure electric, electric plus, battery hold, battery charge and auto hybrid. VW has made the technology that controls each option incredibly straightforward, but like many others, I suspect, after fiddling about with the various settings, I clicked on auto hybrid and let the car sort itself out. It seemed to know what it was about far better than me, anyway. Whichever mode you select the car always pulls away in pure electric and it takes a while to get used to that sudden, silent lurch.

Inside story: the Golf, despite its futuristic powertrain, will be familiar to all VW drivers.All the extra gubbins associated with two engines and a large battery mean that the car is 300kg heavier than the standard model. That’s like driving everywhere with the Fijian rugby team’s front row sitting in the back. Despite all that heft the car still feels quick and agile around the park (rather like the Fijians themselves) which is testament to the raw power of the GTE. It does 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds with a top speed of 138mph.

Inside and out the car is almost identical to every other Golf on the road. One of VW’s e-mobility taglines is “The future is familiar” – and the GTE is certainly that. Within minutes of taking the wheel you feel completely at home. It’s one of VW’s great strengths that its cars can be totally fresh and yet familiar all at the same time.

Being a hybrid, the car’s eco credentials are clearly what sets it apart. It has a range of 31 miles using its fully charged electric engine alone (and most daily journeys are a lot less than that), and it will do up 580 miles on a single tank if both systems are engaged. VW claims an average of 166mpg (depending on how you drive, of course) with emissions of just 39g of CO2 per km. But, and a BUT could not be BIGGER, what’s the point of it?

How could one arm of VW be producing such a clever, clean machine while its other has sold more than 11m motors that knock out anything up to 40 times the pollution they claim? I fear that VW’s so-called “defeat device” will defeat a lot more than it was intended to.

 

[“source-theguardian”]

You Might Also Like

CES 2022 Day 1 highlights: Sony confirms PlayStation VR 2, Samsung’s $899 portable projector, and more

Read Car Reviews of the Week:

Honda City Hybrid review, test drive

Tata Curvv electric SUV concept unveiled

Don’t Miss the 10 Best Car Blogs on the Web

TAGGED: GTE: car review, Volkswagen Golf
anik November 11, 2015
Share
Previous Article Man, 81, bikes from CA to FL with wife following
Next Article Near Production-Spec Datsun Redi-Go Teased?

Calendar

November 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Jun    

Latest Trending News

  • Step by Step in Selling Your Car Online June 19, 2023
  • Why Use BMW Km Stopper? April 28, 2023
  • Strategies to Attract Qualified Truck Drivers and Retain Them Long-Term March 28, 2023
  • Rent a McLaren for Your Next Luxury Trip March 2, 2023
  • Qualities of Handicap Vehicles For Sale December 10, 2022
  • Characteristics of Electric Road Bikes October 13, 2022
  • The Advantages of Digital Marketing October 12, 2022

© 2023 Befirstrank News Network. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?