Volkswagen Passat GTE review

Good news: compared with a pure petrol or diesel Volkswagen Passat Estate, the GTE’s boot isn’t heavily compromised. With a whopping 650 litres of space, there’s even more room than you’ll find in the 510-litre boot of the Superb Estate IV. There's more than enough luggage space for everyday family life and you won’t have any problems loading large items through the broad boot opening. The only real caveat is that you can’t store a spare wheel beneath the boot floor, like you can in other Passats, because the hybrid battery takes up that space. The Skoda Superb hatchback’s boot is eclipsed by that of the Passat GTE saloon, too, at 485 vs 586 litres.

Both versions have split-folding rear seats, 60/40 in the saloon and 40/20/40 in the estate. Both setups provide flexibility when it comes to carrying people and luggage at the same time, but the estate’s is more versatile.

As you'd expect, there's loads of room for your rear passengers – more than in the BMW 330e or Volvo S60. If you want even more rear leg room, try the limo-like Skoda Superb iV, but even then the difference isn't huge.

There aren’t as many storage cubbies in the front as you might like, but you’ll find two cupholders beneath a sliding cover between the driver and front passenger. Meanwhile, the front door bins are each big enough for a 500ml bottle and the glovebox is sufficient to take an ice scraper and the user manual, as well as a handful of snacks.