Volkswagen Golf GTE hatchback (2015-2018) - Practicality & boot space
Spacious cabin but VW Golf GTE’s batteries eat into boot space
Buyers will find the Volkswagen Golf GTE is just as practical for driver and passengers as the standard car, although the boot is a bit smaller.
Volkswagen Golf GTE interior space & storage
The VW Golf GTE is big inside, with lots of room for passengers in the front and rear of the car. Storage around the interior is plentiful, with sufficient space in the glovebox, cup-holders and well shaped door bins, plus there’s also a cubbyhole in the centre console that’s deep enough to swallow more than just a bit of loose change.
There’s a decent amount of room in the back, certainly for two adults. As is par for the course with family cars, the middle passenger will either need to be small or on good terms with those around them, as there’s a bump from the transmission tunnel that eats into space for their feet. This is a problem shared with the Audi A3 e-tron.
Boot space
The major difference between the GTE and the standard Golf, in practicality terms, is boot space. The batteries for the electric motor have to go somewhere and the best place is under the floor of the boot. That means the 380 litres of luggage room available in a regular Golf become 272 litres in the GTE.
The shape of the boot itself is still practical, though, and the lip isn’t too pronounced, so it’s easy to load. Just bear in mind that if you often need to pack your car full of luggage, the GTE’s boot isn’t the biggest for this size of car. The A3 e-tron is slightly larger, but not as much that you’d really notice.
The batteries for the electric motor take just under four hours to charge when plugged into a normal household socket. This can be sped up to two hours and 15 minutes by plugging into an optional wall box or public fast-charging station.
Towing
Towing capacities aren’t far behind those of the standard Golf, although a large trailer will significantly limit the GTE’s electric-only range. It’ll pull a 750kg unbraked trailer, and is rated at 1,500kg for a braked trailer.
