VW Golf Blue-e-motion

Volkswagen has fitted its electric Golf with some very clever innovations, which are certain to make it a big hit. On top of that the impressive all-round ability of the standard Golf is transferred directly across to the all-electric version. The only real criticism you can level at it is the fact that it has a limited range and it’s likely to be very expensive. But those are complaints you can level at any electric car.

The most famous family car in the world is preparing to go electric, and in the run up to the 2014 launch of the battery-powered Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-motion, the German firm let us have a go in an early prototype model.

The most important thing to know is that you won’t actually be able to walk in to a dealership in 2014 and buy this car. While the powertrain will be nearly identical, the Blue-e-motion will be sold for the first time as a Golf MkVII model, which will be unveiled later this year.

The powertrain itself is a 113bhp electric motor, which allows for a 0-62mph in 11.8 seconds but the instant torque, smooth progress and silent running make it feel much quicker. In reality it’s slower than the 104bhp 1.6-litre diesel model, but it really doesn’t feel it.

To continue the comparisons, Volkswagen claims the Blue-e-motion weighs about 205kgs more than the diesel and with all that extra weight there are a few compromises to the way it drives. Handling isn’t quite as agile as a standard Golf and the ride has a firmness that is uncharacteristic of the family hatch. A bit of last minute tweaking will sort the problem, and it’s probably something that will be unnoticeable on the final production car.

Even with complaints about the handling, the Golf Blue-e-motion is still the best electric car on sale in terms of driving enjoyment. Volkswagen has clearly made an effort to make that the case too and on our car was fitted with paddles behind the steering wheel that could be used to control regenerative braking. Flick the left hand paddle coming in to a corner and it feels as though you’re changing down a gear.

There are a few other clever touches on the Blue-e-motion too, like a charging point hidden in the VW badge in the grille, a pedestrian warning noise that sounds like the rumble of a V8 engine and a solar sunroof that can power the air-con when the car is parked.

Despite all of Volkswagen’s efforts to make the Golf an electric car without compromises, it still faces the same problem as every other battery-powered car. Officially the range is 93 miles but on our short test route the computer told us we were more likely to get around 60 miles. There are Comfort+ and Range+ modes, which limit the power on offer, but they also make the Golf feel a bit sluggish.

Compare the Blue-e-motion with the current crop of electric cars though and it still shows a huge amount of promise. There may be some finishing touches to apply and some pricing to finalise but if Volkswagen can get both those things spot-on then the Golf looks set to continue its success in an entirely new market.