2020 Volkswagen Golf GTE Spied Uncamouflaged, Doesn't Look Like a Hot Hatch

Our spies have captured this new version of the Golf GTE, which was testing on the roads around the legendary Green Hell, but not on the track itself. Allegedly, the prototype was in pure electric mode, and much is expected of it. You can tell it's a plug-in by the charging point located on the front left fender, but that doesn't automatically make it a GTE.

While Audi and Volkswagen were the first to offer expensive plug-in alternatives to the conventional Prius hybrid, the market is now being inundated with such cars. The latest is the Mercedes A 250 e, packing both a decent punch and plenty of battery-only range. The Korean alternatives are also quite attractive right now.

But the thing is the prototype in this video may technically not be a GTE model. As plug-in cars are becoming mainstream, Audi is removing the e-tron badge from the its regular cars and has called gas-electric models "TFSIe". At the same time, the Skoda Superb iV that can run on electricity looks like any other model.

We mention all this because the presumed Golf GTE looks pretty ordinary. There's no honeycomb treatment for the front, not even a place to put the GTE badge. The wheels look small and uninspiring while the blue brake calipers are missing. And can you make a hybrid hot hatch without any visible exhaust tips?

Now, if this were a Golf GTE, it would have a 4-cylinder turbo engine helped by a 115 HP electric motor to deliver about 210-220 HP. However, if VW marketing gurus decided to offer a non-GTE plug-in hybrid Golf, it might not need that much grunt. It's long been rumored that Volkswagen is working on a system based on the 1.0 TSI with about 150 HP combined.