Volkswagen Golf GTE review

In the front, the Golf GTE provides loads of space for a family car. Its interior is broad, with more than enough head and leg room to accommodate taller ladies or gents. There's lots of storage space as well, with compartments and cupholders in the front for pretty much every need, plus a decent-sized glovebox and door bins to boot.

Move to the rear seats and the GTE isn't cramped; two tall adults will fit, but there's not a surplus of space – certainly not if you want to squeeze a third person of reasonable stature in the middle seat. The Seat (or Cupra) Leon has more leg room should you need it, and other family cars, like the Ford Focus and Skoda Octavia, are roomier, too. 

Speaking of which, regular petrol and diesel family cars, including the regular Golf, have much bigger boots. Like many plug-in hybrids, the GTE’s boot is smaller than the non-hybrid versions of the car – blame the battery that lives under the boot floor – but its size is still okay for normal family use. The Xceed PHEV’s is about the same size, but for similar money, you could have a Skoda Superb iV plug-in hybrid, remember, which has a massive boot.

The Golf GTE still gives you 60/40 split-folding rear seats and a ski hatch for longer items, though, but there’s no height-adjustable boot floor. 

For a more detailed look at the Golf’s practicality, check out our main Golf review.