I don't get why VW have priced it a fraction over £40k. Just knock £301 off the price and it won't get taxed as a luxury vehicle, because from where I am sitting, the Golf GTE is not a luxury car.
All MK8 GTI’s in North America run the 340mm brakes…. We’re they an option in the UK? He keeps going on about the brakes being small, but 340mm are quite big.
A great "real world" review of the GTE, excellent content, as always. You mentioned the handling - I'd guess a lot of that is down to the 17" wheels & the 50 (I think you said) profile tyres? It would be interesting to put18" wheels & decent tyres on it to compare. I know my Golf R feels a bit like that (it's fine, once it settles into a corner, but lacks that initial bite) when I've got my 17" winters on. I don't particularly like the 8/8.5 golf, but distinct to the GTE, why have VW never given us a GTE estate? That, to me, would solve a lot of the carrying capacity issues. At least you'd have a longer load bay, if not a deeper one. Would make it even heavier though, I suppose, which might be a reason it hasn't been done. Mind you, wasn't there a Passat estate GTE at one time - that would be even heavier! It's something which would actually be useful to me - I could easily commute to/from work purely on electric, for one thing. But I'll never buy a GTE for 2 reasons: no estate & no premium sound system! Not important to most people, probably, but a definite 👎 for me.
07:33 "being the black styling pack we've lost the blue from the grill, so apart from the badge, it does look like a GTi with the black styling pack now" - erm, no Andy, it doesn't. Because it is missing the most obvious GTi identifier , THE RED STRIPE ON THE GRILL 😆
What's the issue? You sit inside, you don't stare at the wheels all day. Would rather have smaller wheels and cheaper tyre continental tyre costs than bigger wheels that will crack on the UK roads. Far better to spend the extra on interior options. Blank buttons are revolting.
Nothing wrong with the wheels if they were on a base spec golf. Just with the sporty styling on the bumpers, grill, spoiler etc, they don’t match. It looks like someone’s bought a GTi and downgraded the wheels
@@jonathanprescott5292as a Gti driver that's exactly one of the reasons I skip the gte asuch as I want to go battery but I do get it... The wheels help with the eco side
Mk7.5 GTE owner from new and i’ve absolutely loved it. Was considering the new GTE but don't like the way modern cars are going with the ipad screen and digital distraction. They are all at it. Gonna stick with the 7.5 and give it some 7 year TLC in spring next year.
I have a company EV (not a Golf) due to change mid next year and have looked at the figures for the GTE Hybrid. It’s reasonable on leasing and BIK, but that few pounds over £40k is going to add £820 to the lease cost over 3 years. Whilst I love the Golf, can’t see me getting one unless it comes down below £40k including a decent metallic colour.
Ive ordered one as my new company car. Im bit disappointed with no wheel optition other than the 17" Richmond alloys, but im getting it mainly to save loads of tax, so i can live with them.
@rossm7559 I'm given a list and I can pick a car, so I only worry about the BIK value and how much tax i will pay. My current car is a BMW 1 series 120d sport, so will be saving well over £100 a month tax, and hopefully getting the same kind of mpg but cheaper fuel.
@@kn0t2brite thanks for the reply. Understood. I’m not eligible for a paid for car, so would be paying myself through salary sacrifice. Seems like the cheapest way to get a decent spec Golf because of the BIK.
I know it’s Apples and oranges and new cars get discounted etc. But I’ve not long bought a 2020 Mercedes A45S, fully loaded with every option, pan sunroof, 421bhp and a beautiful interior. Ok, it’s used but only 18000 miles. And only £38k. Why on earth would I buy something like this? Used cars offer so much more value than these cars.
Pretty much same boat though not as much of a beast as the A45s I just bought a BMW 128ti 2022 model with all the options and 15K miles for GBP 24K, just cannot understand the absurd pricing for new cars as you can save so much more buying approved used or low milage cars and save a fortune...New car pricing especially for what was once suppossed to be the affordable everymans hot hatch in the GTi type cars is just terrible now and so many are priced out.
I had an A3 45 TFSIe which has a little less power for a few weeks earlier this year. I could have warmed to it, apart from traction off the line. Inside wheel would spin unless so so gentle and in the wet it was very hard to avoid completely, with the torque delivery breaking traction at some point. I am used to driving a quattro drivetrain, but worse than a combustion fwd and worse than a full EV fwd also.
I used to drive the 2.0cc DSG and now in the previous generation GTE 245hp. Unfortunately the whole feel of the car handle-wise, performance-wise, brake-wise is no way near the GTi. I’m not against EVs or hybrids it’s them not being my cup of tea. Thx for reading my post.
Another great review thanks. I'd be very interested as a private buyer but the main dealbreaker for me is the smaller boot leaving nowhere for a space saver wheel. Having suffered a puncture in a remote area with a useless puncture repair kit, I will not run a car without a spare wheel again, although they're rapidly becoming an endangered species. For now, I'll stick to my Golf 2.0 TSI 4 Motion , which I'm very happy with. Also a great shame the list price is marginally over the £40k tax threshold.
As you've said, one of the big benefits is the company car tax (which is why ill probably get this one), but my biggest problem is I really dont like those alloys... The older MK8 or 7.5 stock ones look so much better
09:45 "what is different, is that we've lost the silver trims from the rear bumper. Which sorta looked like fake exhausts. Now we just got like a little sorta, weird, diffuser. There's no exhausts pipes or anything" - wrong Andy. Whilst the fake exhaust effect has gone, the silver trim REMAINS on the GTE. The reason why there's no silver trim on the rear of your review GTE is because it has the black styling pack. 😏
Agreed re £40k. Do Hyundai market a similar car? The Ioniq 6N is the only hot hatch and that is just a white (or light blue) elephant with its £60k+ price tag
@volkswizard Not yet, but they soon will in the EV space. I would imagine the Kia EV3 platform will be a good basis for it. I imagine an Ioniq 3N (or whatever it ends up being called) will be launched as a more high-sales-volume product which learns from the experience gained in developing and selling the 5N. HMG will happily mop up customers turned off VW Group vehicles by baffling strategic decisions. I hope to be wrong but I fear for the future of VW GTis in the electric and hybrid era. It's not enough for VW to make "nice" cars any more. They need to make financial sense and recover some lost "wow" factor. Frankly, they need another big moment like the launch of the Mk5 Golf GTi.
I had a 2014 Mk7 Golf GT on 17” wheels and it looked fine to me. But this 8.5 on 17” just doesn’t look right. I’ve not driven a hybrid so am totally armchair critic here but tbh the complexity of the options when on the move and pressing on (aka seeking pure driving enjoyment) sound frustrating to me. Combine that with an odd brake response/consistency and I just sense I would be gritting my teeth rather than flowing down the road with a smile. Maybe the fly in the ointment is the GTE nomenclature…. Just call it an unpretentious Golf Hybrid perhaps and be content to enjoy the car at normal everyday clogged road journey speeds without a GTE badge nagging in the background. Having a petrol GTi in the garage for the weekend sounds like a good idea🙂
@volkswizard The Golf GTE has an electromechanical brake booster that gives a slightly different brake pedal feel. Then you have maximum torque due to the hybrid system immediately at axle ratio from 0-60 and you get a lot of torque steer. That's what I experienced on my father's mk7 gte.
Do the paddles allow adjustable regen when not in manual gear change mode as adding some regen helps driving on windy roads with less use of the brake pedal and charges the battery.
Hi Andrew, great video I do agree the brake calipars should be blue with 18inch wheels to give it a more sporty look. It’s a Golf so will always be a good car :) I’m still drawn to the GTI 265 a perfect car. Thank you Vdub :)
@@jonathonbrett-qn1ic I cannot understand why they've put red brake calipers on it. I have a Passat GTE and that has blue brake calipers, so why not on the latest Golf GTE?
Got one being delivered in a few days time, via the wife's NHS lease scheme. 15 mile round trip, im expecting it to be a great little commuter for little outlay. We will see.
You'll love it I've had a old vauxhall ampera for many years and cost me £30 a month to go to work and back lmfao as opposed to 50 to 70 per week in my 2016 diesel insignia
You mentioned the brakes again!… i have a MK 8 GTI I know what you mean I also have a MK4 caddy as my work vehicle and love it the brake pedal feels way better than the golf!! Maybe I should put a EA888 engine in it The you can review it 😂
The GTE will never be as sporty as a GTI, but that does not mean it is not fun. I have a Golf 7 GTE, and it can turn and is very fun, but it is also very economical. Yes the gti is a lot more stiff and sporty, but if you are looking for a golf that can turn and have as much power as a GTI, and can be economical. The GTE is a great option.
A really nice daily drive economical but sporty Golf would be to bring back the old GTS. This could be the GTi exterior and interior and with a tuned version (say 180hp) of the 1.5 mild hybrid drive train from the dull as dishwater Match model.
I can see the benefits, but businesses might not be happy with the push into the luxury car tax bracket. As an individual owner the interior looks a little cheap still which is where you'll be spending most of your time. I'll stick with my mk7.5 GTE thanks.
Is it a hybrid where you have all the engine related gubbins and complexity (e.g. a DSG gearbox) and the motor and all the additional auxiliary parts required to run the electric side is bolted on? Once this thing starts playing up, after warranty runs out (obviously), these things will go to a scrapper rather than being fixed. Great eco success.
Big question for a more detailed review is what the mpg and also performance is like say on a 300 mile trip once the battery is low. The best PHEVs like Toyota Honda and Kia give really good mpg in hybrid mode due to the way their hybrids work and optimised regen.
I will not pay for a car that carries the “luxury tax” over £40k. Utterly ridiculous. £390 per month for a totally boring looking car. I own a VW - the current models are uninspiring, over priced. The industry as a whole is ripping us off with this government doing the same. 🤨🤓
Unlike some of the other commenters, I LOVE the wheels. To my mind, these are the correct wheel size for a UK Golf with our broken roads. I like how they look too. If I was in the fortunate enough position to be offered a company car, I'd be happy with one of these. But as a private buyer who usually buys nice 4 year old cars, I'm not so sure... I'd definitely need a decent warranty on it.... if people like me are nervous, used values will suffer. Nice to see you can now get it in red!
I visited vw the other day and looked at the new models and I am really surprised by the poor quality of the design In the new models unfortunately not the least attention has been paid to comfort and ergonomic details
09:14 "There's no option to upgrade. So, if you wanna fit 18s, go find somebody who's got a standard GTi with Richmonds who wants to upgrade those. And they'll probably make the GTE look very close to a GTi" - Yes Andy, a GTi on stilts😑 I seen a lot of German MK8.5 GTE's running the 18inch upgrade alloy (Catania). I can't believe the UK version doesn't get this option. Even the Mk8.5 Golf Match has the 18inch Catania upgrade wheel option.... 🙄
Only my opinion, but I question the hybrid idea completely.. Batteries just don't make any sense if your mission in life is to save the planet... The cost of manufacture and the disposal further down the road doesn't add up for me.. You may also factor in the additional weight of the car and the added wear on tyres and brakes... Doesn't work for me..., sorry..., but love the pure ICE versions of the car...
Yeah same as base spec Golf Life. Probably to get it 1gram under the emissions... The boot is now smaller than a Polo. If you want a spare wheel then you have no boot. 😢
I looked at one of those for my next car but those wheels, the wheels are awful a d there wasnt an option to upgrade, ive gone for the Kodiaq IV instead.
I took delivery of an A3 45 TFSIe in May as my company car, but if I were to order a new one today I'd probably go for this. Perhaps not particularly relevant but I'm loving the A3, having a lot of fun and still returning 45mpg long-term despite never plugging it in. Something I find particularly amusing is putting the gearbox in sport, then selecting EV mode, feels really punchy around town and has much more regen braking than in D. You can even use the paddles to shift gears in EV mode which is hilarious
@ The parking where I live is too far from the building for a cable to reach, no power source near it. I still benefit from electric driving around town though because I put the car in charge mode whenever I'm driving out of town, of course this impacts motorway fuel economy. Besides, I have a company fuel card and I pay 15p a mile for private milage, regardless of whether I get 20 or 60 mpg. Would of course have a very different attitude if I were a private buyer
You lost me at over 40k so luxury car tax plus the small boot, the weight and the small brakes? Just buy the GTI or even the new Skoda VRS in estate form. Some really good deals at the moment on base stock GTIs. You were struggling to recommend it in your summing up?
It's easy to forget that most car buyers are business or fleet and for them the company car tax matters a lot. HMRC have basically taxed diesel out of contention now hence why there is no GTD in UK now and GTI is so heavily taxed that you'd have to be mad to run one over a GTE. So for them, yes there are compromises (the boot for one) but they aren't too bad considering the tax saving - the alternative is a pure EV like ID.3 but a lot of people don't like the range anxiety. For private buyers, unless you really want to save on fuel, which you now will do due to the massive increase in the GTE's range, then GTI makes more sense. Though how many base GTI owners actually push the car's very high dynamic boundaries? For those who don't, for £900 more the GTE must be quite intruiging . In reality, as you say the GTI will be subject to bigger discounts that the GTE so the gap will be higher. As I've said before, it's great to have the choice!
@@volkswizard Yes I agree with everything you say about BIK. Most people I know in the 40% tax bracket have gone down the BMW route as they wouldn't even consider the GTE. My next door neighbour has just got a new 5 series plug in as a company car and can guarantee it will never get plugged in but just run on fuel supplied by the company as it is just a tax dodge?
Recent budget and changes to PHEV BIK in a few years will make the monthly tax bill considerably higher when it kicks in. Get one now, whilst the monthlies are attractive! Those badges on the front doors are hideous. So unsubtle!
I have a 7.5 GTi. It has two sets of wheels - 19" Brescia (225/35) and 17" Brooklyn (225/45) (which was the standard GTI wheel in Germany). Both wheels are 7.5" wide. Its remarkably similar to drive on both, DCC helps, but the crashing and banging from the 19s on broken winter roads here in the West of Scotland is just too much for me, the 17s take the edge off the harshness without spoiling the handling. If you can stop yourself worrying about the looks, I think the 17s are the better dynamic compromise for our terrible roads.
£300 over the “Luxury car” tax limit, that has to be an own goal. In reality though, nobody is going to buy a basic poverty spec car though so maybe it does not matter.
I don't know about that, I see loads of basic spec ex-fleet VWs at auctions, mainly because adding options has a disproportionate effect on the leasing cost.
Is it possible to drive it ONLY in EV mode ? Without the petrol engine to kick in?..only if the driver choose ... I really hate while driving in EV mode...and the petrol engine is ded cold but suddenly is kicking in at 3-4-5k rpm ...THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETELY FORBIDDEN ... I've seen at the end that you went to EV alone...is there any point wheret the petrol engine kicks in ?
Yes I have a Golf 8 GTE and drive it only EV mode almost all the time. Sometimes of course the engine will kick in if you really boost it but I don't do this. Maybe once a month I will kick the petrol engine into life to stop it growing cobwebs. And then it won't go back into EV only for a few minutes - presumably to give it the chance to warm up.
I’m not an electric car fan but actually it is not right to say that the battery won’t last the lifetime of the car. Most cars will be scrapped after 15 to 20 years and several studies have shown that the batteries have only lost less than 10% capacity after several years of use. It’s only 1st gen electric cars like Nissan Leafs where capacity is down to unusable levels. But then their 100% capacity when new was less than 100 miles in the first place.
Absolutely pointless, I just don’t understand why people test a car when one of the most important factors is the battery range and charge time, yet don’t go from full to flat on the battery and see what the actual real world range is. Makes no sense. Same as a 48 hour test drive with a max 100 mile range. I’ll skip, ta.
I did state I had limited time with car and want to spend more time with one in due course. Have got the Style e-hybrid in for full review soon. I appreciate this review didn’t cover everything but it still covered a lot which the stats and brochures (and most other reviews) can’t tell you
Why are you worried by "driving dynamics" and "good enough to drive" or "is it fun"?? That's such a "car reviewer" approach which doesn't reflect what most car buyers are interested in. Of course they're good enough to drive. Stop trying to persuade drivers to go too fast or "dynamically" whatever that means. I have a Golf 8 GTE (with the wheels that people don't seem to like!) which is a fabulous car for most of my journeys and I'm in the market for the new 8.5 GTE but I have no intention of driving "dynamically". I'm interested in the range (which now seems to be exceptional for a hybrid), the kit, the smoothness of the drive and the efficiency. Good to see the faster nav and the physical buttons coming back - plus the loss of the "exhaust" pipes trim which meant nothing anyway. Otherwise I like the review - thanks.
The reason driving dynamics are importantly is because the GTE is marketed as a hybrid GTI and the way a GTI distinguishes itself from the rest of the range aside from aesthetics is driving dynamics. This is even more important now as the range has an e-hybrid Golf with basically the same drivetrain but with no sporty pretensions it will do 100 miles on electricity. So if the GTE doesn’t drive markedly better than why buy it unless it’s for superficial reasons like the badge? GTE dynamics are also important as Mk9 GTI will be hybrid so this is the last chance to see how well the engineers are able to mask the extra weight and complexity. Assuming DCC they’ve done a good job aside from the woeful brake pedal feel which as a GTI buyer is enough to put me off.
@@volkswizard Thanks for your detailed reply. I am aware of the e-hybrid and didn't choose it for the v8 Golf as it was cheaper to lease the GTE than the e-hybrid (presumably forecast residuals is part of this). But I also like the higher spec (the weird but effective foglights, the matrix lights, auto-beam (excellent)), plus the more snug seats. And, yes, I think it looks better. I have got accustomed to the brakes which are definitely unusual to start with and I don't know what can be done with these if we want re-generation which can be really effective (I can get an extra 2 miles on parts of the M1 southbound without even trying, just with a slight downhill) so I like the re-generation. It's been my first non-fully-ICE experience and I do like driving on electricity more than I expected. Re my first point, I guess as I have got more experienced I instinctively avoid encouraging "dynamic" driving as some see it as a reason to drive less-than-sensibly!
I detest the ipad slapped onto the dash system. It's ugly and distracting. Eyes should always be on the road. So I'd could never drive something like this. The car is also extremely bland with no emotion and the crappiest set of wheels I've ever seen on a 40k car. Seen better on Seat Ibiza. I'll keep my Mk6 GTI till it funking dies.
Wheels let it down massively
I don't get why VW have priced it a fraction over £40k.
Just knock £301 off the price and it won't get taxed as a luxury vehicle, because from where I am sitting, the Golf GTE is not a luxury car.
Probably so you're not put off buying more options
@@crazyforiegner2 Just put off buying the car 🙂 Is 40k ‘luxury’ car price these days?
Hi, the brakes are actually 340mm the same as the gti. 312mm was on the old mk6 and non performance mk7 gti. Thanks
Hi Andrew, sorry! I’m going to say it again 😬, The GTI (265) front brake discs are 340mm!
@@cfbm125 he’s said the same thing about mk8 gti brakes being 312mm. 😁
@@timosmond3625yes he did! I pointed it out then too, but seeing that Andrew keeps saying 312mm, I don’t think he believes me 🙂.
All MK8 GTI’s in North America run the 340mm brakes…. We’re they an option in the UK? He keeps going on about the brakes being small, but 340mm are quite big.
@@Daver-2000no not an option, the brakes are 340mm standard fitment worldwide.
@@Daver-2000 hi, 340mm is standard in uk and Europe. Andrew is mistaken.
A great "real world" review of the GTE, excellent content, as always.
You mentioned the handling - I'd guess a lot of that is down to the 17" wheels & the 50 (I think you said) profile tyres? It would be interesting to put18" wheels & decent tyres on it to compare. I know my Golf R feels a bit like that (it's fine, once it settles into a corner, but lacks that initial bite) when I've got my 17" winters on.
I don't particularly like the 8/8.5 golf, but distinct to the GTE, why have VW never given us a GTE estate? That, to me, would solve a lot of the carrying capacity issues. At least you'd have a longer load bay, if not a deeper one. Would make it even heavier though, I suppose, which might be a reason it hasn't been done. Mind you, wasn't there a Passat estate GTE at one time - that would be even heavier!
It's something which would actually be useful to me - I could easily commute to/from work purely on electric, for one thing. But I'll never buy a GTE for 2 reasons: no estate & no premium sound system! Not important to most people, probably, but a definite 👎 for me.
07:33 "being the black styling pack we've lost the blue from the grill, so apart from the badge, it does look like a GTi with the black styling pack now"
- erm, no Andy, it doesn't. Because it is missing the most obvious GTi identifier , THE RED STRIPE ON THE GRILL 😆
Just like the previous generation, the wheels spoilt it
Nothing wrong with 17" wheels for UK roads but the design/finish looks cheap and just does not suit the car at all
What's the issue? You sit inside, you don't stare at the wheels all day. Would rather have smaller wheels and cheaper tyre continental tyre costs than bigger wheels that will crack on the UK roads. Far better to spend the extra on interior options. Blank buttons are revolting.
Nothing wrong with the wheels if they were on a base spec golf. Just with the sporty styling on the bumpers, grill, spoiler etc, they don’t match. It looks like someone’s bought a GTi and downgraded the wheels
@@jonathanprescott5292as a Gti driver that's exactly one of the reasons I skip the gte asuch as I want to go battery but I do get it... The wheels help with the eco side
Mk7.5 GTE owner from new and i’ve absolutely loved it. Was considering the new GTE but don't like the way modern cars are going with the ipad screen and digital distraction. They are all at it. Gonna stick with the 7.5 and give it some 7 year TLC in spring next year.
I have a company EV (not a Golf) due to change mid next year and have looked at the figures for the GTE Hybrid. It’s reasonable on leasing and BIK, but that few pounds over £40k is going to add £820 to the lease cost over 3 years. Whilst I love the Golf, can’t see me getting one unless it comes down below £40k including a decent metallic colour.
Ive ordered one as my new company car. Im bit disappointed with no wheel optition other than the 17" Richmond alloys, but im getting it mainly to save loads of tax, so i can live with them.
What's the hit on your take home? Getting quoted about £500 a month (all in, after BIK) with Zenith no options and want to know if that is typical.
@rossm7559 I'm given a list and I can pick a car, so I only worry about the BIK value and how much tax i will pay. My current car is a BMW 1 series 120d sport, so will be saving well over £100 a month tax, and hopefully getting the same kind of mpg but cheaper fuel.
@@kn0t2brite thanks for the reply. Understood. I’m not eligible for a paid for car, so would be paying myself through salary sacrifice. Seems like the cheapest way to get a decent spec Golf because of the BIK.
I know it’s Apples and oranges and new cars get discounted etc. But I’ve not long bought a 2020 Mercedes A45S, fully loaded with every option, pan sunroof, 421bhp and a beautiful interior. Ok, it’s used but only 18000 miles. And only £38k. Why on earth would I buy something like this? Used cars offer so much more value than these cars.
Pretty much same boat though not as much of a beast as the A45s I just bought a BMW 128ti 2022 model with all the options and 15K miles for GBP 24K, just cannot understand the absurd pricing for new cars as you can save so much more buying approved used or low milage cars and save a fortune...New car pricing especially for what was once suppossed to be the affordable everymans hot hatch in the GTi type cars is just terrible now and so many are priced out.
I had an A3 45 TFSIe which has a little less power for a few weeks earlier this year. I could have warmed to it, apart from traction off the line. Inside wheel would spin unless so so gentle and in the wet it was very hard to avoid completely, with the torque delivery breaking traction at some point. I am used to driving a quattro drivetrain, but worse than a combustion fwd and worse than a full EV fwd also.
I used to drive the 2.0cc DSG and now in the previous generation GTE 245hp. Unfortunately the whole feel of the car handle-wise, performance-wise, brake-wise is no way near the GTi. I’m not against EVs or hybrids it’s them not being my cup of tea. Thx for reading my post.
Another great review thanks. I'd be very interested as a private buyer but the main dealbreaker for me is the smaller boot leaving nowhere for a space saver wheel. Having suffered a puncture in a remote area with a useless puncture repair kit, I will not run a car without a spare wheel again, although they're rapidly becoming an endangered species. For now, I'll stick to my Golf 2.0 TSI 4 Motion , which I'm very happy with. Also a great shame the list price is marginally over the £40k tax threshold.
As you've said, one of the big benefits is the company car tax (which is why ill probably get this one), but my biggest problem is I really dont like those alloys... The older MK8 or 7.5 stock ones look so much better
I love your Golf videos and the audio is much better! Keep up the good work!
09:45 "what is different, is that we've lost the silver trims from the rear bumper. Which sorta looked like fake exhausts. Now we just got like a little sorta, weird, diffuser. There's no exhausts pipes or anything"
- wrong Andy. Whilst the fake exhaust effect has gone, the silver trim REMAINS on the GTE. The reason why there's no silver trim on the rear of your review GTE is because it has the black styling pack. 😏
Bringing this to market over £40k is a marketing own goal.
This is a great car... if you're a Hyundai Motor Group shareholder.
Agreed re £40k. Do Hyundai market a similar car? The Ioniq 6N is the only hot hatch and that is just a white (or light blue) elephant with its £60k+ price tag
@volkswizard Not yet, but they soon will in the EV space. I would imagine the Kia EV3 platform will be a good basis for it.
I imagine an Ioniq 3N (or whatever it ends up being called) will be launched as a more high-sales-volume product which learns from the experience gained in developing and selling the 5N. HMG will happily mop up customers turned off VW Group vehicles by baffling strategic decisions.
I hope to be wrong but I fear for the future of VW GTis in the electric and hybrid era. It's not enough for VW to make "nice" cars any more. They need to make financial sense and recover some lost "wow" factor. Frankly, they need another big moment like the launch of the Mk5 Golf GTi.
Very comprehensive review. At the moment this is my choice for next year's company car renewal. Thank you.
I had a 2014 Mk7 Golf GT on 17” wheels and it looked fine to me. But this 8.5 on 17” just doesn’t look right.
I’ve not driven a hybrid so am totally armchair critic here but tbh the complexity of the options when on the move and pressing on (aka seeking pure driving enjoyment) sound frustrating to me. Combine that with an odd brake response/consistency and I just sense I would be gritting my teeth rather than flowing down the road with a smile.
Maybe the fly in the ointment is the GTE nomenclature…. Just call it an unpretentious Golf Hybrid perhaps and be content to enjoy the car at normal everyday clogged road journey speeds without a GTE badge nagging in the background.
Having a petrol GTi in the garage for the weekend sounds like a good idea🙂
@volkswizard The Golf GTE has an electromechanical brake booster that gives a slightly different brake pedal feel. Then you have maximum torque due to the hybrid system immediately at axle ratio from 0-60 and you get a lot of torque steer. That's what I experienced on my father's mk7 gte.
I ordered one yesterday here in Germany as my company car.With almost all the options .
Do the paddles allow adjustable regen when not in manual gear change mode as adding some regen helps driving on windy roads with less use of the brake pedal and charges the battery.
Hi Andrew, great video
I do agree the brake calipars should be blue with 18inch wheels to give it a more sporty look. It’s a Golf so will always be a good car :)
I’m still drawn to the GTI 265 a perfect car.
Thank you Vdub :)
@@jonathonbrett-qn1ic
I cannot understand why they've put red brake calipers on it.
I have a Passat GTE and that has blue brake calipers, so why not on the latest Golf GTE?
Got one being delivered in a few days time, via the wife's NHS lease scheme.
15 mile round trip, im expecting it to be a great little commuter for little outlay.
We will see.
Please put a gold star on your chart.
You'll love it I've had a old vauxhall ampera for many years and cost me £30 a month to go to work and back lmfao as opposed to 50 to 70 per week in my 2016 diesel insignia
You mentioned the brakes again!… i have a MK 8 GTI I know what you mean I also have a MK4 caddy as my work vehicle and love it the brake pedal feels way better than the golf!!
Maybe I should put a EA888 engine in it
The you can review it 😂
Take to darkside developments and have them tune it. Could make it faster than a Gti if you wish and diesel.
The GTE will never be as sporty as a GTI, but that does not mean it is not fun. I have a Golf 7 GTE, and it can turn and is very fun, but it is also very economical. Yes the gti is a lot more stiff and sporty, but if you are looking for a golf that can turn and have as much power as a GTI, and can be economical. The GTE is a great option.
No no , it’s got to be the gti clubsport or r 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Already tested
@ I know 🙏🤘
A really nice daily drive economical but sporty Golf would be to bring back the old GTS. This could be the GTi exterior and interior and with a tuned version (say 180hp) of the 1.5 mild hybrid drive train from the dull as dishwater Match model.
Looks great shame the wheels are not the bigger polished ones
I can see the benefits, but businesses might not be happy with the push into the luxury car tax bracket. As an individual owner the interior looks a little cheap still which is where you'll be spending most of your time. I'll stick with my mk7.5 GTE thanks.
Is it a hybrid where you have all the engine related gubbins and complexity (e.g. a DSG gearbox) and the motor and all the additional auxiliary parts required to run the electric side is bolted on? Once this thing starts playing up, after warranty runs out (obviously), these things will go to a scrapper rather than being fixed. Great eco success.
I wish VW would sell this in the US; it would be perfect as our commuter! I'll keep my GTI for myself, haha.
Agreed. Love my mk8 gti but the gte would be perfect for all those short city drives sitting in traffic wasting gas.
Make a nice change from all the Prius hybrids you have over there!
Big question for a more detailed review is what the mpg and also performance is like say on a 300 mile trip once the battery is low. The best PHEVs like Toyota Honda and Kia give really good mpg in hybrid mode due to the way their hybrids work and optimised regen.
I will not pay for a car that carries the “luxury tax” over £40k. Utterly ridiculous. £390 per month for a totally boring looking car. I own a VW - the current models are uninspiring, over priced. The industry as a whole is ripping us off with this government doing the same. 🤨🤓
Why no 18” Catania wheels option in the UK? European GTEs can have them.
Most company car drivers will go full electric as the BIK is only 2%, so they can spend even more on their weekend fun car. MG4 for £26k anyone?
Wouldn’t have one given I’ll stick with both my gti
Unlike some of the other commenters, I LOVE the wheels. To my mind, these are the correct wheel size for a UK Golf with our broken roads. I like how they look too. If I was in the fortunate enough position to be offered a company car, I'd be happy with one of these. But as a private buyer who usually buys nice 4 year old cars, I'm not so sure... I'd definitely need a decent warranty on it.... if people like me are nervous, used values will suffer. Nice to see you can now get it in red!
I visited vw the other day and looked at the new models and I am really surprised by the poor quality of the design In the new models unfortunately not the least attention has been paid to comfort and ergonomic details
09:14 "There's no option to upgrade. So, if you wanna fit 18s, go find somebody who's got a standard GTi with Richmonds who wants to upgrade those. And they'll probably make the GTE look very close to a GTi"
- Yes Andy, a GTi on stilts😑
I seen a lot of German MK8.5 GTE's running the 18inch upgrade alloy (Catania). I can't believe the UK version doesn't get this option. Even the Mk8.5 Golf Match has the 18inch Catania upgrade wheel option.... 🙄
Yeah. Why no Catania in the UK? Makes no sense.
If that was an estate I’d be ordering one
A GTI/GTE that's slower than an EV family car is hilarious 😂😂😂
Wait so the mileage is 0.33L/100L? So in real life even if it's close to that, wouldn't that be amazing? Would love to hear on view on this.
An extra 200kg is like having a Sumo wrestler permanently on board.
Only my opinion, but I question the hybrid idea completely.. Batteries just don't make any sense if your mission in life is to save the planet... The cost of manufacture and the disposal further down the road doesn't add up for me.. You may also factor in the additional weight of the car and the added wear on tyres and brakes... Doesn't work for me..., sorry..., but love the pure ICE versions of the car...
That new giant screen is hideous. And this from someone who's has owned 7 GTIs in a row including yhe current one.
What an ugly euro bore box
The alloys are a complete joke
Yeah same as base spec Golf Life. Probably to get it 1gram under the emissions... The boot is now smaller than a Polo. If you want a spare wheel then you have no boot. 😢
I looked at one of those for my next car but those wheels, the wheels are awful a d there wasnt an option to upgrade, ive gone for the Kodiaq IV instead.
Can you spec the Akra exhaust 😂
I took delivery of an A3 45 TFSIe in May as my company car, but if I were to order a new one today I'd probably go for this. Perhaps not particularly relevant but I'm loving the A3, having a lot of fun and still returning 45mpg long-term despite never plugging it in. Something I find particularly amusing is putting the gearbox in sport, then selecting EV mode, feels really punchy around town and has much more regen braking than in D. You can even use the paddles to shift gears in EV mode which is hilarious
Why don't you ever plug it in? You'd save a fortune in fuel costs!
@ The parking where I live is too far from the building for a cable to reach, no power source near it. I still benefit from electric driving around town though because I put the car in charge mode whenever I'm driving out of town, of course this impacts motorway fuel economy. Besides, I have a company fuel card and I pay 15p a mile for private milage, regardless of whether I get 20 or 60 mpg. Would of course have a very different attitude if I were a private buyer
@@ApurtureSci Ah OK - makes sense in that case. Thanks. Yes I think the charge mode does seem to take a lot of extra fuel so I try to avoid using it.
You lost me at over 40k so luxury car tax plus the small boot, the weight and the small brakes? Just buy the GTI or even the new Skoda VRS in estate form. Some really good deals at the moment on base stock GTIs. You were struggling to recommend it in your summing up?
It's easy to forget that most car buyers are business or fleet and for them the company car tax matters a lot. HMRC have basically taxed diesel out of contention now hence why there is no GTD in UK now and GTI is so heavily taxed that you'd have to be mad to run one over a GTE. So for them, yes there are compromises (the boot for one) but they aren't too bad considering the tax saving - the alternative is a pure EV like ID.3 but a lot of people don't like the range anxiety. For private buyers, unless you really want to save on fuel, which you now will do due to the massive increase in the GTE's range, then GTI makes more sense. Though how many base GTI owners actually push the car's very high dynamic boundaries? For those who don't, for £900 more the GTE must be quite intruiging . In reality, as you say the GTI will be subject to bigger discounts that the GTE so the gap will be higher. As I've said before, it's great to have the choice!
@@volkswizard Yes I agree with everything you say about BIK. Most people I know in the 40% tax bracket have gone down the BMW route as they wouldn't even consider the GTE. My next door neighbour has just got a new 5 series plug in as a company car and can guarantee it will never get plugged in but just run on fuel supplied by the company as it is just a tax dodge?
A VW PHEV this capable would dominate China. Still need infrastructure for mass populations.
3:58 did you ask AI to generate that image? 😂
I did and I didn't ask for scantily clad ladies either!
Recent budget and changes to PHEV BIK in a few years will make the monthly tax bill considerably higher when it kicks in. Get one now, whilst the monthlies are attractive!
Those badges on the front doors are hideous. So unsubtle!
Wonder if some of the dynamism is robbed by small wheels with big side walls compared to a gti
I have a 7.5 GTi. It has two sets of wheels - 19" Brescia (225/35) and 17" Brooklyn (225/45) (which was the standard GTI wheel in Germany). Both wheels are 7.5" wide. Its remarkably similar to drive on both, DCC helps, but the crashing and banging from the 19s on broken winter roads here in the West of Scotland is just too much for me, the 17s take the edge off the harshness without spoiling the handling. If you can stop yourself worrying about the looks, I think the 17s are the better dynamic compromise for our terrible roads.
I forgot to mention the hedious dash screen TV thing stuck on the dash, that alone would stop most people buying this car.
The wheels alone would stop people buying this car.
Man that's a great car now but jesus pricey
Great video Andrew 😊
they should put the 2 litre engine in it
The wheels look so wrong hard to believe it got out of the factory. Also look weirdly off centre in the arches…. What’s that all about
Only have 5 years and every golf will be hybrid
wtf is wrong with VWoA? This would sell so well in the US
£300 over the “Luxury car” tax limit, that has to be an own goal. In reality though, nobody is going to buy a basic poverty spec car though so maybe it does not matter.
I don't know about that, I see loads of basic spec ex-fleet VWs at auctions, mainly because adding options has a disproportionate effect on the leasing cost.
What were VW thinking with the badge on the doors?
I'm with you on that. Total abomination.
Why are mk8 gtds dearer than mk8 gtis?
Luxury car tax bracket, utterly unviable.
Is it possible to drive it ONLY in EV mode ? Without the petrol engine to kick in?..only if the driver choose ...
I really hate while driving in EV mode...and the petrol engine is ded cold but suddenly is kicking in at 3-4-5k rpm ...THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETELY FORBIDDEN ...
I've seen at the end that you went to EV alone...is there any point wheret the petrol engine kicks in ?
Yes he said so in the video if you watched it to the end...
Yes I have a Golf 8 GTE and drive it only EV mode almost all the time. Sometimes of course the engine will kick in if you really boost it but I don't do this. Maybe once a month I will kick the petrol engine into life to stop it growing cobwebs. And then it won't go back into EV only for a few minutes - presumably to give it the chance to warm up.
why get this when you can have a cupra that doesnt look like a sterile box
Better inside than out looks boring on the outside not a fan 😞
I’m not an electric car fan but actually it is not right to say that the battery won’t last the lifetime of the car.
Most cars will be scrapped after 15 to 20 years and several studies have shown that the batteries have only lost less than 10% capacity after several years of use.
It’s only 1st gen electric cars like Nissan Leafs where capacity is down to unusable levels. But then their 100% capacity when new was less than 100 miles in the first place.
这个红色卡钳也让我很恼火
Crazy that there’s only one wheel choice for this. They look rubbish. Even the Style has better wheels.
£9k deposit on a pcp 😅
Battery no thanks vw
Subject to luxury car tax 👎
Well soec'd car but poor colour choice and black pack, shame because it does look dull.
Absolutely pointless, I just don’t understand why people test a car when one of the most important factors is the battery range and charge time, yet don’t go from full to flat on the battery and see what the actual real world range is. Makes no sense. Same as a 48 hour test drive with a max 100 mile range. I’ll skip, ta.
I did state I had limited time with car and want to spend more time with one in due course. Have got the Style e-hybrid in for full review soon. I appreciate this review didn’t cover everything but it still covered a lot which the stats and brochures (and most other reviews) can’t tell you
Why are you worried by "driving dynamics" and "good enough to drive" or "is it fun"?? That's such a "car reviewer" approach which doesn't reflect what most car buyers are interested in.
Of course they're good enough to drive. Stop trying to persuade drivers to go too fast or "dynamically" whatever that means. I have a Golf 8 GTE (with the wheels that people don't seem to like!) which is a fabulous car for most of my journeys and I'm in the market for the new 8.5 GTE but I have no intention of driving "dynamically". I'm interested in the range (which now seems to be exceptional for a hybrid), the kit, the smoothness of the drive and the efficiency.
Good to see the faster nav and the physical buttons coming back - plus the loss of the "exhaust" pipes trim which meant nothing anyway.
Otherwise I like the review - thanks.
The reason driving dynamics are importantly is because the GTE is marketed as a hybrid GTI and the way a GTI distinguishes itself from the rest of the range aside from aesthetics is driving dynamics. This is even more important now as the range has an e-hybrid Golf with basically the same drivetrain but with no sporty pretensions it will do 100 miles on electricity. So if the GTE doesn’t drive markedly better than why buy it unless it’s for superficial reasons like the badge? GTE dynamics are also important as Mk9 GTI will be hybrid so this is the last chance to see how well the engineers are able to mask the extra weight and complexity. Assuming DCC they’ve done a good job aside from the woeful brake pedal feel which as a GTI buyer is enough to put me off.
@@volkswizard Thanks for your detailed reply. I am aware of the e-hybrid and didn't choose it for the v8 Golf as it was cheaper to lease the GTE than the e-hybrid (presumably forecast residuals is part of this). But I also like the higher spec (the weird but effective foglights, the matrix lights, auto-beam (excellent)), plus the more snug seats. And, yes, I think it looks better.
I have got accustomed to the brakes which are definitely unusual to start with and I don't know what can be done with these if we want re-generation which can be really effective (I can get an extra 2 miles on parts of the M1 southbound without even trying, just with a slight downhill) so I like the re-generation. It's been my first non-fully-ICE experience and I do like driving on electricity more than I expected.
Re my first point, I guess as I have got more experienced I instinctively avoid encouraging "dynamic" driving as some see it as a reason to drive less-than-sensibly!
Why are the wheels such garbage? These certainly aren’t the worst but VW’s new wheel designs are just atrocious
Won’t hold its value as well as gti
Why have they made it look so shit though?
It's a ice car and a large fine if they sell too many... They want you to buy the I. D.
I detest the ipad slapped onto the dash system. It's ugly and distracting. Eyes should always be on the road. So I'd could never drive something like this. The car is also extremely bland with no emotion and the crappiest set of wheels I've ever seen on a 40k car. Seen better on Seat Ibiza. I'll keep my Mk6 GTI till it funking dies.
Pure garbage 🗑️