cars news 10: 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Update 6: GTI vs. GTE?

At 23,302 miles, the GTI’s driver information display informed me that the key fob battery was about out of juice. I perused the owner’s manual and followed the simple instructions—snap off fob lid, insert fresh CR2025 battery, secure lid. Per the manual, VW recommends that owners visit a dealer to have this remedied. Huh? Turns out, the battery is covered under the vehicle’s factory warranty. So if your GTI isn’t older than three years or hasn’t amassed 36,000 miles and a visit to the dealer is less painful than a $5 trip to Target, then go ahead and take it in. But given the simplicity and low cost of the fix, a visit to the dealer seems an unwarranted proposition.

2015-Volkswagen-Golf-GTI-front-three-quarter

2015-Volkswagen-Golf-GTI-rear-three-quarter-in-motion

Fob all good, I set out for my favorite back roads in Malibu. Although the GTI lacks the organic sports car finesse of the new rear-drive Mazda MX-5 Club, it is nonetheless faster—1:50.11 versus 1:50.68 around Laguna Seca—and still a grin-inducing blast to drive. With 0.93 g of maximum lateral grip, the Vee-Dub’s limits are high, turning high-speed sweepers and tight off-camber hairpins into thrilling endeavors, especially given the sweet steering and track-ready DSG. That the GTI is thus far returning more than 28 mpg is the icing on the cake.

What could be sweeter? How about instead of 28 mpg, the GTI got closer to Prius mileage? Say hello to the (for now) Europe-only GTE, a plug-in hybrid dressed up like a GTI. Marrying a 1.4-liter, turbo I-4 and an electric motor (powered by a lithium-ion battery pack), the GTE puts out 201 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and comes with a six-speed DSG and sport suspension. And better yet, its hatch comes sans a TDI badge, so no need to worry about dirty emissions or getting dirty looks. Associate web editor Alex Nishimoto recently got to sample one for a weekend and had the following to say:

Volkswagen Golf GTE Euro Spec charge station 02

Volkswagen Golf GTE Euro Spec front three quarter 02

Volkswagen Golf GTE Euro Spec rear end in motion

Volkswagen Golf GTE Euro Spec charge station

Volkswagen Golf GTE Euro Spec rear three quarter

“Rides stiff like a GTI and handles well on the figure-eight course (25.9 seconds versus the GTI’s 25.7). Turn-in is sharp, and the steering is responsive, holding an arc without a ton of understeer with ESC off. Testing director Kim Reynolds said he could feel the weight of the battery, though. (The GTE is 322 pounds heavier than a GTI.) I like the blue stitching on the steering wheel and shift boot, and the blue plaid seats are also a nice touch, as is the accent lighting in the front door panels and kick plates. The drive modes are easy to get to in the system, but I wish there were physical buttons for all four modes. The shifter surround only has buttons for GTE and E-Mode. The car defaults to E-Mode whenever you turn it on, so in cases when I wanted to preserve battery life, getting into the mode I wanted was somewhat tedious. Brake feel is linear despite regen, and B mode is aggressive off throttle. In E-Mode, acceleration is decent—it feels quick. GTE mode uses the gas engine right away. (At the track we saw 0-60 in 6.5 seconds.) The 1.4 turbo by itself (in charge mode with no E assist) doesn’t feel like a dog on the highway, offering adequate passing power. I got 15.6 actual miles on electric power only.”

Read more on our long-term 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI here: