VW planning Golf performance plug-in

As the powerful Volkswagen Group shifts its entire vehicle operation towards hybrid and electric powertrains in an effort to be the world's biggest EV company by 2018, one of its most recognisable performance nameplates, the GTI, could become a muesli-munching tree-hugger.

During a roundtable interview with the Volkswagen Group's Powertrain Development chief,
Dr Heinz Jakob Neusser, it was made clear that Volkswagen is interested in creating a high-performance plug-in hybrid Golf -- but it won't wear GTI badges.

"It could be theoretically [called the GTI]. The question is ‘does it make sense?’

"I don't think we will call it GTI if it has hybrid. It is clear in the mind of the customer [what the GTI name represents]," said Dr Neusser, arguing that the battery would make it too heavy and sully the GTI’s dynamic edge.

He said VW can build hybrid hot hatches that have sporty dynamics and power levels similar to the GTI, but that the GTI will be reserved for traditional turbo-petrol Golfs.

Perhaps the GTE badge would work, then?

Whatever the case, Volkswagen will begin spruiking petrol-electric plug-in hybrids in 2014 following its electric car foray this year with the e-Golf and e-up!, which were launched at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show.

Dr Neusser confirmed the VW Golf 'Twin Drive' plug-in hybrid will be launched globally in mid-2014, powered by a 110kW 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine augmented by an 80kW electric motor, the latter affording drivers a modest 50km electric cruising range.

"We will come with a Golf PHEV in the middle of next year. We call it Twin Drive, because it has two drives," he explained.

He confirmed the new Golf Twin Drive, whose technology will likely be leveraged for a hot hatch version in future, will be built in right-hand drive and would "clearly" be a better option for Australia than the e-Golf and e-up!.

While the electric models have range of around 160km, the Golf Twin Drive will have a range of more than 600km.

"It depends on what you have in the market for a special need. We do the e-Golf and the e-up! for the megacities. For other areas which are more flexible on the range, we have a PHEV, the Twin Drive Golf."

The Golf Twin Drive is not a certainty for Australia, however, given that not even the Prius-besting 3.2L/100km Golf TDI BlueMotion is on Volkswagen Australia's radar yet.

The Golf Twin Drive PHEV employs the upcoming Audi A3 e-tron's powertrain, which is claimed to use 1.5L/100km, and would add a hefty price premium to the Golf. Just how affordable the plug-in hybrid German hatch will be remains to be seen.

"We haven't made the price set-up for now," said Neusser. "I can't say anything about this. But from the total cost of ownership, it is attractive."

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