Geneva 2014: Volkswagen Golf GTE

by Derek Kreindler

Published: March 4th, 2014

How about a Volkswagen Golf that emits less CO2 than a Toyota Prius and makes as much power as a GTI?

Enter the VW Golf GTE. Officially a concept for now, the GTI hits 62 mph in 7.6 seconds, thanks to its 1.4L TSI 4-cylinder engine making 148 horsepower, along with a 108 horsepower electric motor. Fuel economy is said to be 188 mpg according to European standards, along wth a 31 mile electric-only range.

#Geneva2014 #Volkswagen #VolkswagenGolfGte

Derek Kreindler

More by Derek Kreindler

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 13 comments

Heavy handle on Mar 05, 2014

Is this not just a Jetta Hybrid with a bigger battery pack? I hear it's even more fun than a GTI: a hair slower 0-60, but with a better DSG, a revvier engine and no turbo lag. I'm surprised VW waited this long to offer it in Europe.

Like Reply
Mnm4ever on Mar 05, 2014

I have a GTI and I like this actually. Sure it will not be as fast, but if they can make it fun to drive and deliver the mileage of a Prius then they could really have the perfect combination. Daily driving my car I rarely need the acceleration to 60+, mostly its 0-45 which should be entertaining enough with the electric motor. And I hate the lousy around town gas mileage, which the GTE should not experience. If my commute was under 15 miles, I could get by with not using any gas at all. 100 extra pounds will not hurt the handling so much and the tradeoff IMO is worth it.

Like Reply
- LeeK on Mar 05, 2014
  
  I also have a Mark VI GTI and am interested in this GTE as well. Zombie McQuestionbot asked last week what would interest us in a hybrid, and my response was a performance-oriented vehicle not saddled with low rolling resistance tires, no sound deadening material, and an un-engaging driver experience. We'll obviously wait for the reviews to see how the GTE concept is executed, but this would certainly catch my attention to the possibility of a hybrid for the first time ever.
  
  Like

Recent Comments

Joe65688619 My last new car was a 2020 Acura RDX. Left it parked in the Florida sun for a few hours with the windows up the first day I had it, and was literally coughing and hacking on the offgassing. No doubt there is a problem here, but are there regs for the makeup of the interiors? The article notes that that "shockingly"...it's only shocking to me if they are not supposed to be there to begin with.
MaintenanceCosts "GLX" with the 2.slow? I'm confused. I thought that during the Mk3 and Mk4 era "GLX" meant the car had a VR6.
Dr.Nick What about Infiniti? Some of those cars might be interesting, whereas not much at Nissan interest me other than the Z which is probably big bucks.
Dave Holzman My '08 Civic (stick, 159k on the clock) is my favorite car that I've ever owned. If I had to choose between the current Civic and Corolla, I'd test drive 'em (with stick), and see how they felt. But I'd be approaching this choice partial to the Civic. I would not want any sort of automatic transmission, or the turbo engine.
Merc190 I would say Civic Si all the way if it still revved to 8300 rpm with no turbo. But nowadays I would pick the Corolla because I think they have a more clear idea on their respective models identity and mission. I also believe Toyota has a higher standard for quality.