Jonny Smith drives the 2017 plug in hybrid VW Golf GTE and he likes it. Patreon: / fullychargedshow Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus: • Depeche Mode - Persona...
I love this dude! Everything in his reviews is so good. Talking manners and his voice fits perfectly. I could easily watch this just to relax after a long day
To those of you dismissing PHEVs out of hand, consider this: 1. Model 3 is not out yet. The current selection of affordable, long range EVs is slim to none. 2. PHEVs can DRAMATICALLY cut gasoline consumption, because they really are EVs the vast majority of the time. Over the lifetime of my PHEV, over 95% of the miles have been driven in EV mode. Running the gasoline engine is very rare. 3. For the short term, PHEVs will have a price advantage over long range BEVs. That means people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford one, can consider an EV. 4. Many parts of the developed world still have poorly developed fast charging infrastructure. Even for drivers who can afford a BEV, it might not take them where they need to go. I'm seeing many purists display an irrational hostility toward PHEVs. I even saw one guy below say that it's better people buy a gasoline car than a PHEV. WTF?! A 0% reduction in gasoline usage is better than a 95% reduction?! Come on guys! Stop making the perfect the enemy of the good.
Trying to argue with that kind of people is a futility, their ignorance is just so overwhelming that an argument you use is just gone be a wasted effort.
PHEVs are ok. Better than no electric miles at all. However pure EVs are much better: simpler, cleaner, more reliable, better torque, smoother, quieter, truly zero emissions (especially powered from growing solar or wind), etc. Eventually, as battery costs continue to fall, EVs will be less costly to buy also. At that point, which is within a decade or two (maximum), it's game over fossil cars.
Feel the same, people just extrapolate their situation to that of others. In my country with no charging network and Tesla (dealership). I would not be able to get for example a Model 3 for at least half a decade. Looking at the experience of people here using plugin hybrids who are using their car 90% electric. So what would those people prefer for 90% of the world that are in the my situation? Continue to pollute at same rate for the next 5 to 10 years, or decrease fuel consumption by 90% tomorrow, at least until rapid charging infrastructure, price of electric car and availability arrive in the next 5 to 10 years.
yup, that was mostly a paper launch. real customers will get their cars nearer the end of the year. and they're not even building the base 35k model till november. all the first batches will be the 44k model. 5k for upgraded interior and another 5k for autopilot. it's gonna be close to a base model s pricing if you tick all the options!
The quality of this video is poor got most of his facts wrong...............didn't mention the real fuel consumption neither. Getting a bung from VW no doubt.
While not reelevant to the review itself, i appreciate the picture of the Reliant. I saw such a car in another video a few days ago, and almost went nuts trying to remember what it was. You fixed that. Thank you :) Good review. Nice to see Jonny again :)
I think I'm starting to be sold on the "plug in" hybrid concept. I was never really sold on hybrids when they first came out because they got about the same mileage as a Geo Metro I had in the 90's. The Golf GTE and the Chevy Volt, for example, are good looking cars with good performance. Either one would never leave EV mode considering how far I drive on a daily basis. It also would buy me time until a decent charging infrastructure is in place. That may be some time considering that I live in West Texas.
I'm driving an Outlander PHEV here in Australia with 3.3L/100km (~71mpg) which is a brilliant fuel economy. I'm lucky I can do my commute in EV mode only and don't use any petrol at all. On longer journeys it has the parallel and serial mode as well as the pedals at the steering wheel to adjust the regen power. Brilliant to drive, lots of space and dual electric motors. We have only 4 EVs to choose from here in Australia thanks to total lack of government support (Model S and X, the Leaf and the BMW i3). Waiting for the Tesla Model 3 now which will come here early 2019 (hopefully).
Great review, very well thought out and produced. I personally can't wait for the all electric hot hatches because those are what I really want. An all electric Golf that does 200+ miles, 5 ish second 0-60, and is under $25000. Until that's available I'll happily drive my 2013 Leaf :)
Yes!! Real life driving MPG! More of this! Thanks Johnny, you're awesome =) and thanks for the conversions I looked at some weight figures at the GTE when it first launched and was surprised to learn that the triple clutch gearbox's weight was 98 kg (dry weight) and the engines was about 105 kg (also dry weight). Would you rather that the GTE was a plug-in hybrid like the Opel Ampera and Bmw i3 is with the petrol unit not connected to the wheels? I think I would want it to be, but I don't know it it would spoil it's character
BMW and Hyundai hybrids also have the clever GPS technology. And if I remember correctly, the BMW also takes immediate traffic into account and saves electric range for traffic jams. I do agree, it is amazing, and relieves people who don't care about driving from constantly having to switch the modes to get good mileage.
@@kacperpawlowski1149 Since i run almost exclusively on electric, 300 MPG :) I do north of 4000 km on a 40 liter tank during the summer. When driving in hybrid mode, it's more like 35 mpg.
@@jmonsted wow thanks for a quick answer! Would you reckon this car is ok for motorway driving? Also, have you had any serious problems with it? My biggest concern is revving the cold engine on and off since it's a hybrid. Definitely not good for the engine. What's your experience?
@@kacperpawlowski1149 I did plenty of motorway driving in it with no issues. My daily needs just aren't motorway. The computer went nuts when the 12V battery got low causing a two week stay at the dealership (over the xmas vacation) and water got into the battery. The first part got fixed with VW eating half the cost, the second they ate all of it. Today, i would buy en EV. I love my GTE, but i would love an id.3 more. At the time, that wasn't an option (the only cheap EVs had crap range) but today there's plenty of EVs with the range i need, either on the market or coming soon. If you're looking at a hybrid, the sporty heritage of the GTE makes it a much nicer option than anything i was looking at in that price range.
@@jmonsted perfect thank you for the answer. I heard about the gtes having a problem with the water going into the batteries but heard that it was a 2015 model issue. Regardless though, looking at getting one second hand I will make sure that I get that checked! Thanks again.
The GTE is the perfect mixture between sporty and ecomonical. And it solves one of the grypes I have with EVs and hybrids and that's the fact that most of the have soulless CVTs. As for the VW factory being the 2nd most visited attraction in Germany, if you are a petrolhead (like me), you would never want to leave. There is a museum of car history which goes on for 6 or 7 floors, there is a building for every brand in the VW Group, there is VW's delivery center, there is a off road course and of course the factory itself.
Excellent review. First time I've heard someone get the point that your mpg on your test run is not the same as the mpg you'd get if you live near work etc. I have an old style gte and have got 1000 miles on a tank. Will perhaps have to look at upgrading to the new one as I like the new lights and dash screens
Love the pop out reversing camera. Saves it getting dirty like the one on my car does. For people knocking PHEVs, they have a very valid place in the company car market. It would be great if Fully Charged started showing the Benefit In Kind costs to us company drivers. My "commute" is 179 miles each way, making a full EV not yet truly viable. But hybrids and PHEVs make a lot of sense for drivers like me.
Great high quality episode Jonny! I'd be tempted to get the Golf GTE if not for the fact that in a few years we'll such a massive array of EVs to choose from. I miss my TDI - it was stinky, but chipped it went like stink ;)
4.79L/100 isn't that great considering the premium paid for having an electric motor and battery. Just drove a new petrol powered Nissan Pulsar 4 door sedan which would be similar size, with a CVT transmission and averaged 4.7L/100km mix of freeway and main roads. Been driving it around town for 2 days and has gone up to 5.2L/100km. Makes my 2010 Mazda 6 wagon look thirsty.
I really enjoy these videos and it's wicked to see Jonny reviewing cars again, great stuff. He should do all of the in depth car reviews or have Robert in the passenger seat with him too. I don't agree with the Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode sound effect though, I love Depeche Mode and that song so it doesn't =P I think petrol hybrids can be brilliant but I'm really not interested in flappy paddles at all especially in a sporty feeling car, takes so much of the fun and involvement out of driving, that's one of the main things I'll miss when every car goes hydrogen or plug in electric, that and the noise from a lot of petrol engines, so cool. It seems very quiet when driving. I like the music that's used through this video, nice and chilled out. I can't wait until all those shitty toxic diesels are scrapped and melted down for something more useful, dog shit bins and so on, such a bloody shame there's no urgency though, 2020 is over 2 years away.
I recently ordered a new car and I collect it in a couple of day time. I only travel about 3600 miles a year now, but most of it consists of journeys of 100 - 220 mile round trips, mainly motorway. I have changed from a 2.0L diesel engine (euro IV) to a 1.2L turbo petrol 3 cylinder engine. The demonisation of diesel car owners and the relatively low mileage meant the extra cost of a 1.6L diesel auto (euro VI) was out of the question. Ideally, I would have loved to have purchased an electric vehicle, such as the Hyundai IONIQ or the Toyota Prius, but neither had the range I wanted (150 miles in the worst conditions). Additionally, such cars are priced beyond the amount I wished to pay for a vehicle which will only travel the said 3600 miles a year. I did not consider a hybrid as most of my journeys are at speeds of 40 mph or more, so the electric motor would just be extra weight. I did consider a plug in hybrid, but again, too expensive, limited boot space and no spare wheel. As a puncture magnet, I feel a full size spare is essential (70 miles on a motorway at 50 mph on a space saver does not appeal to me). Fortunately, my new car has a full size spare. One other concern I have with respect to electric and PHEV's is this. In the UK we are getting very close to critical in our National Grid capacity during the winter months. Various governments have shied away from nuclear until now. But what happens should we start getting brown outs, for instance?
I can see a lot more plug in hybrids appearing because manufacturers can carry on with servicing all the oily bits and the money that brings in. The salesperson can make the customer feel green and encourage the thinking that a pure EV will never be practical for someone doing longer trips (and one long trip per year is enough to convince most people). I am hoping the Tesla Model 3 will start to blow this thinking out of the water (I am less hopeful the Leaf will because it will still have a max 50kw charge rate for the foreseeable future, I have a Zoe ZE40 and it is great but not much good if I did a lot of 200 mile plus journeys - which I don't)..
Absolutely brilliant review. Well-explained, highly cogent content. I love Bobby dearly, but Jonny is a huge upgrade in actual automotive journalism. Perhaps Bobby gets to focus more on cleantech and new tech? Hopefully VW will do their usual great job on the upcoming, new-platform, pure EVs. If so, they may be excellent cars. For example, eGolf, while based on the fossil car, is a very good pure EV. It's still very much Golf-like, which is a good thing indeed.
Great package, would be great here in Canada where we have real distance driving as part of daily life. I assume it’s too expensive though for most Golf customers and sells here as the Audi e-tron in bits and pieces.
Plug in hybrids are a nice stepping stone to a fully electric car with 300-400 mile range sometime in the future. My daily commute is 40 miles and so I would like min 50 mile electric range. We have 2 cheap Honda Civics at the moment and I would rather keep one of them for longer journeys and buy a completely electric car such as the upcoming 200 mile Nissan Leaf for my daily commute. However, if I could only have 1 car in our household a plug in hybrid would be the best solution.
11:05, is it as safe in a rear-end collision if the gas tank is behind the rear axle? Higher likelihood of it puncturing. Getting about 56MPG real world average in a 2016 Prius hybrid (not the plugin version). Could get a Chevy Bolt that's 0-60 in a tad less than 7 seconds and all electric..
nice but still, for me one of the big arguments for getting an electric car is to get rid of the petrol engine and all its needs for maintenance... hybrids are therefor not interesting imo.
the only kind of hybrid i'd even look at are REX added EVs. cars that can be properly used as EVs only, with some petrol just to charge the battery. if i'd need more range than EVs give. which i don't. but hybrids that have an engine touching the wheels? gosh no. so awkward
John A; imo getting a full EV or a hybrid EV depends on the driver's living situation and access to charging. For some only a plug in hybrid EV will work. I wish the EV range of this car was 50+ miles like the Chevy Volt but the concept is not a bad one for many people.
9a2er You really should look up how a planetary gearbox works. It is as complex as a DCT, a nightmare to produce due to internal gearing and, guess what, uses the same style of clutch to engage different gears the DCT uses. But the DCT works without a hydrocoupling which means a lot less oil being dragged around and it shifts a lot faster.
I live in a very small town. A round trip to work and back is seven miles. I can drive to the biggest grocery store in my town and back home, and only drive eight and half miles.
What is the 0-62 time on just electric drive? Does it pull as well as it does with the engine lit up? Or is it like running a full on EV in something like eco mode?
I like the speedo (Nissan Leaf take note) , the reversing camera is kind of cool (but only really useful on commercial vehicles and motorhomes surely) but these hybrids, come on give us more than a token battery, 20-30kwh , even if it had a weedy 1.0 ICE and small petrol tank as backup.
True its either electric or gas I agree John A. Why would you want both. Ill wait till I am due a new car in 3 years, there will be a lot more around then.
Yes Jonny! Thank you! It's something that really irks me about the Golf GTE is the use of GTE; I've owned a number of Astra GTE's and so will ever associate the badge with those. I'm surprised VW were allowed to use it but I suppose it can be argued that the "E "in this case stands for Electric/Elektrisch rather than Einspritzung, the German for injection. To disappear further up the backend of this, I would suppose, one again, Opel/Vauxhall used GTE back in the day to avoid encroaching on VW's use of GTI? Hmmmmmm...... Also: Great to see the images of the classic GTE's in the Vid! : D
interesting... *predictive hybrid mode*... is there any existing android or iphone app which would show me upcoming road signs and turns avg. speeds to let me better shift gears?
I like how they hid the charge port behind the VW Badge. Front mounted charge ports are the most convenient. Never did understand why Tesla insist on a rear mounted charge port.
One of my concerns is that Gasoline degrades over time and looses its octane (not to mention turning into "varnish"). In a dominant electric range I am wondering how would one best balance that. Keep the tank with only a gallon or 2 till you wanted to go on a road trip (less weight also)? Keep it topped off with stabilizer additive? Being empty would not be a good idea for the fuel pump nor the tank. Other then the gas tank another hang up is that any main frame engine would still require all the added weight support components of a standard engine like coolant, exhaust, oil... The best idea I have come across is a mini engine power plant similar to a Generator. This would be contained and thus its components would not weigh near as much not having to run the length of the car. Would love to see an idea like this implemented on one of the cars.
Does the 1.4TSI have cylinder deactivation? What makes it a GT - better handling set-up?, more sporty tires? lighter materials? Note the normal Golf GT has nothing special apart from some interior finishes and nicer looking bits stuck to the car.
I hope "predictive hybrid strategy" is a delete option. Imaging your (network connected) car knowing where you are whether you have and use GPS on or not.
Like the car, don't mind it being hybrid either, but would prefer for everyday driving, CVT or regular automatic instead of DSG robotic system. There's too much to go wrong or wear out with a DSG. But they are quick. Ideal on a track, not such a good idea in daily traffic. I also don't like how DSG puts the clutch in when standing still. I prefer to feel the transmission pulling a bit on the drive wheels.
Do any of the current Golf or Passat (Both normal and GTE) have adaptive cruise control with roadsign/gps assist? (So it changes to the zone your entering)
After searching "Depeche Mode Personal Jesus" I was then able to continue watching the show :-).
Caleb Bryant They put a link in the description too!
I love the reviews by Jonny Smith. Such a huge addition to the Fully Charged team. Thumbs up!
He can also now be found in the 5th Gear team on Quest (Now in HD)
thank you for converting to L/100km !
Great to see Jonny Smith in the team!! More from him please!
I love this dude! Everything in his reviews is so good. Talking manners and his voice fits perfectly. I could easily watch this just to relax after a long day
Great presentation
To those of you dismissing PHEVs out of hand, consider this:
1. Model 3 is not out yet. The current selection of affordable, long range EVs is slim to none.
2. PHEVs can DRAMATICALLY cut gasoline consumption, because they really are EVs the vast majority of the time. Over the lifetime of my PHEV, over 95% of the miles have been driven in EV mode. Running the gasoline engine is very rare.
3. For the short term, PHEVs will have a price advantage over long range BEVs. That means people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford one, can consider an EV.
4. Many parts of the developed world still have poorly developed fast charging infrastructure. Even for drivers who can afford a BEV, it might not take them where they need to go.
I'm seeing many purists display an irrational hostility toward PHEVs. I even saw one guy below say that it's better people buy a gasoline car than a PHEV. WTF?! A 0% reduction in gasoline usage is better than a 95% reduction?! Come on guys! Stop making the perfect the enemy of the good.
Trying to argue with that kind of people is a futility, their ignorance is just so overwhelming that an argument you use is just gone be a wasted effort.
PHEVs are ok. Better than no electric miles at all.
However pure EVs are much better: simpler, cleaner, more reliable, better torque, smoother, quieter, truly zero emissions (especially powered from growing solar or wind), etc. Eventually, as battery costs continue to fall, EVs will be less costly to buy also. At that point, which is within a decade or two (maximum), it's game over fossil cars.
Feel the same, people just extrapolate their situation to that of others. In my country with no charging network and Tesla (dealership). I would not be able to get for example a Model 3 for at least half a decade. Looking at the experience of people here using plugin hybrids who are using their car 90% electric. So what would those people prefer for 90% of the world that are in the my situation? Continue to pollute at same rate for the next 5 to 10 years, or decrease fuel consumption by 90% tomorrow, at least until rapid charging infrastructure, price of electric car and availability arrive in the next 5 to 10 years.
yup, that was mostly a paper launch. real customers will get their cars nearer the end of the year. and they're not even building the base 35k model till november. all the first batches will be the 44k model. 5k for upgraded interior and another 5k for autopilot. it's gonna be close to a base model s pricing if you tick all the options!
Options are optional. A 35k Model 3 with no options will still be an excellent car.
Thank you for the quality of yours videos.
And thank you for the translation in Km.
The quality of this video is poor got most of his facts wrong...............didn't mention the real fuel consumption neither. Getting a bung from VW no doubt.
Good review, Johnny. Thank you.
While not reelevant to the review itself, i appreciate the picture of the Reliant. I saw such a car in another video a few days ago, and almost went nuts trying to remember what it was. You fixed that. Thank you :)
Good review. Nice to see Jonny again :)
Nice work guys - those different power modes are very well thought!
Thanks a lot for this amazing review and keep up the good work!
Finally we got "Liter per 100Km" :D
Nice review!
Excellent review. Best I've seen.
one of the best reviews I've seen Im sold
Jonny, you've got such a charismatic personality. And you serve us the tech facts with perspective. Keep it going!
Brilliant review and fantastic presentation!!!!
Have been watching this channel and been subbed for years, now we see where it is all going, the future is not to that far away...nuff said..
Jonny - you made me laugh so much with the comparison of the startup notes, but it's so true! :) Thanks for great review.
Excellent review with a bit of humor thrown in :)
I think I'm starting to be sold on the "plug in" hybrid concept. I was never really sold on hybrids when they first came out because they got about the same mileage as a Geo Metro I had in the 90's. The Golf GTE and the Chevy Volt, for example, are good looking cars with good performance. Either one would never leave EV mode considering how far I drive on a daily basis. It also would buy me time until a decent charging infrastructure is in place. That may be some time considering that I live in West Texas.
excellent review, very informative, thanks
love this guys car reviews
Great Great Show keep up the good work guys
Great review. How about a review of the revised edition of the e-Golf with the larger battery and increased range ...
Great car i buy it to 3 month ago and i already post some videos and experience with it . I love your videos. Keep it up the good work.
Awesome, I love that car. Great review, really put the cat among the pigeons vs a BMW 330e now!!!
loved the DM reference!!!
Great review. Potentially picking one of these up next week. Looks a great deal of a car!
How's your car been for a year? I'm thinking of buying one this week
Great episode... This is my next car... I have an a1 1.6tds... And a polo 1.4 tsi.... Well made episode.. Thanks
I'm driving an Outlander PHEV here in Australia with 3.3L/100km (~71mpg) which is a brilliant fuel economy. I'm lucky I can do my commute in EV mode only and don't use any petrol at all. On longer journeys it has the parallel and serial mode as well as the pedals at the steering wheel to adjust the regen power. Brilliant to drive, lots of space and dual electric motors. We have only 4 EVs to choose from here in Australia thanks to total lack of government support (Model S and X, the Leaf and the BMW i3). Waiting for the Tesla Model 3 now which will come here early 2019 (hopefully).
The Golf does everything very well..... That sums it up..!! 👍🏻
Great review thanks bud
Great review, very well thought out and produced. I personally can't wait for the all electric hot hatches because those are what I really want. An all electric Golf that does 200+ miles, 5 ish second 0-60, and is under $25000. Until that's available I'll happily drive my 2013 Leaf :)
Yes!! Real life driving MPG! More of this! Thanks Johnny, you're awesome =) and thanks for the conversions
I looked at some weight figures at the GTE when it first launched and was surprised to learn that the triple clutch gearbox's weight was 98 kg (dry weight) and the engines was about 105 kg (also dry weight).
Would you rather that the GTE was a plug-in hybrid like the Opel Ampera and Bmw i3 is with the petrol unit not connected to the wheels?
I think I would want it to be, but I don't know it it would spoil it's character
Nice to see more of Jonny a great addition to fully charged well done Rob 👍🏻
Video quality is fantastic as always, I was curious as to how you do the exterior shots with the car following close behind.
It does ! I love it 😍 I like your reviews. Not all the cars but you rock 👍👍
BMW and Hyundai hybrids also have the clever GPS technology. And if I remember correctly, the BMW also takes immediate traffic into account and saves electric range for traffic jams.
I do agree, it is amazing, and relieves people who don't care about driving from constantly having to switch the modes to get good mileage.
perfect review
GTE owner here. AMA.
The 30 mile range is quite optimistic. Expect around 20 miles of real life range.
What real mpg do you get?
@@kacperpawlowski1149 Since i run almost exclusively on electric, 300 MPG :)
I do north of 4000 km on a 40 liter tank during the summer. When driving in hybrid mode, it's more like 35 mpg.
@@jmonsted wow thanks for a quick answer! Would you reckon this car is ok for motorway driving?
Also, have you had any serious problems with it? My biggest concern is revving the cold engine on and off since it's a hybrid. Definitely not good for the engine. What's your experience?
@@kacperpawlowski1149 I did plenty of motorway driving in it with no issues. My daily needs just aren't motorway.
The computer went nuts when the 12V battery got low causing a two week stay at the dealership (over the xmas vacation) and water got into the battery. The first part got fixed with VW eating half the cost, the second they ate all of it.
Today, i would buy en EV. I love my GTE, but i would love an id.3 more. At the time, that wasn't an option (the only cheap EVs had crap range) but today there's plenty of EVs with the range i need, either on the market or coming soon. If you're looking at a hybrid, the sporty heritage of the GTE makes it a much nicer option than anything i was looking at in that price range.
@@jmonsted perfect thank you for the answer. I heard about the gtes having a problem with the water going into the batteries but heard that it was a 2015 model issue. Regardless though, looking at getting one second hand I will make sure that I get that checked! Thanks again.
When the lease on my Golf TSI ends in 2019, I hope and pray that the GTE will be available in the US! Thanks for this review!
Great video, I had no idea about this car and makes sense for me (eventually) as my 04 GLI gets older. She runs good yet though!
Been waiting for this :D
The GTE is the perfect mixture between sporty and ecomonical. And it solves one of the grypes I have with EVs and hybrids and that's the fact that most of the have soulless CVTs. As for the VW factory being the 2nd most visited attraction in Germany, if you are a petrolhead (like me), you would never want to leave. There is a museum of car history which goes on for 6 or 7 floors, there is a building for every brand in the VW Group, there is VW's delivery center, there is a off road course and of course the factory itself.
And I have one on order, in white, with sat nav and the blue tartan cloth seats. Roll on January!
Great review, could be my next car
I just played Personal Jesus...and You're so right!
Awesome review. I hope VW really go hard into this market, it's about time.
Excellent review. First time I've heard someone get the point that your mpg on your test run is not the same as the mpg you'd get if you live near work etc. I have an old style gte and have got 1000 miles on a tank. Will perhaps have to look at upgrading to the new one as I like the new lights and dash screens
:) I got itttttt!!! Got it today, the 7.5 Advance (18 plate) in Ruby Red, will film when picking it up on Tuesday coming.
Reach out and touch faith!!! Great vid...
Such a handsome car. Johnny Smith is brill.
Does the motor need premium gasoline or is regular fine?
Will be looking at a gte thanks to this review no top gear nonsense my pug 208 diesel average is 60mpg 5000+ mls not bad but a vw fan.
Love the pop out reversing camera. Saves it getting dirty like the one on my car does.
For people knocking PHEVs, they have a very valid place in the company car market. It would be great if Fully Charged started showing the Benefit In Kind costs to us company drivers. My "commute" is 179 miles each way, making a full EV not yet truly viable. But hybrids and PHEVs make a lot of sense for drivers like me.
2 way different notes than Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus. :) Keep your day job mate. (Love your videos, honestly + looking to get the GTE)
Great high quality episode Jonny! I'd be tempted to get the Golf GTE if not for the fact that in a few years we'll such a massive array of EVs to choose from. I miss my TDI - it was stinky, but chipped it went like stink ;)
4.79L/100 isn't that great considering the premium paid for having an electric motor and battery. Just drove a new petrol powered Nissan Pulsar 4 door sedan which would be similar size, with a CVT transmission and averaged 4.7L/100km mix of freeway and main roads. Been driving it around town for 2 days and has gone up to 5.2L/100km. Makes my 2010 Mazda 6 wagon look thirsty.
I really enjoy these videos and it's wicked to see Jonny reviewing cars again, great stuff. He should do all of the in depth car reviews or have Robert in the passenger seat with him too. I don't agree with the Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode sound effect though, I love Depeche Mode and that song so it doesn't =P
I think petrol hybrids can be brilliant but I'm really not interested in flappy paddles at all especially in a sporty feeling car, takes so much of the fun and involvement out of driving, that's one of the main things I'll miss when every car goes hydrogen or plug in electric, that and the noise from a lot of petrol engines, so cool. It seems very quiet when driving. I like the music that's used through this video, nice and chilled out.
I can't wait until all those shitty toxic diesels are scrapped and melted down for something more useful, dog shit bins and so on, such a bloody shame there's no urgency though, 2020 is over 2 years away.
please, more jonny smith.
Just ordered this car, heard so many good things about it. Currently drive an Audi so hoping build quality is as good.
Nick Frost same here
I really like putting the navigation in the instrument cluster..... which u can do with audis
I recently ordered a new car and I collect it in a couple of day time. I only travel about 3600 miles a year now, but most of it consists of journeys of 100 - 220 mile round trips, mainly motorway. I have changed from a 2.0L diesel engine (euro IV) to a 1.2L turbo petrol 3 cylinder engine. The demonisation of diesel car owners and the relatively low mileage meant the extra cost of a 1.6L diesel auto (euro VI) was out of the question. Ideally, I would have loved to have purchased an electric vehicle, such as the Hyundai IONIQ or the Toyota Prius, but neither had the range I wanted (150 miles in the worst conditions). Additionally, such cars are priced beyond the amount I wished to pay for a vehicle which will only travel the said 3600 miles a year. I did not consider a hybrid as most of my journeys are at speeds of 40 mph or more, so the electric motor would just be extra weight. I did consider a plug in hybrid, but again, too expensive, limited boot space and no spare wheel. As a puncture magnet, I feel a full size spare is essential (70 miles on a motorway at 50 mph on a space saver does not appeal to me). Fortunately, my new car has a full size spare. One other concern I have with respect to electric and PHEV's is this. In the UK we are getting very close to critical in our National Grid capacity during the winter months. Various governments have shied away from nuclear until now. But what happens should we start getting brown outs, for instance?
DM personal Jesus ! 👍 I can't help but think of it in every golf GTE video since I watched this video. 😅
I can see a lot more plug in hybrids appearing because manufacturers can carry on with servicing all the oily bits and the money that brings in. The salesperson can make the customer feel green and encourage the thinking that a pure EV will never be practical for someone doing longer trips (and one long trip per year is enough to convince most people). I am hoping the Tesla Model 3 will start to blow this thinking out of the water (I am less hopeful the Leaf will because it will still have a max 50kw charge rate for the foreseeable future, I have a Zoe ZE40 and it is great but not much good if I did a lot of 200 mile plus journeys - which I don't)..
Absolutely brilliant review. Well-explained, highly cogent content. I love Bobby dearly, but Jonny is a huge upgrade in actual automotive journalism. Perhaps Bobby gets to focus more on cleantech and new tech?
Hopefully VW will do their usual great job on the upcoming, new-platform, pure EVs. If so, they may be excellent cars. For example, eGolf, while based on the fossil car, is a very good pure EV. It's still very much Golf-like, which is a good thing indeed.
Does the DCC option make the ride quality better than the standard suspension? Or is it still harsh?
Real EV range - 16 degrees C - 23 miles - give or take a few.
Great package, would be great here in Canada where we have real distance driving as part of daily life. I assume it’s too expensive though for most Golf customers and sells here as the Audi e-tron in bits and pieces.
Plug in hybrids are a nice stepping stone to a fully electric car with 300-400 mile range sometime in the future. My daily commute is 40 miles and so I would like min 50 mile electric range. We have 2 cheap Honda Civics at the moment and I would rather keep one of them for longer journeys and buy a completely electric car such as the upcoming 200 mile Nissan Leaf for my daily commute. However, if I could only have 1 car in our household a plug in hybrid would be the best solution.
yes the gorgeous plaid seats are available, but where there's red on the gti seats it's blue on the gte
11:05, is it as safe in a rear-end collision if the gas tank is behind the rear axle? Higher likelihood of it puncturing.
Getting about 56MPG real world average in a 2016 Prius hybrid (not the plugin version).
Could get a Chevy Bolt that's 0-60 in a tad less than 7 seconds and all electric..
from now till end of the year you get subsidies that sum up to a 12.000 euro discount when you buy a vw plug in or full electric
nice but still, for me one of the big arguments for getting an electric car is to get rid of the petrol engine and all its needs for maintenance... hybrids are therefor not interesting imo.
the only kind of hybrid i'd even look at are REX added EVs. cars that can be properly used as EVs only, with some petrol just to charge the battery. if i'd need more range than EVs give. which i don't. but hybrids that have an engine touching the wheels? gosh no. so awkward
John A; imo getting a full EV or a hybrid EV depends on the driver's living situation and access to charging. For some only a plug in hybrid EV will work. I wish the EV range of this car was 50+ miles like the Chevy Volt but the concept is not a bad one for many people.
9a2er No clutches or belts? Does it engage the transmission using magic?
9a2er You really should look up how a planetary gearbox works. It is as complex as a DCT, a nightmare to produce due to internal gearing and, guess what, uses the same style of clutch to engage different gears the DCT uses. But the DCT works without a hydrocoupling which means a lot less oil being dragged around and it shifts a lot faster.
Company car tax is a pretty good argument at the moment
Jonny does look at bit like Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode
Your facial hair is impressive. I like the precision
Joe this made me chuckle
I live in a very small town. A round trip to work and back is seven miles. I can drive to the biggest grocery store in my town and back home, and only drive eight and half miles.
Excellent professional review Johnny, however you did not mention the 'elephant in the room' how much will it be worth for re sale in 6 years time...
What is the 0-62 time on just electric drive? Does it pull as well as it does with the engine lit up? Or is it like running a full on EV in something like eco mode?
I like the speedo (Nissan Leaf take note) , the reversing camera is kind of cool (but only really useful on commercial vehicles and motorhomes surely) but these hybrids, come on give us more than a token battery, 20-30kwh , even if it had a weedy 1.0 ICE and small petrol tank as backup.
Can the regen braking mode totally keep your battery topped up, or do u have to charge it at some point?
True its either electric or gas I agree John A.
Why would you want both.
Ill wait till I am due a new car in 3 years, there will be a lot more around then.
Yes Jonny! Thank you! It's something that really irks me about the Golf GTE is the use of GTE; I've owned a number of Astra GTE's and so will ever associate the badge with those.
I'm surprised VW were allowed to use it but I suppose it can be argued that the "E "in this case stands for Electric/Elektrisch rather than Einspritzung, the German for injection.
To disappear further up the backend of this, I would suppose, one again, Opel/Vauxhall used GTE back in the day to avoid encroaching on VW's use of GTI?
Hmmmmmm......
Also: Great to see the images of the classic GTE's in the Vid! : D
interesting... *predictive hybrid mode*... is there any existing android or iphone app which would show me upcoming road signs and turns avg. speeds to let me better shift gears?
I like how they hid the charge port behind the VW Badge. Front mounted charge ports are the most convenient. Never did understand why Tesla insist on a rear mounted charge port.
Amazing car 😍 I have one of my self and is simply amazing 😍😍
One of my concerns is that Gasoline degrades over time and looses its octane (not to mention turning into "varnish"). In a dominant electric range I am wondering how would one best balance that. Keep the tank with only a gallon or 2 till you wanted to go on a road trip (less weight also)? Keep it topped off with stabilizer additive? Being empty would not be a good idea for the fuel pump nor the tank.
Other then the gas tank another hang up is that any main frame engine would still require all the added weight support components of a standard engine like coolant, exhaust, oil...
The best idea I have come across is a mini engine power plant similar to a Generator. This would be contained and thus its components would not weigh near as much not having to run the length of the car. Would love to see an idea like this implemented on one of the cars.
Q Az the tank is pressurised
LOL it really sounds like it.
'Reach out and touch faith!!!'
Does the 1.4TSI have cylinder deactivation? What makes it a GT - better handling set-up?, more sporty tires? lighter materials? Note the normal Golf GT has nothing special apart from some interior finishes and nicer looking bits stuck to the car.
I hope "predictive hybrid strategy" is a delete option. Imaging your (network connected) car knowing where you are whether you have and use GPS on or not.
second note needs a lot more sustain and some harmonic. But wow, sure is the same notes and timing!
Like the car, don't mind it being hybrid either, but would prefer for everyday driving, CVT or regular automatic instead of DSG robotic system. There's too much to go wrong or wear out with a DSG. But they are quick. Ideal on a track, not such a good idea in daily traffic. I also don't like how DSG puts the clutch in when standing still. I prefer to feel the transmission pulling a bit on the drive wheels.
I wish we had this in canada!
Do any of the current Golf or Passat (Both normal and GTE) have adaptive cruise control with roadsign/gps assist? (So it changes to the zone your entering)
great review. I really like the GTE but I think they should have made the electric range to 100 km. than they would have nailed it.
If they made a 100 km range what would the cars weight have been ? 🙄
Was going to get a GTE, got a GTi Dsg instead. Never looked back!
Keep Jonny on the cars and Robert on the other stuff
If the fuel tank is taking up the boot floor, where does the spare tyre go? They took that away?
The notes when the car starts up are:
C, F
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus starts:
C#, F#
close enough.