Written by Seth Walton Updated: 11 October 2024

Overview

In the year of its 50^th birthday, Volkswagen has updated its iconic Golf family hatchback, including the entry-level plug-in VW Golf eHybrid. The Mk 8 was largely a success story upon release, but its ropey infotainment software was criticised for sluggishness and poor usability. Even the top boss, Thomas Schäfer, admitted it needing addressing, and so it’s become the focal point of 2024’s update. Meet Golf 8.5.

But what about this eHybrid? Well, it’s the junior plug-in hybrid Golf in the range, sitting below the GTE – its sportier sibling. Based on looks alone, the eHybrid is pretty much identical to the mild-hybrid ICE versions, save for a charging socket on the front wing.

Beyond its overhauled infotainment, little else has changed with eHyrbid for 2024. A few stylish quirks to modernise the look, including an illuminated VW logo for extra brownie points with the tech bros, and some uprated EV-only range figures, but that’s about it. Still, building on what was already a decent allrounder, the changes for Mk8.5 seemed promising, so we’ve given the car a go. 

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Read on for a review from Parkers. If you’d like to find out how we reached our verdict, be sure to head over to our how we test cars page for everything you need to know.

What’s it like inside?

The eHybrid is only available in Style trim, so if you’d rather a few sportie touches in and around the cabin, you’ll have to upgrade to the GTE. The cabin is spacious by hatchback standards but relatively cramped by those of family cars. I found a decent array of soft materials on show, including a brushed Alcantara-like cloth in the seat trims to complement a coarser fabric that lines the bolstering. 

Some of these softer materials continue into the door trims, then the dashboard is broken up by a neat selection of plastics, some scratchy, some glossy. All in all, it’s a well-balanced arrangement, with a pleasant, homely vibe by virtue of the selection’s soft touch, but it’s all let down somewhat by the drab colours. It’s a symphony in greyscale, which gives the cabin more of a business-like mien than family car.

Gratefully, though, the infotainment is much improved. The graphics on the large infotainment display are crisp and clear, while the lay out of the menus themselves are easy to navigate through. The display now houses most of the car’s functions besides the temperature and volume controls which can now be changed via a couple of touch-sensitive sliders – they’re a bit sluggish and can be a pain to use, in honesty – but icons in the display are at least easy to find.

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It can be a bit inconvenient trying to locate where the system or car settings are on the display while driving, but you’d at least get somewhat used to it after a few hours at the wheel. 

Head room is decent both in the front and the back, while three kids would be able to fit on the rear bench, at a bit of a squeeze. Three adults wouldn’t want to be back there together for very long. Boot space also takes a bit in order to accommodate the battery and other electric components – it’s 273 litres in the eHybrid, down from 381 litres in a regular petrol Golf.

Comfort

The Golf eHybrid’s cabin benefits from the soft materials as already mentioned, but the seats themselves are also very comfortable. I felt like they offered quite a snug fit, but I had enough head and shoulder room so as not to feel too cramped. Manually adjustable sports comfort seats are included as standard – they’re also heated – but power-adjustable seats with lumbar support are also offered as an option for £505.

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A sliding panoramic sunroof can also be spec’d for an additional £1,220 for if you’d rather it a little lighter inside, but with a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel and front arm rests as standards, it’s still a comfortable machine to drive, even in its basic form.

Safety 

The Golf eHybrid comes packed with ample safety kit as standard. For your money, you get ISOFIX points on the outer seats of the rear bench and the front passenger seat, VW’s proactive protection system that can activate the hazard warning lights or even close the windows slightly to improve the effectiveness of the airbags, plus pedestrian control measures.

To help you park, VW throws in a rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors, too. The Golf was last tested by EuroNCAP in 2022, when it scored a five start safety rating. It excelled in it adult occupant and child occupant scores especially, with 88% and 87% awarded respectively.

What’s the eHybrid like to drive?

Much like the non-hybrid Golfs, the eHybrid is an easy car to drive. The automatic gearbox in my car was swift to address changes in revs, and reacted well to my inputs. At slow speeds it could quite happily be left to its own devices without fuss, managing the two power types in tandem well where other ‘boxes struggle.

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The steering is light and sharp, while the ride is commendably comfortable. It’s a truly soft and comfortable car, though also completely devoid of any character. In the eHybrid I felt like I was cruising along in a cordless printer, but if you aren’t bothered by that then it’s certainly one to consider.

As for the plug-in hybrid drive, I was pleased by the way it handed over power between the two different motors. At low speed, it’ll happily run on EV power alone until the extra power is require, at which point the ICE engine kicks in with a hardly perceivable thrum.

VW says that the 2024 eHybrid can do 88 miles on just electric power alone with a full battery – up from somewhere in the mid 40s for the old version. Our test revealed a maximum e-range of 72 miles, which isn’t bad at all and certainly enough to use the eHybrid as an EV for most of your daily driving. 

With just a 1.5-litre engine that produces a total 201bhp, it’s not a quick car, but you benefit from the extra electric poke when initially pulling away.

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It behaves itself through the bends, staying reasonably flat without encouraging you to really throw it around. It’s not a car that encourages you to drive quickly, and we got the impression that comfort has been given higher priority than driving dynamics, but that’s alright with us.

What models and trims are available?

The Golf eHybrid is only available in Style trim, starting from £37,135. For your money you get a generous amount of standard equipment, while a number of options are also offered. On top of those already mentioned, you can have your eHybrid with adaptive cruise control for £720, and a heated steering wheel as part of the winter package for an extra £595.

If you’d rather a sportier feel, the GTE is more powerful than the eHybrid with a quicker 6.6 second 0-62mph time and includes racier upholstery. It also features three-zone climate control and an electronic differential lock as standard for improved handling. It does come at a higher premium, though, starting from £40,300.