Photo: VW Vortex
Here's something unusual: a Golf GTE plug-in hybrid being driven in America, where the model not even available. But that's not even the half of it. The car spotted by VW Vortex forum members is not the Golf GTE 5-door hatchback being sold in Europe, since it's got the estate body of a SportWagon.
A radical conversion made by a fan? Impossible! The headlights with blue accents and LEDs integrated into the front bumper are not available anywhere. This car clearly belongs to Volkswagen, who's testing a brand new model in plain sight. Since the GTE wagon was spotted at a hotel near the San Francisco International airport, we can only presume it's come out of Test Center Westlake or the Oxnard emissions and development test laboratory, both of which are in California.
2014 Jetta SportWagen models currently get up to 42 miles per gallon on the highway with a 2-liter TDI. But this GTE could claim twice that number. It's powered by a plug-in hybrid drive system combining a 148 hp (150 PS) small turbo engine with an electric motor for a total output of 200 hp (204 PS). That's impressive for a 1.4-liter engine, but what really matters is the fuel economy. On the EU cycle, it's claimed that the GTE can sip as little as 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, equivalent to 157 mpg US.
The US cycle is different, but a Prius Plug-in gets 90 mpg highway (2.6 l/100km) and Volkswagen is probably going to match or exceed that, since the Golf uses a smaller engine.
In addition, the LED headlights look nice and so do the blue accents. Besides that, the Golf SportWagon has more cargo room than a compact SUV and a nicely trimmed interior. Interesting family car, this new Volkswagen.
Via The Car Lounge
2014 Jetta SportWagen models currently get up to 42 miles per gallon on the highway with a 2-liter TDI. But this GTE could claim twice that number. It's powered by a plug-in hybrid drive system combining a 148 hp (150 PS) small turbo engine with an electric motor for a total output of 200 hp (204 PS). That's impressive for a 1.4-liter engine, but what really matters is the fuel economy. On the EU cycle, it's claimed that the GTE can sip as little as 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, equivalent to 157 mpg US.
The US cycle is different, but a Prius Plug-in gets 90 mpg highway (2.6 l/100km) and Volkswagen is probably going to match or exceed that, since the Golf uses a smaller engine.
In addition, the LED headlights look nice and so do the blue accents. Besides that, the Golf SportWagon has more cargo room than a compact SUV and a nicely trimmed interior. Interesting family car, this new Volkswagen.
Via The Car Lounge
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