Sporty name adopted for plug-in hybrid version of the Golf due later this yearA plug-in hybrid version of the
Volkswagen Golf will go into production later this year with a new GTE badge.
The VW Golf GTE, standing for GT Electric, is so named because VW wants to push it as a sporty model in a similar vein to its GTI and GTD models.
VW insiders have told Autocar that they want the model to be viewed as an electric version of the Golf GTI.
The model was previously known as the Golf Plug-in Hybrid when Autocar tested a prototype version last year.
The spec of the production model is understood to match that of the prototype and also the
Audi A3 e-tron, Audis version of the GTE that will go on sale in the UK at the end of the year.
That means power for the Golf GTE comes from a turbocharged 148bhp 1. 4-litre four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine and a 107bhp electric motor that sits within the forward section of the gearbox.
The electric motor is powered by a 8. 8kWh lithium-ion battery pack sited below the rear seats where the fuel tank would normally be, meaning no interior space is lost.
Drive is channelled to the front wheels through a specially adapted six-speed dual clutch gearbox. A 0-62mph time of 7. 6sec is claimed alongside a 135mph top speed.
The combined economy is officially rated at 188. 3mpg with CO2 emissions at 35g/km. The GTE can run on battery power alone for 31 miles at speeds of up to 81mph.
Click here for Autocars full review of the prototype version of the VW Golf GTE.