Julian Kirk takes delivery of our new Golf plug-in hybrid long-termer.

Volkswagen Golf Style 1.5 TSI eHybrid 204

P11D: £37,280  BIK: 6% £447 (20%)/£895 (40%)   CO2 emissions: 25g/km  Weighted combined economy: 252mpg  On fleet: N/A

Plug-in hybrids are enjoying their time in the sun, with sales rocketing in the UK among company buyers, and cars such as the Golf here exemplify why this type of vehicle is so popular.

Combining an electric motor with a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine, this Golf eHybrid offers a 400-mile plus range and negligible company car tax thanks to its (for now) low BiK rates. Of course, there is a dark cloud looming on the horizon with a seismic shift in BiK rates from the 2028/29 tax year but, for now, the Golf eHybrid makes a great case for itself as a company car.

For a start, it’s a Golf – that means a familiar, reliable and stylish family hatchback with a decent level of kit, strong residuals and high driver appeal. There’s also plenty of room inside for two adults and two children alongside a decent boot.

The cabin is also a pleasant place to spend time thanks to a large glass area and huge centre screen, which gives access to myriad controls. This touchscreen unit is a big improvement over previous Volkswagen infotainment systems, and there are also handy physical buttons to provide entry to features such as volume control, heated windows and lights.

Our test model sits right in the middle of the range, benefiting from lots of interior niceties such as more luxurious seat fabrics and interior trim work, while the chunky 17-inch alloy wheels really improve the look outside, compared to the more basic versions with their smaller wheels. In technology terms it has all the essentials – big infotainment screen, wireless charging pad, navigation, app connections and an e-sim for online connectivity.

As a package the Style trim is hard to fault, although our test car does have a few choice options, including tinted rear windows, upgraded parking camera and a Winter Pack, which offers heated front seats and steering wheel – nice to have as the weather turns…