Review: VW Passat GTE - I loved it until it broke down and try to kill me
Is it worth considering buying a Volkswagen Passat with an 1.4 TSI engine supported by an electric unit?
Is it worth considering buying a Volkswagen Passat with an 1.4 TSI engine supported by an electric unit?
Electric cars are undeniably the future of the automotive industry. Over the past several years, the electrification of cars has developed incredibly well. Today's constructions allow you to enjoy excellent performance and an increasingly better range on a single charge. There are already a few really successful electric models on the market, but the issue of the range on a single charge, the time required to "refuel the electricity" and the availability of a charging station are still major constraints on the purchase of a fully eco-friendly car.
The solution is to buy a hybrid car. Vehicles with a conventional engine and an additional electric motor allow you to reduce fuel consumption, drive only on an electric drive and enjoy all the privileges of electric cars - we get separate parking spaces in shopping malls, free access to the city centre and zones inaccessible for combustion cars or no parking charges.
Hybrid cars are already in the offer of almost every major manufacturer, and the solutions are mostly based on well-known cars. This type of car is the Volkswagen Passat GTE., which is not very different from the ordinary Passat, and the main difference is just an additional engine.
photo credit: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
From the outside, it makes an incredible impression when we look at it for the first time. Compared to the ordinary Passat, it differs in its stylistic package referring to the GTI models. At the front we have a changed front bumper with black panels and new C-shaped daylights - this is the hallmark of the hybrid and electric models built by Volkswagen. Going further, we have a blue decorative strip that goes all the way at the front, blue brake disc callipers and special 17-inch rims.
At the back there is also a changed bumper, which has been retrofitted with two dummies of exhaust pipes - the actual one ends before it and is aimed to the bottom. The pearl white lacquer of the tested piece should not be forgotten - it emphasizes all the advantages of design, as well as several "GTE" emblems on the body.
The look of the car would be even better if the glazed surface of the roof took up all the space and connected the windscreen with the rear one. This would give the full effect of a two-tone bodyshell, which is particularly pleasing to the eye in the case of bright or white car bodies.
photo credit: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
There are not many differences in the interior. Just like the details on the outside, the blue inserts are also inside - this is the colour of the gearbox shaft and the steering wheel. The storage compartment in the central tunnel is decorated with the "GTE" logo... and here the differences end in total.
Everything else is just a well-equipped version of Passat. The GTE version as standard includes a display instead of traditional clocks, leather upholstery, seats with adjustable headrests in two dimensions, centre console finish in Piano Black colour, multifunction steering wheel and ambient lighting.
A new feature is the "E-Mode" switch, which is located next to the driving mode switch. It is responsible for selecting the drive type, which you can choose from three:
* E-Mode - fully electric mode, in which the petrol engine is permanently switched off. It can be used to drive in electric car zones or if you want your wife not to know that you have already arrived home.
* Hybrid - standard mode in which the car decides about the functioning of the drive units.
* Battery Charge - simply charge the battery of an electric motor. Here, the petrol engine runs almost all the time and we move at a slightly higher revs in order to charge the batteries as soon as possible. A higher load can also be felt due to braking energy recuperation and rolling energy recuperation.
photo credit: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
Volkswagen engineers used in the Passat GTE petrol engine 1.4 of TSI 156 hp, which is supported by an electric unit generating 115 hp. When the hybrid system is used at full power, a total of 218 hp is available. The drive is provided via a 6-speed DSG and, interestingly, only to the front axle.
The use of batteries under the floor forced a reduction in the capacity of the main fuel tank. Volkswagen Passat GTE can hold up to 50 litres of petrol when the standard version has a 59-litre tank. This has also increased the weight of the vehicle, with a second engine and battery pack for an additional 250 kg load.
Experiences with hybrid Passat are similar to those with ordinary Passat. The suspension picks up the bumps very well, the steering system transmits the position of the front wheels perfectly, and in corners it is almost always stuck to the tarmac. Assistance is adequate and hardens with higher speed, and the car can be customized to suit your needs by choosing from 5 driving modes. The extra weight can be felt, but you can't say that the drive is "not working".
The most different is the sense of acceleration. The electric motor supports us starting from a small dimming of the gas pedal, which results in very good acceleration from the start stopped. An additional 400 Nm of torque is available from 1 rpm. This translates into amazing values - according to the manufacturer, the Passat GTE accelerates from 0 to 80 km/h in just 4.9 seconds, which is even better than the strongest 2.0 hp TSI - the 220 hp TSI - which needs 5.2 seconds.
photo credit: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
The big advantage over the rivals is the gearbox. The classic automatic transmission (in this case the 2-clutch DSG) was used here, thanks to which the car does not "yell" while driving, keeping the engine revs constant, as in the case of the very popular in hybrids CVT gearboxes.
The biggest advantage of the GTE version is that it does not affect Passat's capabilities in any way, and what is more, it increases them. With an electric motor and EV mode enabled, we have the ability to drive like an electric car in zero emission zones, and in many cities you don't have to pay a tax for entering the very centre. The hybrid construction itself does not affect the space in the middle or in the boot - everything offers exactly the same amount.
Almost a 2-ton car and 115 hp engine are not very good connections, which translates into quite sluggish movement in purely electric mode. This is suitable for urban use at speeds of 30-45 km/h only. In this case we also have the best range - we will drive about 50 km on a single charge.
List of errors including "Limited power", "Gearbox works in emergency mode" and "Malfunction: hybrid system"
I'm not going to hide it - Passat GTE made a striking impression on me and I was amazed by what a good car it was. But in the middle of the test the entire charm of this car was spilled. During a normal ride in the city centre, the car simply stopped working. This manifested itself in the form of a gearbox error, which during a quiet drive automatically decided to start accelerating as if I had a gas pedal in the floor. After a while the car realized what was going on and disconnected the whole petrol unit, leaving me only with an electric motor and limited power.
Various errors have occurred on the main screen, as well as orange lights from behind the steering wheel. The car would be completely incapable of stopping safely on the roadside if I had discharged the batteries. Fortunately, they had some recovered energy and allowed to find the side alley instead of standing on the 3-lane road as before.
After switching off the car and restarting it, everything worked as it should. What surprised me the most was that all the messages had disappeared and that the computer system was unable to inform me of anything. It was like nothing happened, and the only thing that reminded me of the event was the Check Engine symbol.
After the unlucky conclusion of the fifth day of the test, for the next two days the Volkswagen Passat GTE worked very well, just like it all was only a bad dream. It had the full power of the drive train, the transmission changed gears smoothly and the hybrid system worked as it should - it switched engines depending on the situation, regained energy, etc.
When I thought nothing more could happen, on the last day of the test the car broke down again. This time he didn't want to crash me on a nearby tree blocking the gas pedal, but there was an error with the DSG gearbox. It pulled the RPM to the red field, as if one of the two clutches stopped working. After a while, just like a few days before, the petrol engine was disconnected and I had only an electric motor at my disposal.
Restarting did not work in this case. The car was working for a few kilometers, and then everything was coming back again and again. The car was unable to drive on its own.
photo credit: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
What exactly went wrong, unfortunately, I do not know. Today it's just over a year since the car was taken to service and to this day I haven't received a word of explanation from Volkswagen. My questions have been completely ignored. Perhaps someone from the Volkswagen Group will contact me after this material has been published and, if that happens, I will write a note to that effect in the comment.
Volkswagen Passat GTE is a very good car, just like all other cars signed with the "GTE" logo. The hybrid system works very well and energy recovery results in lower combustion. In this car you will also find the possibility of charging the car from the charging station, which is ideal when you go shopping or to the cinema, for example. The only thing that I missed, was the all-wheel drive in the form of 4Motion, or at least the location of the electric motor in the back.
Text and photos: Michał Śniadek / CARTESTS
VolksWagen Passat GTE
#Volkswagen #Passat #Review #Hybrid #carreviews
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Comments (4)
We had a 2015 Passat and fucking thing went on fire We only had it 5 months the whole went up NEVER BUYING A VW AGAIN
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This problem with the sudden high revs and hybrid/gearbox errror started happening to me now as well at 93.000 km. The car was produced in 2016.
Just looking under the hood made me run away from any hybrid car, specially the GTE. A small 1,4 liter petrol engine _with_ compressor and high redline is alone a motor that's so complicated that it could result in very expensive repairs. Add a fully electric drivetrain with a battrey pack and the whole car is so complex that it's almost unrealistic to repair witout being bankerupt or forced to buy a new car. Buying a few year old GTE would be foolish.