Volkswagen’s family of plug-in hybrids is growing fast. Following the Golf GTE, the German carmaker is launching a GTE version of its European Passat mid-size sedan and station wagon.
This Passat shares its name with the U.S.-built Passat but differs in being built on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB modular-transverse architecture that also underpins the Golf. What fortune! There just happens to be a fully developed plug-in powertrain in the MQB parts bin: The Passat GTE uses the same 1.4-liter TSI engine and electric motor that propel the Golf GTE and the Audi A3 e-tron. The 154-hp gasoline four-banger and the 114-hp electric motor together produce up to 215 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.
On paper, the performance looks seductive, even if VW is uncharacteristically imprecise in its claims. Zero to 62 mph takes “less than 8.0 seconds,” top speed is “more than 137 mph,” and fuel consumption is better than 118 mpg in the virtually meaningless European cycle for plug-in hybrids. The Passat GTE can travel up to 31 miles on battery alone, which can be championed even further come that glorious day when all electricity is generated by water, wind, and the blazing sun.
Whatever the GTE’s actual environmental merits, VW must hope to get as many of these on the road as possible in order to offset the carbon emissions of its conventionally powered vehicles. The ultraoptimistic test cycle, designed by politicians to distort the market in favor of electrification, will help the GTE do just that.
As in its more compact siblings, we expect the Passat GTE driving experience to be dulled by the extra mass of the electric components and the nonlinear power delivery. On the plus side, the easily bored Homo ludens automobilis behind the wheel gets to fiddle with numerous settings, including the aggressive “GTE” mode and an all-electric mode. It also looks cool, with a bespoke LED-daytime-running-light design that signifies every Volkswagen with an electric or hybridized powertrain.
- First Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTE Plug-In Hybrid
- 10 Green Cars that Don’t Suck: Eco-Excellence at All Price Points
- VW Passat Full Coverage: News, Pricing, Reviews, Specifications, and More
When the Passat GTE comes to market in Europe in late 2015, it will likely be as pricey as the most-powerful diesel and gasoline siblings. There is no chance it’ll be offered in the U.S. any time soon. Our Passat is still based on the predecessor’s PQ46 platform.
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via Agya
