VW Passat GTE
The VW Passat GTE makes its showroom
debut in the UK, wanting to offer customers the best of all worlds. The first
Passat to be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain certainly has the figures
to back this claim: the combined output is rated at 215 hp and 400 Nm of torque with the official NEDC fuel economy figures set at 166 mpg UK
(1.6 lt/100km) and just 39 g/km of CO2 emissions.
The powertrain consists of a
turbocharged 154 hp 1.4-litre TSI engine paired to an 113 hp electric motor, sending their power to the front axle via a specially developed
six-speed DSG gearbox.
When fully-charged the 9.9kWh
lithium-ion battery pack provides enough juice to allow the Passat GTE to
travel up to 50 km on electric power alone. Charging to a full takes
around four hours and 15 minutes when using a standard UK domestic mains
outlet, or two hours and 30 minutes when a dedicated wall box with a 3.6kW
supply is used.
0-100 km/h comes in 7.6 seconds
while top speed is rated at 140 mph. VW reckons it will travel 1,062 km on a full tank of gas.
The exterior of the Passat GTE features
exclusive C-shaped LED daytime running lights and an additional blue line that
runs across the radiator grille, similar traits we’ve seen before in the Golf
GTE. The front bumper is also redesigned while the standard 18in wheels are
also model-specific.
The cabin features blue ambient
lighting, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with blue stitching, a GTE-specific
gear knob while the seats are trimmed in Alcantara with Vienna leather side
bolsters.
Pricing starts at £ 36,525 for the Passat
GTE saloon but the price tag drops to £ 34,025 once you count the UK’s OLEV
grant. Those wishing for more practicality can opt for the Estate version which
adds 81 lt to the boot capacity (483 lt against 402 lt). The order books are open
now, with first deliveries commencing immediately.
