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Volkswagen dealers will hope to widen the appeal of the fleet favourite Passat with the launch of the first plug-in hybrid version this month.
Order books are now open for the Passat GTE, which will be available in both saloon and estate form.
On-the-road prices start from £36,525 for the saloon and £38,075 for the estate, but buyers can effectively cut £2,500 from these prices due to the car’s eligibility for the government’s plug-in car grant.
The GTE combines a 1.4-litre TSI turbo petrol engine of 156PS and a 115PS electric motor, powered by a lithium-ion battery pack located under the rear floor. It also uses a new version of the DSG auto gearbox, this having a third clutch that decouples the TSI engine whenever possible, allowing the car to make best use of kinetic energy, further improving its efficiency.
Combined power is 208PS with 400NM of torque, resulting in a 7.6-second 0-62mph time and 140mph top speed. On its own the electric motor can produce 330NM almost from standstill, and the car can travel up to 31 miles on electric power alone.
Fleet buyers will be interested in combined cycle fuel economy figures of 166mpg and CO2 emissions of just 39g/km, with the resultant low BIK rates that will result.
Charging times for the battery pack are quoted at around four hours 15 minutes using a standard UK domestic mains outlet, or two hours 30 minutes using a dedicated wallbox with a 3.6 kW supply.
GTE variants will be offered in standard and Advance trim levels, the specification based on that of the Passat GT that already includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, Discover Navigation, Bluetooth and parking sensors.
Standard GTEs add LED headlights and tail lights, charging cables and Volkswagen’s Car-Net e-Remote smartphone app. This allows drivers to control various car functions remotely from their phone, including checking the state of battery charge, whether the doors are locked and the lights off, and activating the climate control before reaching the car.
GTE Advance versions also include the new Active Info Display digital dashboard, Discover satellite navigation on an eight-inch screen, Nappa leather, the Area View function and LED headlights.
Visually GTE models are distinguishable from mainstream Passats by C-shaped LED daytime running lights and an additional blue line across the radiator grille, above a redesigned front bumper.
| Volkswagen Passat GTE | ||||||
| Model | Engine | Gearbox | Power | CO2(g/km) | OTR RRP | OTR RRP with OLEV grant |
| Passat GTE | 1.4 TSI with electric motor | Six-speed DSG | 218 PS | 39 | £36,525 | £34,025 |
| Passat GTE Advance | 1.4 TSI with electric motor | Six-speed DSG | 218 PS | 39 | £40,180 | £37,680 |
| Passat Estate GTE | 1.4 TSI with electric motor | Six-speed DSG | 218 PS | 39 | £38,075 | £35,575 |
| Passat Estate GTE Advance | 1.4 TSI with electric motor | Six-speed DSG | 218 PS | 39 | £41,730 | £39,230 |
