The Volkswagen Golf Hybrid GTE (MY-2015)

The new hybrid Volkswagen Golf GTE has gone on sale priced from £28,035, inclusive of the £5,000 government grant.

The Golf GTE is available to order throughout the Volkswagen dealer network, where the e-up! and the e-Golf are only available from 25 specialist e-Retailers. The first deliveries are expected in March.

The Golf GTE is only available as five-door hatch and in one trim level, with LED daytime running lights, DAB and Bluetooth coming as standard.

It is powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine outputting 150PS and 102PS electric motor producing a combined maximum output of 204PS /350Nm of torque. With engines engaged this makes it possible to sprint from rest to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds and then on to a top speed of 138 mph.

It is mated to a bespoke six-speed DSG transmission - the electric motor is housed in the gearbox housing.

NEDC figures indicate an effective 166 mpg and CO2 emissions of 39 g/km, which currently makes it VED, exempt (no road tax) and can enter London’s congestion charge zone for free. The mpg figure combines a full battery with a gallon of petrol, so it is not as good as it sounds, unless you can charge the Golf GTE for free.

There are five driving modes: ‘E-mode’, ‘GTE mode’, ‘Battery Hold’, ‘Battery charge’ and ‘Hybrid Auto’.

In pure electric mode it can travel depending on conditions up to 31 miles at speeds of up to 81 mph on one complete charge. It is possible to hold the battery reserve, so that you may use the pure electric mode at the end of journey, perhaps when entering a town or congestion charge zone.

Charging takes around 3.75 hours from a domestic power outlet, or from a domestic wallbox around 2.25 hours.