Volkswagen Passat GTE test

Between the heat too polluting and too restrictive car electric car, hybrid rechargeable appears on paper as the ideal solution by combining efficiency and versatility, a trend reinforced by the recent disenchantment for diesel. It is true that with a combined cycle fuel consumption announced at 1.6 l / 100 km (37 g / km CO2) for a range of 1114 km, the offer by Volkswagen Passat with GTE is quite enticing. Of course, to come anywhere close to these figures, there are conditions to be met, such as the making of the majority of daily trips thoroughly exploiting the vehicle's all-electric without exceeding it, but also recharge the battery as often as possible. The ideal is to have a power outlet (ideally a charging station Wallbox) on its home parking space as well as the workplace.

In the case of the Passat GTE before us today, autonomy in all-electric is announced at 50 km, while the recharge time is 4:15 on a standard wall socket or 2:30 with Wallbox outlet. Taking the recipe used on Golf GTE little sister, the family enjoys a slight surplus of power which allow it to compensate for its greater mass and thus to avail superior performance, with a 0 to 100 km / h in 7 shot 4 s (7.6 s on the Golf GTE). The block 1.4 TSI now offers 156 hp while the electric motor provides 115 hp, resulting in a total capacity of 218 hp and 400 Nm of torque (150 hp and 102 hp on the Golf, for a total of 204 hp and 350 Nm). The capacity of the lithium-ion battery has also been revised upwards, with 9.9 kWh instead of 8.8 kWh.

At startup, when the battery was charged fully and that self-soars with the E-Mode (all electric), feelings are the same as on board an electric vehicle. The quiet operation is then actually surprising, favored by the excellent soundproofing of the Passat and the force of the thrust always joyful, with full torque available instantly. However, this is when one activates the auto mode GTE reveals all his enthusiasm and justifies its sporty-sounding surname. The entire power output of both engines is then available while orders get a little stronger and a little hoarse sound. Of course, this mode is not the most appropriate to establish a record of sobriety, but it offers an almost sporty rather rare for this type of vehicle.

If the punch of the hybrid is surprising in these conditions, but we quickly realize that it involves considerable overweight (about 300 kg more than 1.4 TSI) strike a little road behavior, with precision and dynamism back slightly from those, excellent thermal Passat. Trunk capacity sharply lower, due to the loss of the double bottom (402 liters instead of 586 liters for the sedan, 483 instead of 653 on the break), also part of the inconvenience induced by the hybridization, but don ' not prevent the Passat behind in this area a Peugeot 508 RXH Volvo V60 D6 or.

In use, the system keeps its promises, although the figures announced are naturally a bit optimistic. We were able to travel 35 km on electric power until the complete discharge of the battery, admittedly essentially borrowing expressways (about 110 km / h). When the battery almost empty and self back in Hybrid mode (which supports charging during deceleration), we got on our test tracks average fuel consumption of 5.6 l / 100 km. A notable performance, although favored by an unusually flat and straight test tracks around Amsterdam.

Based on the high finish Carat, the Passat GTE offers high-end performance and an, even more, complete equipment with Active Information Display (digital dashboard almost identical to Virtual Cockpit Audi) or full LED headlights. The interior still boasts a beautiful indoor presentation and a flawless finish, acquiring more of a blue mood lighting for the small green button, while also participating in the soothing side that provides driving this hybrid vehicle. Naturally, the bill appears rather high, prices starting at € 47,930 (€ 49,270 in SW station wagon), besides the environmental bonus is no more than € 1,000 for plug-in hybrids since January 1st (against 4 € 000 before).

Thus, with a price of € 46,930 bonus deducted (€ 2500 conversion premium, for the destruction of a diesel vehicle before 2006), the GTE requires € 5,440 more than the model with Carat 190 hp 2.0 TDI with DSG (€ 41,490), albeit slightly less powerful and somewhat less well equipped. So it is that will use its buyers to determine whether this price difference is justified or not. The idea is to make daily trips of 50 km Max power and recharge regularly. It then has a similar approval of an electric vehicle in everyday life, without being the limited distance on long journeys.

Regarding competition this Passat GTE, it remains relatively limited and shows more powerful and expensive. Mercedes C 350 E (279 hp and 2.1 l / 100 km) claimed € 55,600, while the Volvo V60 D6 Twin-engine (285 hp and 1.8 l / 100 km) application € 57,590, not including its diesel mechanics does not allow him to receive the bonus. In the end, the fiercest rival could be the new BMW 330e (252 hp and 2.1 l / 100 km) is about to land on the market, with prices starting at € 46,950 (finish More Lounge, less well equipped than the Passat GTE).