The updated Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is still high on the company’s wishlist for Australia, but we shouldn’t expect to see it here before 2018 – if it’s confirmed for our market at all.
Speaking with CarAdvice this week, general manager for corporate communications at Volkswagen Australia, Paul Pottinger, confirmed the local arm is still working on bringing the sporty plug-in hybrid EV hatch Down Under.
“Volkswagen Australia is very keen on this car and they are working hard on a 2018 introduction,” he said.
Already on sale in markets like Europe and the UK, the Golf GTE combines the company’s familiar 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a 75kW/330Nm electric motor which is fed by a series of lithium-ion batteries stored underneath the boot floor.
Combined outputs are 150kW and 350Nm, while drive is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission.
MORE: 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTE review
On pure-electric power, the Golf GTE can drive for up to 50km on a single charge, at speeds of up to 130km/h. Regenerative braking slowly charges the batteries when on the move. Claimed fuel consumption is just 1.5L/100km on the claimed European combined cycle.
In terms of its performance, 0-100km/h takes 7.6 seconds – largely due to the extra heft of the battery packs which make the hybrid 270kg heavier than the GTI.
Unique features other than the plug-in hybrid system include special C-shaped LED daytime-running lights on the lower front bumper, blue highlights and badging, along with blue tartan cloth seats – as opposed to the traditional red ones from its GTI sibling.
Stay tuned to CarAdvice for more Golf GTE updates in the coming months.
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