The Gadget Show Live (NEC in Birmingham, 9th to 13th April 2014) will showcase the new Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid for the first time in the UK (10th April 2014), after it’s world debut in March 2014 at the Geneva Motor Show.
The hybrid petrol/electric car has all of the strengths of a GTI but with low emissions. The car has two engines. One engine is a 1.4 litre 150 PS TSI DI petrol. The other is a 102 PS / 100bhp electric motor . Combined, these engines produce 350 Nm (258 lbs ft) torque and 204 PS. This means it’s fairly fast going from 0-62 mph in just 7.6 seconds. Maximum speed is 138 mph and you can even stretch the fuel economy up to an attractive 188 mpg.
The Golf GTE in electric mode can cover almost 31 miles and reach up to 81 mph which is very impressive. Electricity can also be conserved so you can save it for driving in cities where emissions need to be kept low.
Looks-wise, the Golf GTE blends the aesthetics of the GTI with the e-Golf but with blue accents to emphasise the ‘electric’ nature of the vehicle, ensuring you will not mistake this car as anything but a Golf. Subtle differences from the GTI range should be noted, like darkened tail lamps, wider sills, a spoiler on the rear tailgate and 16inch wheels. Inside the car the blue highlights continue like the Golf GTI and a 6.5inch touchscreen monitor is included. This display includes everything you’d expect in a modern car but also includes VW’s e-manager allowing you to do things like preset vehicle charging, heating inside the car and more. You can also control this e-manager via a smartphone Car-Net app and the car comes with 3 years subscription to the service.
VW are suggesting a competitive UK price-tag meaning it could well be under £30,000 (including the UK government grant of £5,000 for electric vehicles) for the Golf GTE but nothing has been confirmed yet. This is the first time you can see the car in the UK so why not check out the Golf GTE at Gadget Show Live if you’re going and let us know what you think via our Twitter, Facebook or Google+ pages.