Monday 31st March 2014

VW Golf GTE: Driven (briefly)

Claimed GTI performance with 188mpg - is the Golf GTE plug-in the future of hot hatches?

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As Harris mentioned in his review of the epic McLaren P1, "torque fill" is a phrase we're going to be hearing an awful lot in the future - and the filling phenomenon is already trickling down from half a mil-plus hypercars to 'attainable' family hatchbacks.

Like a McLaren P1, just a bit more practical...

Cue the VW Golf GTE: 204hp and 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds comes from 'just' a 1.4-litre TSI petrol turbo, helped out by a 102hp electric motor.

This also means lots of torque - 258lb ft, in fact - coincidentally the same as the Mk7 GTI. With a healthy chunk available instantly from the e-motor giving you a decent kick in the kidneys, it means this shopping car engine Golf is bordering on GTI performance.

Alright, it's 1.6 seconds slower than a DSG-equipped GTI to 62mph, but in e-mode at part throttle, it feels plenty urgent.

Rolling out onto the apron at Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport, pushing the throttle to the stop activates the kick down switch, which brings the 1.4 unit buzzing into life. It's a smooth and seamless transition even on this pre-production development mule (although it looked suspiciously polished and like a finished car to us), but with some steering lock on and that instant twist available from the e-motor, the front axle doesn't get an easy ride.

We've got GTI and GTD - time for another

Without the Tarmac-chomping VAQ diff of the GTI Performance, the fronts scrabble for grip on the exit of tighter second-gear stuff as the traction control does its best to contain the current-fed torque.

Straighten up and back off the gas and the petrol motor cuts out, bringing you back to silent wafting, with the potential to achieve up to a provisional 188mpg, emitting just 35g/km CO2, according to Vee-dub.

There is a 'cure' though. Stab at the button marked 'GTE' next to the familiar selector for the triple-clutch six-speed DSG 'box (to do with how the hybrid unit integrates) and the TSI motor operates continuously, while the steering weight is beefed up and more noise piped into the cabin.

It's not all tree-hugging worthiness, thankfully

Now you've got the full hit all the time, and the extra effort needed to turn-in (not too much though, but still unfortunately lacking steering feel) means you're more at home pushing the car harder.

Select the plug-in Golf's 'B' mode and confidence grows a stage further. The electric motor's regenerative effect is ramped up, meaning not only do you get more deceleration, but more energy pumped back into the battery to deploy on the other side of the corner, too. The extra retardation is noticeable, and could be the difference between hitting an apex or gravel trap on a track day if you misjudge your braking point.

Overall though, the GTE still doesn't feel like a GTI. It's duller and less agile through quick direction changes - possibly due to the lack of any clever systems at the front, possibly due to the extra 150kg of mass from the 120kg battery pack and some associated systems.

Electrical assistance comes to hot hatches

We're not surprised, as the GTE is about performance and efficiency, so some concessions to a more environmental driving style have to be made. In fact, it's more akin to the GTD: performance and efficiency, yet again.

However, if we have to have our hot hatches served up with a 'green' side salad in the future, it might not be such a bad thing. If VW can tweak it for even more performance, the GTE has plenty of potential.

 

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VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE (PROTOTYPE)
Engine: 1,395cc 4-cyl turbo, gearbox-mounted electric motor
Transmission: 6-speed triple-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 150hp 1.4 TSI, 102hp electric motor, 204hp combined total output
Torque (lb ft): 258
0-62mph: 7.6 sec
Top speed: 138mph
Weight: 1,520kg
MPG: 188mpg (VW provisional claims)
CO2: 35g/km CO2 (VW provisional claims)
Price: £28,250 (estimated)

 

[oilit]

My first 1st post

sounds interesting.

But if it has regenerative braking then presumably one could leave it in that mode and not have to plug it in (like a prius?) - if so VW could sell a lot of these.

Edited by oilit on Monday 31st March 09:16

[MycroftWard]

188mpg?

[cianha]

It's not mutually exclusive, that's the beauty of a system like this. PHEV, EREV, or just a 1.4 Golf with a big battery, it's a good way to appeal to a broad variety of buyers with a single vehicle.

I wonder how well it has overcome the pitfalls of that other sporting hybrid the CR-Z?

[matpilch]

1,520kg ?

[V8A*ndy]

I have a concern about these new breed of hybrids that the engine suddenly kicks in when you need the power.

Have engineers suddenly solved the problem of racing a cold engine or does the engine run from time to time like a sort of standby mode?

[Penneth]

matpilch said:

1,520kg ?

Still living in 1995 are we?

Quite an achievement getting a hybrid family hatchback to circa 1500kg.

[M3greg]

And why is it only 204 bhp, not 254?

150 bhp petrol + 104 bhp electric = 204?

Are they over egging one or the other?

[matpilch]

Penneth said:

Still living in 1995 are we?

the new Mazda 3 weighs 1276kg including a 75kg driver (but I suspect the VW figure has that covered as well)
you're right it is quite allright for a hybrid to weigh around 1,5t tonne but that's a lot for a golf nevertheless

[Strawman]

M3greg said:

And why is it only 204 bhp, not 254?

150 bhp petrol + 104 bhp electric = 204?

Probably limits the power so you can't drain the battery when going flat out for long enough. Also means they can use a lower rated gearbox and other components that a 254BHP car would need. Also means the GTI version is still faster.

[JonnyVTEC]

M3greg said:

And why is it only 204 bhp, not 254?

150 bhp petrol + 104 bhp electric = 204?

Are they over egging one or the other?

The peaks are not at the same revs!!!

This seems to be the main question of these next gen hybrid powertrains...

2+2 does not make 4.

[crosseyedlion]

I'd like to know the combined cycle without being plugged in. I'm sure the economy will be better than the non-hybrid but I'd like to know how much.

Plugging in overnight would be ideal but not viable for me at present.

[cianha]

V8A*ndy said:

I have a concern about these new breed of hybrids that the engine suddenly kicks in when you need the power.

Have engineers suddenly solved the problem of racing a cold engine or does the engine run from time to time like a sort of standby mode?

Not sure about the GTE, but other systems (Stop/Start for example) only kick in when the engine is up to operating temps, so the sample control logic could be applied here.

[anonymous-user]

Pedants corner:

Extra "regen" braking isn't going to help you to hit an apex if you started braking too late.......


/Pedants corner


;-)

[SevenR]

If it's that price and those figures. I am getting one. Superb.

[nickfrog]

SevenR said:

If it's that price and those figures. I am getting one. Superb.

"with the potential to achieve up to a provisional 188mpg, emitting just 35g/km CO2"

[crosseyedlion]

Just found out, apparently the 188mpg figure is from using a full battery then 16 miles of hyrid/engine power in addition, which works out to be around 63mpg if not running on battery only. Which isn't much different to the GTD is it? Bit of a scam.

[alock]

MycroftWard said:

188mpg?

If it arrives at the test fully charged and leaves with the batteries flat.

[paranoid airbag]

alock said:

MycroftWard said:

188mpg?

If it arrives at the test fully charged and leaves with the batteries flat.

Whoever* designed the EU test cycle really was thick as a plank weren't they? Either that or paid off by someone.

It doesn't take much: just a simple rule that the energy from all sources other than the fuel tank be the same before and after the test - or, if not, that the energy from that other source be assigned the appropriate carbon cost.

IIRC the 'round trip' efficiency of such a system is around 50%, so in town driving it would be using approximately as much energy as a 760kg traditional car. Though I'm making some not entirely safe assumptions about the ICE efficiency there.

*okay, the committee.

[DeanHelix]

"Up to" is a marketing con that's being used too readily nowadays. I thought the VW brand were above such shallow tricks as insurance salesmen a la "80% saved up to ££££'s" which is just meaningless wharrgarbl

[MycroftWard]

crosseyedlion said:

Just found out, apparently the 188mpg figure is from using a full battery then 16 miles of hyrid/engine power in addition, which works out to be around 63mpg if not running on battery only. Which isn't much different to the GTD is it? Bit of a scam.

Good point.

Are there any hybrids that deliver better economy than the equivalent diesel? I've wondered why hybrids are based on petrol engines, surely a diesel hybrid would do better, economy wise?