The Passat GTE delivers an impressive blend of performance, refinement and efficiency without the looming shadow of a diesel engine. The petrol-electric powertrain seamlessly switches between driving modes and offers up to 31 miles of pure-electric driving. It’s slightly less practical than the more conventional models and the high price means that you’ll need to do some sums in order to justify the cost. But that aside, the GTE remains deeply impressive, even if you should take the official economy claims with a pinch of salt.
The Volkswagen Passat’s restrained styling is ageing well and the GTE is arguably the best looking of the entire range. The subtle hints of blue add a level of coolness and sophistication, which is a welcome antidote to the aggressive R-Line.
Subtle GTE badges act like some kind of reference point to a thoroughly modern take on the GTI recipe, while the C-shaped LED daytime running lights, blue strip above the grille and 18-inch alloy wheels complete the effect. The charging-point inlet is situated on the radiator grille.
The interior is similarly restrained and understated, but remains one of the Passat’s key selling points. The fit and finish is tantalisingly close to the premium players in this sector, while the ergonomics are first-rate.
The GTE is lifted above the regular models by the blue ambient lighting, a leather steering wheel with blue stitching, a GTE-branded gear knob and Alcantara seats with leather side bolsters. It feels premium - but then, it should, at upwards of £37,000.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The Passat GTE features a 6.5-inch touchscreen navigation system, Bluetooth and DAB digital radio. Volkswagen’s Car-Net remote app is also enhanced to allow climate control functions, driver information and the last parking position to be displayed via a smartphone.
The GTE Advance adds the upgraded 9.2-inch Navigation Pro touchscreen with voice activation and gesture control. Other features include eight speakers, a 64Gb hard drive, two SD card readers, photo display and Active Display, which is Volkswagen’s version of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit.
The GTE drives, to all intents and purposes, like a regular Passat, but there are a few notable differences. To get the best from it, you should charge it overnight, which allows the car to start in pure electric E-mode.
With all the usual caveats about EV range, you should have enough juice to drive 31 miles on electric power at speeds of up to 81mph. In reality this should be enough for the majority of daily commutes, although the Passat is likely to spend more time on the motorway.
Press the button marked GTE and the petrol engine and electric motor work in harmony to deliver the combined force of 215bhp to unlock that hot hatch-taming 0-62mph time. The steering weights up and the DSG transmission holds on to a lower gear for longer, to deliver a more responsive drive.
It’s not exactly sporty – the additional 110kg over the diesel automatic sees to that – but it’s certainly brisk. Be warned: too much GTE time will only serve to decrease the fuel economy, so is best used sparingly.
Stick the Passat GTE in Hybrid mode and it’ll choose the best mode for the circumstances, while electric power can be conserved by selecting Battery Charge mode. This is useful if you’re approaching a city centre or are hoping to make a quiet late-night arrival at the in-laws’ house.
For the most part, the Passat GTE feels remarkably refined, with none of the harshness and vibration associated with a diesel engine. It seamlessly switches between petrol and electric modes, while the transmission is smooth and relaxed.
Complaints? Well, the additional weight only serves to make the Passat feel less agile through bends, while it can occasionally crash and thud on imperfect roads, especially at low speeds. But on a motorway, the GTE is smooth, refined and wonderfully hushed.
Engines
The powertrain in the Passat GTE is a combination of Volkswagen’s familiar 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and an electric motor. Combined, they deliver 215bhp and 400Nm of torque, with as much as 330Nm available from near-standstill.
In GTE mode, the Passat will sprint to 62mph in 7.1 seconds, a full second quicker than the standard 1.4-litre TSI, while the top speed is just shy of 140mph.
Historically, the Volkswagen Passat hasn’t performed well in our Driver Power surveys, with the current model finishing a relatively modest 27th out of 75 for reliability in 2017.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen finished 14th out of 27th on the list of the best manufacturers. While these aren’t the worst results, there’s definitely room for improvement.
Safety is less of a concern, with the Passat awarded a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2014, scoring 85 per cent for adult occupant safety, 87 per cent for child occupant, 66 per cent for pedestrian and 76 per cent for safety assist technologies.
The GTE is based on the specification of the GT trim level, which delivers a host of safety devices as standard, including adaptive cruise control, pre-crash preventive occupant protection to minimise the effects of an accident, emergency braking, driver alert system and hill hold control.
Warranty
The Passat GTE is covered by Volkswagen’s three-year/60,000 mile warranty, which can be extended up to a maximum of 90,000 miles or five years.
While a three-year warranty is pretty standard in this sector, it’s worth noting that the Kia Optima plug-in hybrid is covered for seven years, while the Hyundai Ioniq is offered with a five-year warranty.
Servicing
The Volkswagen Passat GTE is available with a choice of two service plans, with intervals dependent on how the car is likely to be driven and its general use. There are no difference between the hybrid model and the regular petrol and diesel versions.
The fixed service plan is designed for vehicles that will cover less than 10,000 miles a year and includes an oil change service at 10,000 miles or one year, whichever is soonest, and an inspection service after 20,000 miles or two years.
A flexible service plan is ideal for vehicles with a daily mileage of more than 25 miles and includes a flexible oil change service up to a maximum of two years. The inspection service is carried out after 20,000 miles or two years, whichever is soonest.
Two body styles are available, but in both cases the GTE is less practical than the non-electrified versions. The battery is located in the floor area beneath the rear seats, which robs the Passat of 41mm of headroom (993mm in the saloon and 990 in the estate).
But that doesn’t detract from what is an extremely spacious and comfortable car. The driving position is better than ever and the seats are wonderfully supportive, especially on long journeys.
Size
The saloon is 4,767mm long, 2,083mm wide and 1,476mm tall. The estate is the same length and width, but adds an additional 40mm to the height.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
As previously mentioned, the battery pack robs the GTE of some headroom, but the amount of space remains impressive. It’s not as cavernous as a Skoda Superb, but rear legroom is generous and access to the front and rear is easy. The wide transmission tunnel means that the centre rear seat is best reserved for occasional use and smaller passengers.
Boot
Thanks to the battery pack, some underfloor boot storage has been lost. The saloon drops from 586 to 402 litres, while the estate is down from 650 to 483 litres. Not exactly small, then, but significant if you’re buying the Passat for its boot capacity.
Without the additional storage, there’s no room for a spare wheel, so run-flat tyres are fitted to the GTE.
With the rear seats in the upright position, there’s actually very little to choose between the two body styles. However, with the rear seats folded, the estate provides 1,613 litres of space, far more than the 968 litres in the saloon.
It’s one of the reasons why we’d choose the estate over the saloon, even taking into account the £1,500 premium.
This should be an area in which the Passat GTE excels, but in reality you’re unlikely to get anywhere near the claimed 156.9mpg. On a 180-mile test route, which included a mix of motorways, country roads and city streets, we returned with an average of 53mpg.
In the real-world, you can expect to achieve something in the region of 50-60mpg, which will put it on a par with the diesel versions, albeit without the ability to drive 31 miles in pure electric mode. You could, in theory, do the daily commute with zero-emissions, only using petrol power at weekends.
By emitting just 39g/km of CO2, the Passat GTE is exempt from the London Congestion Charge and will be highly attractive to fleet buyers. First-year VED comes in at a very reasonable £10.
A full charge will take a little over four hours using a standard domestic socket or 150 minutes using a dedicated wallbox with a 3.6kW supply. Mode 2&3 charging cables are supplied.
Insurance groups
A Group 26 insurance rating makes the GTE one of the most expensive cars in the Passat range to insure, with only the high-performance R-Line models sitting higher. For context, a 1.4 TSI in GT trim is Group 16.
Depreciation
As the backlash against diesel gathers pace, interest in plug-in hybrid cars will only increase, which could improve residual values. That said, the Passat GTE is extremely expensive to buy new and it’s unlikely to retain as much value as, say, a BMW 330e.
After three years and 36,000 miles, we calculate that a Passat GTE will retain 31 per cent of its value, while a 330e could retain as much as 39 percent.
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