Just like the pre-facelift version, the refreshed 2019 Volkswagen Passat GTE is based on the standard Passat sedan and is the second of it’s kind to be powered by a plug-in hybrid system, offering over 1,000 km of total driving range.
After no less than 30 million Passat models have been produced over the span of 7 generations, the eighth iteration of the nameplate in GTE guise was unveiled in 2019.

Thanks to new hardware and software, the new Digital Cockpit has been massively improved compared to the previous Active Info Display. With much enhanced graphics and improved features, the system now offers three various display configurations can be customized using the redesigned multifunction steering wheel. Still part of the Passat lineup, the GTE plug-in hybrid has received a considerably higher all-electric range, with up to 55 kilometers being covered in the WLTP cycle, which correspond to approximately 70 kilometers in the old NEDC.

Visually, the Passat GTE is still very similar with its standard version, with minor changes to the front end consisting of a specific chrome radiator grille with a blue line, C-shaped LED daytime running lights as well as chrome bladed lower side air intakes. The interior is decorated with blue stitching and ambient lighting while the display system has been modified for integration with the hybrid drive system.

Mechanically, the GTE still gets motivated by the same a turbocharged direct injection gasoline unit mated with an electric motor offering a total of 218 horsepower. It can reach 130 kph in pure electric mode and over 220 kph in hybrid mode, where both powerplants work in tandem.

At the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen showed its cleanest Passat version, the GTE.
The new plug-in hybrid had the advantages of low running costs based on a trusted platform.

After the big scandal over the Dieselgate, where Volkswagen Group had to pay billions of dollars to the U.S. in fines and fixes for the cars it sold, the German car manufacturer switched its focus to build plug-in hybrid vehicles with fuel-efficient gasoline engines and electric motors.

When compared to other engine variants of the Passat, the GTE could be recognized by its specific chromed grille with an additional blue line. The front bumper was also redesigned in the lower air scoops and some C-shaped LED daytime running lights were added. The LED headlights were fitted as standard. From the side, the 17” “Astana” light-alloy wheels were featured as standard. In the rear, a pair of fake twin chromed exhausts were fitted on the lower side of the bumper.

Inside the cabin, there were some specific features for the Passat GTE. The standard infotainment unit with a 6.5” touch-screen display was installed. Blue ambient lighting and blue stitches for the leather-trimmed steering wheel were part of the specific features. The car’s charging system and the climate control unit could have been controlled via a smartphone specific app.

The main advantage of a Passat GTE was the possibility to be driven in electric mode, hybrid mode, or just with the gasoline engine, on higher speeds where the electric motor wouldn’t be efficient.