Badged like its Golf equivalent as the GTE, the Passat offers pretty much the same as the Golf GTE plug-in, but with more space and refinement.
So that’s a front-wheel-drive chassis powered by VW’s MQB modular petrol/electric hybrid system using a 1.4-litre TSI turbo petrol engine in special tune, delivering 154bhp at 5,500rpm and 243lb ft of torque.
Between the engine and the six-speed twin-clutch transmission sits a disc-shaped 113bhp/243lb ft electric motor, which is similar, but not the same as that used in the battery-electric Golf. Combined system power output is 215bhp and 295lb ft, which is about 14bhp and 37lb ft more than the Golf GTE.
The 130kg, 9.9kWh lithium-ion battery (1.2kWh larger than that in the Golf GTE) uses Samsung cells and sits under the rear seat. That means the fuel tank now sits under the boot floor and uses up the 180-litre storage space of the standard model.
Recharging the battery takes just over four hours on a standard household supply, 2.5 hours if you opt for the 360-volt wall box. With a full 50-litre fuel tank and a brimmed battery, VW is claiming a range of more than 600 miles.
There are four main driving modes: E-mode, which provides up to 31 miles of electric-only motoring at speeds up to 80mph; Hybrid, which switches between electricity and petrol for maximum economy: Battery charge which will charge the battery up and hold most of it so you still have the option of electric-only motoring later in your journey, and GTE, which combines electricity and combustion power to give maximum performance as well as altering the throttle mapping, the engine sound and the gearbox change setting – and the dampers if you’ve opted for the adjustable shock absorbers.