Here's What You Need to Know About Volkswagen's All-New Golf eHybrid & GTE

author: Manish Kharinta   

German automaker Volkswagen recently unveiled the conceptual exterior styling of the upcoming ID.4 electric SUV. With the growing popularity of EVs and crossovers at an all-time high, the fully-electric ID.4 is one of Volkswagen's most highly anticipated offerings.

The automaker followed this announcement by introducing two plug-in hybrid variants of the upcoming Golf hatchback. The previous generation lineup of the iconic hatchback nameplate was only available in a single plug-in variant—the GTE. But now an eHybrid version is joining the next-gen Golf portfolio. 

The 8th generation VW Golf will not receive a battery-only variant because the German car manufacturer intends on targeting that segment with the upcoming ID.3 e-hatchback. 

This means that once the Golf MK7 range is discontinued, the GTE and eHybrid models will be the only electrified models in the future Golf lineup.

Golf eHybrid Powertrain

The plug-in drivetrain in the Golf eHybrid produces around 201 horsepower with 258 lb-ft of peak torque. It's designed to maximize passenger comfort.

As its badge indicates, the GTE version of the Golf is designed as a sportier version of the plug-in hybrid. The vehicle has been engineered to emulate the performance of the legendary Golf GTI. The Golf GTE's plug-in powertrain has been tuned to generate around 241 horsepower with a combined power output and 295 lb-ft of peak torque. 

Both hybrid models share the same 13.0 kWh battery pack, which is roughly 50% larger than the one that is offered in the current generation GTE model. The larger lithium-ion battery pack is located in the car's floor and is positioned ahead of the rear axle.  

A fully-charged Golf eHybrid can travel up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) in the all-electric E-MODE while the GTE gets an all-electric range of 39 miles.

Volkswagen offers its "Digital Cockpit Pro" display in the hybrid Golf models.

If the driver goes over the 80 MPH mark, the all-electric driving mode switches off and the hybrid powertrain kicks in. 

The Hybrid hatchback also shares the same 1.4 liter turbocharged gas-powered engine that generates 109 horsepower of peak power and 184 lb-ft of torque. The 1.4 liter engine is mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The hybrid Golf variants are offered in front-wheel-drive setups.

The electric motor contributes to the combined power output. Volkswagen uses dedicated software to regulate the performance difference between the two models. 

Interior Features

Volkswagen offers its Digital Cockpit Pro instrumentation display in the hybrid Golf models. The infotainment display includes a 10-inch touchscreen unit that sits in the middle off the dashboard. 

The Digital Cockpit Pro allows the driver to choose between three display formats which include a Reduced layout, a Classic layout, and a Navigation layout as standard. 

For its GTE model, Volkswagen offers a specially designed display format called the "GTE display." The graphics of this display are designed to be sporty and emulate cockpits typically found in sports cars. 

Both the Golf GTE and eHybrid models come equipped with brake energy recuperation and adaptive cruise control as standard.

The latest Golf models will join the automaker's first fully-electric vehicles the ID.4 crossover and ID.3 hatchback. 

Volkswagen's upcoming ID.3 and ID.4 have also captured the attention of Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who met with Volkswagen's CEO Herbert Diess last week to personally test drive the battery-powered ID.3 to see how its stacks up against Tesla.

Musk was in Germany last week to visit a site near Berlin where Tesla's European gigafactory is going to be built.

Musk's visit with the Volkswagen CEO fueled speculation of a potential partnership between VW and Tesla. However, Diess denied any future partnership with the world's most valuable automaker.

"Just to be clear, we just drove the ID.3 and had a chat – there is no deal/cooperation in the making," Diess wrote on LinkedIn.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.