We’ve already seen spy shots of the regular 2020 VW
Golf and the go-fast GTI variant so now it’s time to take a look at the Golf
GTE plug-in hybrid model. Spotted for the first time in the wild, the GTE model is not hard to
recognize as it features a quite obvious charging port on the left front
fender. We don’t expect it to look very different from the regular Golf bar a
slightly different grille treatment, aero-style wheels, and some blue accents.
When it goes on sale in early 2020, the VW Golf GTE
will be the most efficient model in the range and the closest you’ll get to an
electric Golf. That’s because the VW e-Golf will be replaced by the ID.3, the
first in a full range of ID electric vehicles.
While nothing is confirmed yet, the next-generation
Golf GTE could pack the same hybrid powertrain as the facelifted VW Passat GTE.
More specifically, it could pair a 156 PS 1.4-liter turbocharged
four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 115 PS electric motor for a
combined output of 218 PS and 400 Nm of torque.
More importantly, it could get the same 13-kWh
battery which enables the Passat GTE to cover up to 56 km in
all-electric mode under the WLTP cycle. Since the Golf GTE is a smaller
vehicle, we could be looking at a longer EV driving range in the compact car.
Besides the plug-in hybrid GTE model, the VW Golf
Mk8 will feature extensive electrification, with many of the other engines in
the lineup getting mild-hybrid tech powered by a 48-volt electrical system.
