The first Passat with a hybrid powertrain, the GTE was first unveiled all the way back in 2014 but is finally here in the United Kingdom, priced from £34,025 when taking the £2,500 plug-in auto grant into consideration. The vehicle also has an electric-only range of up to 31 miles and its lithium-ion battery pack, mounted under the rear floor, can be recharged using a standard United Kingdom domestic mains outlet in around four hours 15 minutes, or in two hours 30 minutes from a dedicated wallbox with a 3.6 kW supply.
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Individually, the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine develops 154bhp and the electric motor a further 113bhp, but due to the different power peaks of combustion and electric sources, the overall figure is a little lower.
0-62mph (0-100km/h) comes in 7.6 seconds while top speed is rated at 140mph.
Power is sent through a specially-developed six-speed DSG transmission, which – contrary to its name – features a third clutch to decouple the petrol engine from the drivetrain for “coasting”.
The first Passat with a state-of-the-art plug-in hybrid drive system, the innovative new vehicle offers spirited performance alongside the possibility of zero emissions when driving in all-electric mode. This decouples the TSI motor whenever possible, allowing the auto to make best use of kinetic energy, further improving its efficiency.
The exterior of the Passat GTE features exclusive C-shaped LED daytime running lights and an additional blue line that runs across the radiator grille, similar traits we’ve seen before in the Golf GTE. Unique GTE badging also marks out the new Passat.
Also available for the GTE is Volksawgen’s Car-Net e-Remote smartphone app.
“The more expensive GTE Advance (£37,680 for the saloon and £41,730 for the estate) adds in stuff like Active Info Display (an option on the regular GTE), Discover Pro Nav with 8” screen, Area View, LED Premium headlights and Nappa leather. The auto can also run in hybrid mode, and should you wish to charge the battery on the move, a Battery Charge mode is available. For maximum power, GTE mode can be chosen: this uses both petrol and electric motors.
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UK GTE models will be sold in two trim levels. Standard cars are based on the Passat GT specification, which includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, Discover Navigation, Bluetooth and parking sensors. Inside there’s blue ambient lighting, blue stitching and a GTE-specific gear selector.
