German car giant, Volkswagen will be launching its plug-in hybrid, Passat GTE . The car made its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. It is based on the new generation Passat. The Passat GTE is the third plug-in hybrid model by Volkswagen, after the limited XL1 and the Golf GTE. The Volkswagen Passat GTE is offered in both sedan and estate body forms. It is the sedan version that will come to India.

Volkswagen Passat GTE Design

The Passat GTE looks slightly different from the standard model. It gets blue accents on the radiator grille and a differently styled front bumper with integrated C-shaped LED lights. The wheel arches are flared have larger ten-spoke alloy wheels under them. The rest of the car looks similar to the new generation Passat, with sharp looks and a prominent shoulder line. Made on the MQB platform, this will be sharing its underpinnings with the Skoda Superb.

Volkswagen Passat GTE rear

Volkswagen Passat GTE Interior

Inside the cabin, the GTE features blue ambient lighting, leather wrapped steering wheel which has a fat bottom and a newly styled gear knob. The dashboard has straight lines with an uncluterred look. The venture console has a touchscreen system which has sat-nav, bluetooth etc. The AC vents are well integrated as part of the design and have an analogue clock in between them. There shall be a large touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. There is good amount of focus on the front and rear seat space.

Also Read: Volkswagen Polo GTI coming to India – all details

Volkswagen Passat GTE interior

Volkswagen Passat GTE Engine

Under the bonnet, the Passat GTE gets a petrol-electric hybrid system. It uses two power sources. The hybrid system comprises of a tuned 1.4-litre TFSI motor that pumps out 164bhp of power and an electric motor rated at 113bhp and 400Nm of torque. Energy for the electric motor is provided by a 9.9kWh lithium ion battery. The combined power output is 215bhp, and the hybrid motor is paired to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.  On a full charge and 50-litre fuel, the car has a range of upto 1,000km. The Passat GTE  accelerates from 0-100 km/h in less than eight seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 220km/h. It has four different driving modes: E-mode, Hybrid, Battery Charge and GTE. Volkswagen claims an electric range of up to 50 kms at speeds up to 130kph in the E-mode, which is default. In the GTE mode, the petrol engine and electric motor are combined to provide a better performance.

Volkswagen Passat GTE side

Volkswagen Passat will be the first sedan that will be diesel and hybrid for India. At the moment, there are two petrol+hybrid sedans in the segment. These include the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.

Also Read: Toyota Camry hybrid Price and Review

Volkswagen Passat GTE Mileage

The Volkswagen Passat GTE has an official combined fuel consumption figure of approximately 70 km/l. This is a very healthy figure for a hybrid and will surely appeal to customers. The battery can attain a full charge in 4 hours for plug-in hybrid. We aren’t certain if India will get the plug-in hybrid version.

Also Read: Honda Accord hybrid Price and Review 

Volkswagen Passat GTE side view

Volkswagen Passat GTE Price

The Passat GTE is expected to be priced around INR 45 lakhs (On-Road). The new Passat GTE is likely to be a CBU (complete body unit) import initially. Later on, it could turn into a CKD. That is when the pricing will see a drop and it will become more affordable. If VW can price this sedan at par with the other Japanese hybrid competition, they could have an upper hand over them.

Also Read: Hyundai Ioniq hybrid Coming to India. All the details.

Volkswagen Passat GTE Launch Date

The Passat GTE is expected to be launched by mid 2017. The company has already announced that it shall be launching this sedan this year. The other launch for this year is the Tiguan as well.

Volkswagen Passat GTE Competition

The Passat GTE will compete with the Toyota Camry Hybrid, but it is an advanced hybrid version. There is also the Honda Accord hybrid and Hyundai could even get a hybrid sedan Ioniq to India by mid 2018.

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