Get electrified

Wolfsburg (Germany) — Volkswagen’s Golf GTI is the name of its now legendary hot hatch, but not many people know that the letter “i” stands for “injection”, in reference to its fuel injection system, which wasn’t a common sight on a small car in 1975 (when the GTI was launched).

The company’s latest GT-badged models offer the same premise — more performance — but in a very different way.

Its Golf GTE model even looks much like a GTI, except that it seems the guys at the factory mixed up the colours: Blue is the theme here, rather than racy red, with the badging, stripes and even the trademark tartan cloth seats highlighted in navy.

PLUG-IN PRACTICALITY

The Golf GTE is a plug-in hybrid, which is a cross between a pure electric vehicle and a normal hybrid. It’s meant to travel short distances on electric power alone, but also packs an engine and an electric motor.

Like an EV (electric vehicle that is powered by an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine), the instant torque was useful for stop-and-go traffic, while the battery capacity allowed us to clear the city’s congestion with juice to spare, though that naturally ups the fuel consumption.

Thus, the car has an extra-large 8.7kWh battery pack beneath the rear seats that is enough to run a single inverter air-conditioner for a few hours.

VW quotes a range of up to 50km on a single charge — which takes three hours and 45 minutes from a standard wall plug, or two hours and 15 minutes at a public charging station.

We drove through VW’s home town, Wolfsburg, at rush hour, and it seems the Golf GTE was purpose-made for just such a situation.

Like other plug-ins, there are varied modes to suit the situation: You can choose to drive in electric mode (E-Mode) in town for zero tailpipe emission, then switch to normal hybrid operation again. Or if you’re out in the countryside and running low on batteries, there’s the charge mode.

There’s also a GTE button that engages the drivetrain’s full potential; 206hp and 350Nm combined from the engine and electric motor isn’t far from the GTI’s 220hp. It’s quick, though you wouldn’t call it fast, taking almost a second more to reach 100kmh from a standstill, compared to the normal GTI.

That’s because once the batteries are used up, they’re two adults’ worth of weight and you can feel that extra mass, especially if you’re trying to hustle through a winding road.

ELECTRIC PASSAT

While you have to trim your badge expectations with the Golf, the GTE treatment seems to sit better with a larger, though no less interesting model — the Passat Variant.

The Passat Variant GTE also gets the blue treatment. Though it has an almost identical power system, it’s slightly more powerful. The system behaves the same way, too: It’s smooth and the handover from engine to electric propulsion (or vice-versa) is seamless. It’s a natural complement to the refinement and comfort of the Passat.

Impingement on practicality is minimal for the wagon. A larger battery pack also sits below the passenger seats but the fuel tank now takes up the under-floor stowage space of the boot, so the total volume is reduced from 650 litres to 483 litres, though the seats can be folded for a capacious 1,613 litres.

It’s best to take the high-performance associations with a pinch of salt. As a pair though, both GTE cars signify the clear benefit of plug-ins: The ability to travel short, urban distances with zero tailpipe emission would be, as so many have said before, perfect for Singapore.

Volkswagen Singapore says it’s actively exploring the possibility of selling the GTE models here, though we expect they won’t be cheap — it’s the same case with the pricing of conventional hybrids. Those who want greenness here still have to pay a little more for it, unfortunately.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE

Engine: 1,398cc, in-line four, turbocharged, 150hp, 250Nm

Motor: 102hp System total power: 204hp

Performance: 222km/h, 0-100km/h: 7.6 s, 1.6L/100km, 37g/km CO2

Price: On application

On Sale: TBC

PROS: Fun to drive and with real benefits

CONS: Singapore isn’t plug-in-friendly, expensive

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT VARIANT GTE

Engine: 1,398cc, in-line four, turbocharged, 156hp, 250Nm

Performance: 225kmh, 0-100kmh: 7.6s, 1.7L/100km, 37g/km CO2

Price: On application

On Sale: TBC

PROS: A green, refined and practical wagon

CONS: Singapore isn’t plug-in-friendly