You can adjust the suspension, the car has DCC. The cars has 55 km range ... in summer people can even do 65 km with one charge, I have do that regularly.
I just bought a Passat GTE and my biggest gripe is not the size of the battery (which covers what most people drive day to day) but the recharge speed (or lack thereof). I would have loved to see fast charging so I could stop for a coffee and have the (small) battery recharged 15 mins later. I understand why they didn't include fast charging (expensive) but it would have been awesome. The five hours or whatever to slow charge the battery is fine if you can plug in at home overnight but if you can't you will rarely actually recharge from the grid.
The passat is one of the best cars out there and all rounder to do all in one vehicle, I am my third passat Estate, I got suv but I did, nt like how they ride and handle the estate is more practical car, fantastic mpg, nicely simplicity styled and Sharpe looking car, great to drive, bomb proof tdi engine really is that good, goes on forever, look after parts and engine it goes for ever, I highly recommend the passat 2.o tdi r - Line scr 150 Bhp, rock solid car I love it and keeping it, dsg 7 speed is awesome, flappy paddles I really love... Bargin cars, load space is excellent, get almost any thing in these cars, buy one you won, t regret it 👌🤘
The battery lasts longer when driving in hybrid mode. so that the car, for example, runs on the battery in the city or in other places where the average speed is lower
When u put the volume all the way down, it does pauze the music when on Spotify or playing a vs, so that does tackle the lack of a dedicated button😉 Thanks for the great review!
the B mode is for driving down steep hills to stop your brakes overheating and should not be used for normal driving. that's why it has to be manually engaged every time
From everything I hear it's a subtle 'one pedal mode' that's quite normal on pure EV vehicles. I see a lot of reviews and owners that just engage it all the time.
It's really disappointing that no PHEV reviewers ever test or talk about non-electric mpg - why is this? It would be hugely useful to know what real world mpg we can expect from these vehicles for those people that will need to drive them on long runs occasionally.
@@TotallyEV the written review doesn't mention the ICE only MPG at all as far as I can see - it's all about the hybrid, mixed driving economy which is great and important for the shorter journeys but what about if buyers need to use it on a 500 mile round trip for example? Surely the vehicle wouldn't be averaging 60-65 mpg on a really long journey right?
That's right, as it's a hybrid that we're reviewing. But, you make a valid point for those who want to travel longer distances - here you'll be expecting lower fuel economy (we can only guess at around 40-50mpg, if not lower on longer journeys with no EV aid).
If you never charge it, it takes 7l/100km. In the city and its the same on highway driving 160km/h. If you drive on country roads 100km/h, it takes 6l/100km. You can charge on highway, the consumption is about 1-2l higher, and it is fully charged in 100km. I have consumption 7,2l/100km in the last 6000km, and this includes driving in germany 200km/h.
You have to keep in mind that this car cant be driven only by petrol engine alone. You can go to "battery hold" mode, which is similar to mild/full hybrid cars. 90% of the time the engine will be on. But the car will use electric motor during acceleration, and when there is excess engine power, it will charge the battery, so it keeps the same lever of charge. But you cant turn off the electric motor, its part of the transmission and it will always be hybrid.
Some comments it should have at least as much horsepower as a Golf GTE. and why it does not exist with four-wheel drive. Then I probably think that the Sedan version looks more elegant. And there are hybrid cars of other brands with subwoofers. WW could have had a contact to connect an active subwoofer. For those who want one
Just bought a Passat GTE with basically the same spec as the one you are testing. Apart from the digital instrument cluster. Bought it almost new with only 18000 miles. We'll see how it holds up, and how it copes with Swedish winters on serious winter roads
@@danjohansson7524 Quite good. Getting about 40km of electric range around 0 degrees Celsius and 33-35 km of range in around -20 degrees Celsius. Interior is ok, not so fun, but ok. Came form an Audi A6 and this was a step down. The car needs studded tires on snow and ice. Stereo is a ok, but not good. Really needs a subwoofer, now It’s quite flat. Car is overall quiet on all roads and in all speeds. Average consumption on longer journeys this cold winter is 4,7L per 100km (0,47 per Swedish mil). Overall happy with the car, but had higher hopes for it. It’s definitely not worth the money as a brand new car, second hand on. If this is the benchmark? I don’t know? But it’s a car, that does it’s job ok, not bad in anything nor not excels in much.
@@1337Harakiri Terrible, the interior was very squeeky, and hand issues with the suspension where the busshings started making som noise. Also the range was terrible on EV-mode. Came about 30km during wintertime tid temperatures below 0 Celsius. Overall not impressed by the car at all. Cant recomend it. Sold the car after the winter and bought a older Saab 9-5 instead of the Passat. Much better buildquality, cheaper and also better seats and stereo. Rattle free aswell.
Silly question, just a general one, with plugin hybrids, if you run out of electricity and cannot charge up I presume it just goes on full petrol ONLY? As opposed to being inoperable or limp mode? Reason I'm curious is I might buy a plugin Before being able to get a charger fitted at home if it's an impulsive purchase and/or delay in getting a charger fitted
Yes that's right, it'll still run, just on petrol mode only. But you might not have the full power available. Some PHEVs, also have the ability to self charge via the engine too.
So as I watch your vid again watiting for my GTE to arrive in April: The new Model Year 21 has NO physical climate Control elements anymore. They switched it for touch buttons... *cries in the corner*
Weirdly the Skoda superb IV which is basically the same car gets full electric seats and bigger armrest with a cooled storage compartment you can put drinks in.
Very good and clear review. Thank you! I have a BMW 340i Touring and a Golf GTE (wife's car). Both are amazing cars. My heart and petrolhead part of the brain would like to upgrade to a BMW 550i xDrive with all imaginable optionals, but my smarter part of the brain and bank account would like to buy a Passat GTE as we now have a little baby. What shall I do?! :D ;)
Thank you! Well they're two different vehicles, really depends on you and your budget. If you want a sporty drive, as you'll know, get the BMW. If you don't care about the sporty element, but want a vehicle to get you from point A to B, the Passat is a great choice. Ultimately: pricey, sporty and fun to drive = BMW. Cheaper, easier to drive (suspension) and less fun to drive = Passat. No right or wrong answer really!
@@TotallyEV You totally got the point. You are absolutely right. For me the fun and pleasure of driving is key as I drive a lot. Furthermore, yesterday I was driving home with the GTE and it was snowing a lot. Well...it's OK but I'm quite disappointed. Almost no traction despite good winter tyres and too much torque at very low rpm, which is a disadvantage on snow. For sure I'm influenced by my 340i xDrive which is like a snow cat. Amazing car. I'll keep it if I don't find a good deal for the M550i :)
Got this today as a courtesy car and don't see the point of regen braking it's horrible to drive and hardly charges the battery at all! These type of hybrids are a waste of time and money either get a combustion only or electric only this is just wishy washy..
Some don't have the means of charging at home, meaning PHEVs are a good alternative for those doing shorter trips with the ability to charge at their destination or on the road.
@@TotallyEV I'm one of those people but I'm not seeing the benefit, it's getting 45mpg which is crap really most petrols average higher than that! Even sporty models that are a lot more fun drive get that kind of mpg I'm not seeing the value here especially considering the price tag
@@TotallyEV I should have the car for 2 weeks so I'll write back with a verdict on the MPG and how it compares to my disel ford focus and petrol mercedes a-class
VW group in hybrid is like a Kindergarten kid trying to solve calculus. They do not even know how to make engine and transmission durable enough. Their Diesel is still great but not so great image wise, their EV is far inferior in terms of battery and motor quality vs Tesla. You can see from the bearing size, weight power ratio, etc.
Find the best Volkswagen Passat Estate GTE deals: locally.link/XSvz
Read the written review on our website: totallyev.net/volkswagen-passat-estate-gte-review-the-best-hybrid-estate/
Our review of the Passat Estate GTE's audio system: ruclips.net/video/uLPS0ZtnN-E/видео.html
Video timestamps:
Intro: 00:00
Exterior design & boot: 00:55
Interior design: 02:34
Steering wheel & buttons: 03:17
Climate controls: 03:56
Centre console & gear stick: 04:15
Infotainment system: 05:21
Instrument cluster: 06:18
Head-up display: 06:58
Audio system: 07:20
Seat comfort & adjustments: 08:05
Rear seats & comfort: 08:42
Storage space & boot capacity: 09:28
Manoeuvrability & turning circle: 10:18
Driving comfort & suspension: 12:24
Performance: 13:23
Electric driving range & charging: 14:09
Regenerative braking: 15:01
Driving experience & GTE mode: 15:45
Transmission: 16:35
Total driving range: 17:20
Cabin noise: 17:47
Safety: 18:32
Verdict: 19:36
You can adjust the suspension, the car has DCC. The cars has 55 km range ... in summer people can even do 65 km with one charge, I have do that regularly.
Thanks for sharing!
I just bought a Passat GTE and my biggest gripe is not the size of the battery (which covers what most people drive day to day) but the recharge speed (or lack thereof). I would have loved to see fast charging so I could stop for a coffee and have the (small) battery recharged 15 mins later. I understand why they didn't include fast charging (expensive) but it would have been awesome. The five hours or whatever to slow charge the battery is fine if you can plug in at home overnight but if you can't you will rarely actually recharge from the grid.
Absolutely agreed, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
You can get 60km in the summer
This car is definitely for those who can charge at home.... The new generation of hybrid from middle 2024 comes with fast charging
The passat is one of the best cars out there and all rounder to do all in one vehicle, I am my third passat Estate, I got suv but I did, nt like how they ride and handle the estate is more practical car, fantastic mpg, nicely simplicity styled and Sharpe looking car, great to drive, bomb proof tdi engine really is that good, goes on forever, look after parts and engine it goes for ever, I highly recommend the passat 2.o tdi r - Line scr 150 Bhp, rock solid car I love it and keeping it, dsg 7 speed is awesome, flappy paddles I really love...
Bargin cars, load space is excellent, get almost any thing in these cars, buy one you won, t regret it 👌🤘
Thanks for sharing, and glad you're loving it!
But TSI is more refined
Very nice and detailed review, thanks for doing an seperate video on the soundsystem... Just wow. :)
Pleasure, glad you liked both reviews :)
A great practical review with neutral bias. Well structured video for me in helping the decision of what to have.
Thank you, glad you liked the review! Which vehicles are you thinking about buying?
The battery lasts longer when driving in hybrid mode. so that the car, for example, runs on the battery in the city or in other places where the average speed is lower
When u put the volume all the way down, it does pauze the music when on Spotify or playing a vs, so that does tackle the lack of a dedicated button😉
Thanks for the great review!
Thanks for sharing, and glad you liked the review!
the B mode is for driving down steep hills to stop your brakes overheating and should not be used for normal driving. that's why it has to be manually engaged every time
From everything I hear it's a subtle 'one pedal mode' that's quite normal on pure EV vehicles. I see a lot of reviews and owners that just engage it all the time.
It's really disappointing that no PHEV reviewers ever test or talk about non-electric mpg - why is this? It would be hugely useful to know what real world mpg we can expect from these vehicles for those people that will need to drive them on long runs occasionally.
We've definitely mentioned the MPG in our written review, and it's usually covered in our video reviews too.
@@TotallyEV the written review doesn't mention the ICE only MPG at all as far as I can see - it's all about the hybrid, mixed driving economy which is great and important for the shorter journeys but what about if buyers need to use it on a 500 mile round trip for example? Surely the vehicle wouldn't be averaging 60-65 mpg on a really long journey right?
That's right, as it's a hybrid that we're reviewing. But, you make a valid point for those who want to travel longer distances - here you'll be expecting lower fuel economy (we can only guess at around 40-50mpg, if not lower on longer journeys with no EV aid).
If you never charge it, it takes 7l/100km. In the city and its the same on highway driving 160km/h. If you drive on country roads 100km/h, it takes 6l/100km. You can charge on highway, the consumption is about 1-2l higher, and it is fully charged in 100km. I have consumption 7,2l/100km in the last 6000km, and this includes driving in germany 200km/h.
You have to keep in mind that this car cant be driven only by petrol engine alone. You can go to "battery hold" mode, which is similar to mild/full hybrid cars. 90% of the time the engine will be on. But the car will use electric motor during acceleration, and when there is excess engine power, it will charge the battery, so it keeps the same lever of charge. But you cant turn off the electric motor, its part of the transmission and it will always be hybrid.
Keep your eyes on the road while driving, the camera wont go away if you do. 😉
Great review, very useful..
Never had an accident, nor been pulled over in my life, but thanks for the concern.
Glad you liked the video!
-Chris
Some comments it should have at least as much horsepower as a Golf GTE. and why it does not exist with four-wheel drive. Then I probably think that the Sedan version looks more elegant. And there are hybrid cars of other brands with subwoofers. WW could have had a contact to connect an active subwoofer. For those who want one
Where is the clock? Cant find in my gte:s instrument cluster (10,25")
Just bought a Passat GTE with basically the same spec as the one you are testing. Apart from the digital instrument cluster. Bought it almost new with only 18000 miles. We'll see how it holds up, and how it copes with Swedish winters on serious winter roads
Let us know how you get on, and congratulations on the new purchase!
Would be nice to hear your impression of the car, how does it perform in Swedish winter for example?
@@danjohansson7524 Quite good. Getting about 40km of electric range around 0 degrees Celsius and 33-35 km of range in around -20 degrees Celsius. Interior is ok, not so fun, but ok. Came form an Audi A6 and this was a step down. The car needs studded tires on snow and ice. Stereo is a ok, but not good. Really needs a subwoofer, now It’s quite flat. Car is overall quiet on all roads and in all speeds. Average consumption on longer journeys this cold winter is 4,7L per 100km (0,47 per Swedish mil).
Overall happy with the car, but had higher hopes for it. It’s definitely not worth the money as a brand new car, second hand on. If this is the benchmark? I don’t know? But it’s a car, that does it’s job ok, not bad in anything nor not excels in much.
How did it go on swedish roads?
@@1337Harakiri Terrible, the interior was very squeeky, and hand issues with the suspension where the busshings started making som noise. Also the range was terrible on EV-mode. Came about 30km during wintertime tid temperatures below 0 Celsius. Overall not impressed by the car at all. Cant recomend it.
Sold the car after the winter and bought a older Saab 9-5 instead of the Passat. Much better buildquality, cheaper and also better seats and stereo. Rattle free aswell.
Best review ever 👏👏👏
Thank you!
Hello..What is the actual mpg for this car without electric charging?
Silly question, just a general one, with plugin hybrids, if you run out of electricity and cannot charge up I presume it just goes on full petrol ONLY? As opposed to being inoperable or limp mode? Reason I'm curious is I might buy a plugin Before being able to get a charger fitted at home if it's an impulsive purchase and/or delay in getting a charger fitted
Yes that's right, it'll still run, just on petrol mode only. But you might not have the full power available. Some PHEVs, also have the ability to self charge via the engine too.
time to change my passat 2.0 tdi 2019. Maybe gte this time?
Let us know if you do get the GTE!
I think 1.5TSI is better for most people.
The rims probably do not have as little air resistance as the rims on an electric car. compare for example with How the rims look on ID3 or on e-golf
So as I watch your vid again watiting for my GTE to arrive in April:
The new Model Year 21 has NO physical climate Control elements anymore. They switched it for touch buttons... *cries in the corner*
Oh no! It's something we've highlighted on our recent ID.3 review too. It'll be going live very soon!
But they're nicer
Well you get used to them.
I think they are fine now.
What is the colour code of this one? Is it the standard Moonstone grey? Thanks mate!
From memory it was, please check the written review - might be on there!
Weirdly the Skoda superb IV which is basically the same car gets full electric seats and bigger armrest with a cooled storage compartment you can put drinks in.
Slight differences allow them to appeal to a different crowd/offer different features
Have they done away with the analogue clock on the dash? 😭
Think so!
*NOOOOOOOOOOO*
Well explained. Thanks.
Pleasure, glad you liked it!
Very good and clear review. Thank you!
I have a BMW 340i Touring and a Golf GTE (wife's car). Both are amazing cars.
My heart and petrolhead part of the brain would like to upgrade to a BMW 550i xDrive with all imaginable optionals, but my smarter part of the brain and bank account would like to buy a Passat GTE as we now have a little baby.
What shall I do?! :D ;)
Thank you! Well they're two different vehicles, really depends on you and your budget. If you want a sporty drive, as you'll know, get the BMW.
If you don't care about the sporty element, but want a vehicle to get you from point A to B, the Passat is a great choice.
Ultimately: pricey, sporty and fun to drive = BMW.
Cheaper, easier to drive (suspension) and less fun to drive = Passat.
No right or wrong answer really!
@@TotallyEV You totally got the point. You are absolutely right. For me the fun and pleasure of driving is key as I drive a lot.
Furthermore, yesterday I was driving home with the GTE and it was snowing a lot. Well...it's OK but I'm quite disappointed. Almost no traction despite good winter tyres and too much torque at very low rpm, which is a disadvantage on snow.
For sure I'm influenced by my 340i xDrive which is like a snow cat. Amazing car. I'll keep it if I don't find a good deal for the M550i :)
@@slavifox ha, fair enough!
Presenter resembles a straight-laced version of Dave Gahan……
Haha! We'll take that.
Wow. A brit I can understand
Haha!
Would I ever have to plug the car in?
To utilise the electric portion and for you to be running more efficiently, yes.
@@TotallyEV ahhh ok, not for me then! I don’t have any access at my home, although the BIK tax is very appealing!
Ah that's a shame. The same would apply to any PHEV (or full electric), thus the cheaper BIK rate
Please stop saying "integrated"... 😭
We'll try to integrate more of the English language in our future reviews 😁
I think the outside looks great but the inside looks old and cheap
Thanks for sharing! What type of interior would you go for?
@@TotallyEV something more like the new skoda interior, vw's interior just seems a little bland
That's true! The modern Skodas take after the Audis, while the VWs seem to be, as you said, a little more bland in comparison.
Got this today as a courtesy car and don't see the point of regen braking it's horrible to drive and hardly charges the battery at all! These type of hybrids are a waste of time and money either get a combustion only or electric only this is just wishy washy..
Some don't have the means of charging at home, meaning PHEVs are a good alternative for those doing shorter trips with the ability to charge at their destination or on the road.
@@TotallyEV I'm one of those people but I'm not seeing the benefit, it's getting 45mpg which is crap really most petrols average higher than that! Even sporty models that are a lot more fun drive get that kind of mpg I'm not seeing the value here especially considering the price tag
Fair enough - how many miles are you covering each trip?
@@TotallyEV I should have the car for 2 weeks so I'll write back with a verdict on the MPG and how it compares to my disel ford focus and petrol mercedes a-class
VW group in hybrid is like a Kindergarten kid trying to solve calculus. They do not even know how to make engine and transmission durable enough. Their Diesel is still great but not so great image wise, their EV is far inferior in terms of battery and motor quality vs Tesla. You can see from the bearing size, weight power ratio, etc.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts - although we were left impressed by its hybrid powertrain, and the fully electric models from the Group, too.
Yes but Volkswagen are cheap cars, not premium like Tesla.
@dragospahontu1986 Tesla model 3 and ID3 has similar price range. The same as Prius c.a. $35k
@@rondhole which is to say much cheaper than premium cars. For the money Volkswagen offers a fair car.
Very bad …..it’s gas & hybrid & electric……anyone stop ….all car will stop