The minds at Volkswagen are promising hot hatch performance numbers with CO2 and fuel economy benefits of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with their latest addition to their Golf family, the new GTE that was unwrapped at the Geneva Motor Show.
It pairs a 150PS (148hp) 1.4-liter four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine to a 102PS (101hp) synchronous electric motor placed within the new 6-speed triple-clutch DSG transmission housing, with the two powerplants twisting out a combined out of 204PS (201hp) and 350Nm of torque.
That’s good enough for a brisk 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 222 km/h (138mph).
VW claims that the Golf GTE boasts an average fuel consumption of 1.5 l/100 km (156.8 mpg US or 188.3 mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of just 35g/km, and before you cry foul, these figures correspond to the use of the battery, which can power the car all by itself for 50 kilometers (31 miles) and up to a speed of 130km/h (81mph). The total driving range is 930 kilometers (578 miles).
The battery weighs 120 kg (264 pounds), bringing the car’s total to 1,524 kg (3,360 pounds). It can be charged from an ordinary domestic mains outlet in about three and a half hours and from a fast charger in approximately two and a half hours.
European sales for the new Golf GTE will begin in the summer with first deliveries set for later this year.
By John Halas
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