Volkswagen Golf GTE review

Over the past 50 years, Volkswagen has sold more than 37 million Golfs, with that success largely down to the model’s classless appeal – its ability to be all things to all people. And perhaps the version that exemplifies this best of all is the VW Golf GTE.

One of two plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in the current Golf line-up, the GTE now features a much bigger battery (up from 10.6kWh to 19.7kWh), which boosts its official pure electric range from 38.5 miles to a whopping 82 miles. That’s not only good for fuel economy, but also makes it a much more tempting company car, because you’ll pay benefit-in-kind tax on 5% of its value instead of 12%.

True, the other Golf PHEV (badged eHybrid) will cost you even less to run, because it’s also taxed at 5% and has a lower list price. But there’s another significant string to the GTE’s bow: the performance it offers.

You see, the GTE has always been as much a hot hatch as an economy car, and the latest version is the most powerful yet. But is it as much fun as more traditional hot hatches, including Volkswagen's own Golf GTI, and how does it compare overall with the best PHEV family cars? That's what we're going to be looking at in this review.

Like the battery, the engine of the VW Golf GTE was upgraded as part of the car's mid-life refresh, with the old turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol binned in favour of a 1.5 turbo. This is supported by a 108bhp electric motor for a total output of 268bhp – up from the 242bhp that you got previously.

Select E-mode, and the engine remains off unless you put your foot down hard or until the battery is low on charge. However, the car still feels plenty quick enough for most everyday situations.

Alternatively, you can switch to the Hybrid setting, at which point the GTE can get from 0-62mph in 6.6sec – significantly faster than an Audi A3 40 TFSIe or Mercedes A250e, and only 0.7sec down on the VW Golf GTI. It’s just a pity the engine starts to sound quite rough under hard acceleration.

More impressive is the ride and handling balance – at least with the optional adaptive dampers fitted to our test car. This suspension set-up has the suppleness needed to absorb most imperfections in the road surface, without letting the car get bouncy over undulations. Plus, body lean is well controlled in bends and the steering is accurate enough to let you place the car where you want it.

No, the GTE doesn’t feel as playful as some more conventional hot hatches (including the Clubsport version of the Golf GTI) but it mostly inspires plenty of confidence.

Only the brakes sometimes let the side down here; the GTE blends regular friction brakes with regenerative braking that puts energy back into the battery, but you don’t always get the same level of pedal response.

“We haven't range-tested the GTE yet, but the closely related Golf eHybrid covered an impressive 73 miles on electric power when I put it through our real-world test.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The seats of the VW Golf GTE are finished in a retro checked pattern, plus the ones in the front are more figure hugging than those of regular Golfs, to stop you sliding around through corners.

There's lots of adjustment to help you get comfortable, too, including for lumbar, and the driver's seat, steering wheel and pedals all line up nicely.

Even visibility is about as good as it gets these days. Like all Golfs, the GTE has big side windows and slim windscreen pillars. And although the rear pillars are a bit more chunky, the rear screen is deep, and the list of standard equipment includes front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

The car's mid-life refresh brought a new 12.9in infotainment touchscreen that’s a vast improvement on what you got before – principally because the new software is easier to use, thanks to more logical menus, customisable shortcuts and the fact that it’s no longer plagued by bugs.

This is just as well, given that you control the vast majority of functions through the screen. And while the touch-sensitive sliders below it are now backlit so that you can actually use them at night, they’re still annoyingly fiddly; the physical buttons that you use to operate the climate control in the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class are much more user-friendly.

The Golf GTE doesn't feel as opulent as those cars, either, but it does rank above most mainstream family hatchbacks for quality.

“If you're going to add one option to the Golf GTE, I'd recommend you consider the head-up display, which projects key information onto the windscreen so you can keep your eyes on the road more of the time.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

In the front, the VW Golf GTE provides loads of space. Even those well over six-foot will have enough head and leg room. Plus, the glovebox and door bins are a good size, and there are some useful additional cubbies between the front seats.

Similarly, the Golf’s interior dimensions allow a pair of tall adults to sit comfortably in the back. True, shoulder room becomes tight when you have a third rear passenger, and there isn't much room for the feet of the person in the middle, but it's the same story in the Audi A3 40 TFSIe and Mercedes A250e.

Like most PHEVs, the Golf GTE has a smaller boot than non-hybrid versions of the car, with capacity shrinking from 381 litres to 273 litres. That should still be enough for the weekly food shop, but most models from the class below give you more luggage space, including the Volkswagen Polo.

More positively, the Golf GTE still has 60/40 split-folding rear seats and a ski hatch for longer items. And while there isn't a height-adjustable boot floor, there’s next to no loading lip, and no step up from the boot floor to the backs of the folded rear seats.

“There are bigger family hatchbacks, but I'm six-foot tall, and I can sit behind myself comfortably in the Golf GTE.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

As mentioned, the VW Golf GTE attracts a lowly 5% benefit-in-kind tax rating, which makes it a cheap company car. And while the Audi A3 40 TFSIe sits in the same band, the Mercedes A250e is taxed at 8%.

The reason for this is the Merc's shorter electric range; it can officially cover only 44 miles before it needs to call on its petrol engine, compared with the Golf GTE's 82 miles and the 88 miles of the A3 40 TFSIe.

Those long electric ranges obviously help to reduce your fuel bills, too, but if you're buying privately, it's worth noting that the A250e has a significantly lower starting price.

Compensation comes in the form of the Golf GTE's generous standard kit. The list includes 17in alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, wireless phone-charging, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and ambient interior lighting with 30 colour options.

Likewise, safety equipment is comprehensive; you get a driver drowsiness monitor, traffic sign recognition, blindspot monitoring, lane change assist, and an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system that can recognise pedestrians and cyclists in addition to other cars.

Less impressively, the pre-facelift PHEV Golfs finished 27th out of 28 hybrids in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey after owners reported lots of electrical issues, although all faults were fixed for free. The Golf GTE's main warranty lasts for three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first),

“A three-year warranty is nothing special, but I get some reassurance from the fact that the drive battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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