Skip advert
Advertisement

Volkswagen Passat GTE 2016 review

Do the sums add up for the plug-in hybrid Volkswagen Passat GTE on British roads?

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Find your Volkswagen Passat
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The Passat GTE offers a largely impressive blend of performance, refinement and efficiency. It allows you to enjoy the smoothness of electric power around town without the associated range anxiety, while also offering the long-distance performance of a normal petrol car. It’s smoother than a diesel model, but it doesn’t quite live up to the implied sportiness of the GTE badge. You’ll also need to make sure your volume of journeys justify the price hike over the conventionally powered car, though, as the real-world economy bonus isn’t always that great.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The diesel engine isn’t dead yet, but Volkswagen isn’t taking any chances. The manufacturer has begun its rapid expansion into alternative forms of propulsion – and the Passat GTE is the newest addition to the electrified fleet.

While it’s some way from the long-range pure EVs that VW has in the works, the Passat GTE, as with its smaller Golf GTE cousin, offers a halfway house between a full EV and a conventional combustion engine by providing both. Here, it’s a combination of a 154bhp 1.4 TSI petrol engine and a 114bhp electric motor, giving a total system output of 215bhp.

Best hybrid cars for sale

At first glance, only keen petrolheads would spot that this wasn’t a normal Passat. It looks much the same as a GT model, apart from a subtle blue line above the grille and blue-tinted GTE badging. The charging flap is hidden in the grille, although it’s flimsier than you’d expect from a VW.

Horseshoe-shaped LED running lights in the bumper give the game away, however, while it’s similarly discreet inside. In fact, only the blue ambient lighting strips and the power distribution readouts remind you this is a hybrid. That’s a good thing; the Passat is a smart-looking car and, in typical VW fashion, fit and finish are on par with interiors from BMW and Jaguar.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

GLC

2022 Mercedes

GLC

75,544 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £20,097
View GLC
Grandland X

2018 Vauxhall

Grandland X

41,400 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash £11,100
View Grandland X
Mokka

2021 Vauxhall

Mokka

33,983 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £13,100
View Mokka
Arona

2021 SEAT

Arona

21,085 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £12,500
View Arona

The Passat GTE is all about choice, and there are plenty of ways to configure your driving experience. You can simply ignore the plug-in element altogether; the default Hybrid mode will balance the two power sources until the battery runs dry.

Or select E-mode and you’ll glide smoothly on electric power for as many as 31 miles at up to 81mph, while Recharge tops up the batteries at the expense of fuel economy.

Left to its own devices, the Passat GTE will do a bit of all three, and despite the odd lurch the powertrain slips between each mode pretty seamlessly.

Best family cars to buy right now

An additional button by the gearlever shows VW’s intent to make this Passat a performance-orientated hybrid. Marked GTE, it primes both motors for full output, while at the same time weighting up the steering, improving throttle response and (optionally) stiffening the dampers. In that mode it will do 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds, thanks to the electric motor’s instant punch.

The VW still doesn’t feel particularly sporting out of town, though, where a top-spec diesel Passat is just as quick. Take it out of GTE mode and it’s still brisk, but if you’re not gentle with the throttle it will hold on to lower gears too long and start feeling like a CVT when, actually, it’s a six-speed dual-clutch box. Still, at least you can take manual control, while you can also increase the amount of regenerative braking with the paddles in electric mode.

Over our 180-mile test of the Passat GTE, which included a mix of motorways, country roads and city streets, the trip showed an average of 53mpg – that’s with two three-hour charges on a household plug. That’s far better than a similarly powered petrol car, and on par with the 2.0 TDI 190 diesel. It’ll increase if you stay in EV mode in town, but as is the way with plug-ins, it’s way off the claimed 166mpg. Still, 39g/km of CO2 is a big draw for company car buyers, and the GTE is London Congestion Charge exempt.

There are some sacrifices to be made, though. The Passat weighs 110kg more than the diesel auto, which means it feels less agile, with a bit more body movement in bends. The bigger issue, however, is the ride. It’s mainly firm but controlled, and smooth on the motorway, but the GTE can occasionally crash and thud as it struggles to deal with sharp bumps in town.

You lose 180 litres of underfloor boot storage thanks to the battery pack, too. Furthermore, even with the Government grant, the GTE is £4,000 pricier than a similarly fast and impressively frugal 2.0 TDI.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,672 off RRP*Used from £15,925
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,625Avg. savings £2,795 off RRP*Used from £11,895
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £26,995Avg. savings £7,541 off RRP*Used from £11,000
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,474 off RRP*Used from £15,975
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand
Cyberster Black - front 3/4

New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand

MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car
News
10 Jul 2025
New Mazda CX-5 revealed with fresh looks, more space and far fewer buttons
Mazda CX-5 - front

New Mazda CX-5 revealed with fresh looks, more space and far fewer buttons

The Mazda CX-5 has been revolutionised to take on the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson
News
10 Jul 2025