Volkswagen Passat GTE picks up the pace and power

You don’t need to be a car enthusiast to know that Volkswagen’s GTI badge on the Golf stands for a fun-to- drive hatchback that can still be used every day.

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that the GTD was developed along the same lines, but with a more sensible diesel engine under the bonnet.

Volkswagen added a third ‘GT’ badge to its roster last year with the launch of the Golf GTE and, though it takes a little more explaining, it’s not difficult to understand that it’s effectively the electrified version, using a plugin hybrid powertrain to, theoretically, deliver all the performance expected of the GT range, but along with an efficient side where it can run on battery alone for periods and return some temptingly low emissions figures.