It’s long been said that PHEVs offer the perfect stepping stone to full EVs. Julian Kirk puts the theory to the test with our new long-term Golf GTE.

P11D: £40,455 BiK: 12% I £81 (20%) /£162 (40%) Economy: 234.5mpg CO2 emissions: 27g/km EV range: 40 miles Test mpg: N/A

First report:

Our test model comes complete with optional Moonstone Grey paint

The Golf GTE remains something of a ‘sleeper’ in the current Volkswagen range, oft over-looked by sporty drivers wanting the full-fat GTI or eco-conscious drivers opting for the fully electric ID.3.

So, is it a compromised offering, or simply the best of both worlds? After just a couple of days of ownership, I’m tending towards the latter. I appreciate the GTI-look styling cues inside and out, while the combined 245hp from the petrol and electric motors offers more than enough performance for everyday driving. I also like the fact that I can run in pure EV mode for about 30-odd miles in mainly urban areas.

It’s a win-win for me and I’m looking forward to seeing just how close we can get to that mythical claimed 235mpg figure…

Our car comes with a few optional extras included, pushing the price up from £40,510 on-the-road to just over £43k – upgraded 18-inch alloy wheels are a £670 investment worth making purely on an aesthetic level, while the Winter Pack would be an essential tick on my options list. I’m also quite partial to the Moonstone Grey paint at £420 – a flat light grey which works well with the blue exterior styling accents.

Our car is also fitted with a rear-view camera at £330, and the yet-to-be-tested Dynamic Chassis Control, which offers three suspensions settings, for £875.

First impressions of the Golf are good – it’s simply the perfect all-round car, coping with town driving and longer trips with ease.

While the industry transitions from ICE to EV, this Golf remains the perfect stepping stone and, in GTE guise, should continue to tempt user-choosers.