Volkswagen's Plug-in Golf is at its most affordable in Golf eHybrid form. Jonathan Crouch reports on the updated model.

Ten Second Review

If you want a PHEV Volkswagen Golf, but you want it slightly more affordably, then you want this car, the Golf eHybrid, here usefully improved. It gets an only slightly lesser-powered version of the PHEV powertrain we know from the Golf GTE, but clothes this 204PS package in more conservative bodywork. Thanks to this update, there's a much larger 19.7kWh battery that'll almost allow you to use this car like an EV.

Background

For years, Volkswagen offered just one Plug-in hybrid Golf variant and we knew it as the GTE. At the end of 2020, a new generation version of that model arrived on the market, but it was a touch pricey for some folk, hence the introduction at the beginning of this decade of a de-tuned 204PS version of the same powertrain, slightly less sportily-packed in this model, the Golf eHybrid. Adding this variant to the range made sense: and makes even more sense with this model in its updated form, this bigger-battery version launched in mid-2024. Let's take a closer look at this car.

Driving Experience

The big news with this updated Golf eHybrid is an increase in battery size to 19.7kWh. That facilitates a big increase in EV range - up from 44 miles to 89 miles - enough to mean that a suburban owner really could use this car much like an EV. Powertrain output remains at 204PS (well down on the 272PS of the other Golf PHEV, the GTE), but it's now developed from a slightly larger 1.5-litre TSI evo2 petrol engine, though via the same 6-speed DSG auto gearbox. Performance is quite sprightly thanks to 250Nm of torque, enough to propel this model from rest to 62 mph in only 7.2 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 137mph. As before, the Golf eHybrid always starts journeys in all-electric E-MODE if the battery is sufficiently charged (except at battery temperatures of below -10°C). Moreover, since the Golf eHybrid can also be driven in all-electric mode at speeds of up to 80mph, motorways can also be covered under purely electric power. It is also possible to reserve electric energy during longer journeys in order to guarantee that it is possible to drive in E-MODE, with zero local tailpipe emissions, in a built-up area at your eventual destination. At the start of the journey, you simply enter the percentage of the battery capacity that must be reserved into the infotainment system. The battery doesn't have to be fully charged at the start of the journey for this to function effectively, since the lithium-ion unit can also be charged during the trip via both the TSI engine and brake energy recuperation.

Design and Build

The Golf eHybrid only comes in hatch form and of course gains all the most recent Golf visual updates. There are fresh illuminating signatures in the new-look angular LED headlamps and revised bumpers front and rear, plus an illuminated VW badge on the nose, new sills beneath the doors and smarter LED tail lamps. As before, the eHybrid doesn't have the sporty GTI-themed looks of Volkswagen's other PHEV Golf, the GTE - but then you might like its more discreet, conservative vibe. That's based around mid-range 'Style' trim, which comes with 17-inch 'Nottingham' alloy wheels. The main design changes to this updated Golf eHybrid model though, lie inside. The original version's widely-criticised infotainment system has been thoroughly updated to what VW calls' MIB4' status, which means it gets quicker processing times, smarter menus and slicker graphics. The centre screen's updated too, now 12.9-inches in size as standard. Talking of screens, there are a few minor updates to the 10.2-inch 'Digital Cockpit Pro' instrument display, which can be customised to model via different layouts. And there's a better head-up display available. The steering wheel's different too, now restored with proper buttons, instead of the pre-facelift model's fiddly touch-sensitive ones. The awful touch slider below the infotainment screen has been retained, but it's now more responsive and (at last) is back-lit for easier night use. The voice control set-up's better too, thanks to ChatGPT tech, which can be used to control navigation, 'phone and climate functions. The advantage here is that if Volkswagen's own voice activation set-up doesn't know the answer to a question you might be asking the car, it'll be relayed to the ChatGPT AI system - though the same VW voice will still give you the answer. Otherwise, things are the same as before. So a couple of adults will fit reasonably well on the back seat. And boot capacity falls quite a bit over the conventionally-engined models, from 380-litres to 273-litres. Fold the split rear bench and you can extend this to 1,130-litres.

Market and Model

The Golf eHybrid costs from just over £36,000. You'll want to know how that compares to the price of the 272PS Golf GTE and the answer is that it equates to a useful saving of around £4,000. You still get plenty of equipment though, based around either base 'match' or mid-range 'Style' trim. Key standard features on the 'Style' version include three-zone Climatronic air conditioning, body-coloured bumpers, 'intelligent' 'LED Plus' headlamps, exterior ambient lighting, 'sports comfort' front seats, 'ArtVelours' microfleece upholstery and multi-colour cabin lighting. There's also Adaptive Cruise Control, the Car2X local warning system and LED tail light clusters. Safety kit includes a Lane Assist lane keeping system, Front Assist Autonomous Emergency Braking and Dynamic Road Sign Display. Plus there's Traffic Jam Assist (which basically drives the car for you in urban queues) and Emergency Assist (which brings the car to a controlled stop should you be taken ill at the wheel). Manoeuvring can be simplified by the latest assist systems including the enhanced 'Park Assist Plus' and 'Park Assist Pro' systems, which are available for the first time for the Golf and enable you to stand outside the car and part it with your smartphone. The 360-degree Area View is another new and useful feature. Five fresh alloy wheel designs and four new metallic paint finishes have also been added to this updated range. And as before, there's a 'Travel Assist' feature that allows the car to accelerate, steer and brake on motorways at speeds of up to 130mph.

Cost of Ownership

This updated Golf eHybrid's 19.7 kWh battery offers fast DC charging of up to 40kW, and AC charging of up to 11kW (previously 3.6kW), with an official electric-only range of 89 miles (compare against 82 miles for the Golf GTE); either way, both cars now offer everyday electric-only driving for the vast majority of customers. The eHybrid's EV range figure rises to 114 miles in exclusively city-based use. Thanks to a now-lowered 6g/km CO2 figure, there's an attractive Benefit in Kind (BiK) rate of just five per cent that will also appeal to company car drivers. The fantasy-land combined cycle fuel figure is now quoted at 992.4mpg. Expect a charging time similar to the original model, which was quoted at three hours and 40 minutes. The driver can also control the time at which charging takes place via the infotainment system or using the We Connect app on a smartphone, in order to benefit from cheaper off-peak electricity. And warranties? Well the standard package is still three years and 60,000 miles. We can't see why Volkswagen couldn't extend that mileage limit to 100,000 miles, since that what you get on its mechanically very similar Caddy model. Doing that though, wouldn't give Volkswagen dealers so much of an opportunity to sell extended warranty packages. There's one for four years and 75,000 miles or, if you plan to see a bit more of the world in your Golf, there's a five year / 90,000 mile package.

Summary

There's lots to like here, the classy Golf vibe mixed with an uber-dose of sense and sensibility, creating the kind of compelling combination you'll rarely find in a family car. You do without the sporty look and feel of a Golf GTE, but many owners will happily forgo that for this variant's significant price saving. As with a GTE, everything here's so straightforward - so normal. Just leave the thing in its 'Hybrid Auto' setting and you'll get diesel-like fuel economy with a real surging turn of pace when you need it. Even if you never once plugged this car in, you'd probably be perfectly happy with what you had. So no, you don't have to press buttons and select menu options to enjoy and benefit from Golf eHybrid motoring. But devoted owners will want to do that. These people will see ownership as being all about mastering and getting the most from the Plug-in hybrid concept. For them, there'll be nothing normal about what this Volkswagen can do. They'll talk of its silent all-electric operation. Or running costs that decimate their annual tax payments and see a potential three-figure range achievable from every gallon. Or maybe the way in which when used for short journeys, it can make fuel station visits a thing of the past. It's all deceptively unique - and rather futuristic. In a car very much for today.