- Golf named Best Hybrid Family Car
- Passat named Best Hybrid Estate Car
- Older Golf and Passat GTE models win used categories (now four years in a row for Passat)
- ID.3 retains best used title in Electric Family Car class
Milton Keynes – Volkswagen has scooped an impressive five category wins in the 2024 What Car? Electric Car Awards. They include repeat victories for some of the brand’s most popular models, and underline Volkswagen’s credentials as a manufacturer of high-quality electric and hybrid cars for business and everyday motoring.
The five awards for Volkswagen in this year’s awards are:
- Golf 1.5 TSI eHybrid – Best Hybrid Family Car
- Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid – Best Hybrid Estate Car
- Golf GTE – Best Used Hybrid Family Car
- Passat GTE – Best Used Hybrid Estate Car, for the fourth year in a row
- ID.3 58 kWh – Best Used Electric Family Car, repeating its success last year
The What Car? Electric Car of the Year Awards highlight the best electric and plug-in hybrid models available to buy in the UK. Winners are selected by expert judges who evaluate each vehicle based on factors such as driving range, performance, practicality, running costs and overall value for money.
The Golf has become a perennial favourite with the car-buying public since it was launched 50 years ago. While its high-performance versions are famous for offering exhilarating driving, this award underlines how it is also a superb, affordable and practical choice for everyday use. The latest Golf Style eHybrid combines a 19.7 kWh (net) battery with a frugal, yet punchy, 1.5 TSI petrol engine – resulting in an all-electric range of up to 88 miles between charges (WLTP combined) and ultra-low CO2 emissions of just six grammes per kilometre. It now also allows DC charging at rapid public charge stations.
The Passat is another car with a long and successful history, with more than 34 million being sold worldwide since the covers came off the first generation in 1973 – a total that surpasses that of even the legendary Beetle. The latest eHybrid versions have an all-electric range of up to 82 miles (WLTP combined) and CO2 emissions of between eight and 10 grammes per kilometre, depending on model. Like the Golf, the Passat eHybrid also allows DC charging at rapid public charge stations. The cavernous boot has 510 litres of storage space with the rear seats up, adding to an already super-practical and efficient package for business and domestic drivers alike.
The Golf and Passat GTE models remain popular choices among used-car buyers alongside the ID.3 which, like the Passat, is celebrating repeat wins in the What Car? Electric Car of the Year Awards. The ID.3 won the same category in 2023, and this is the fourth year in a row that the Passat has picked up the What Car? award for Best Used Hybrid Estate Car.
“Like all Golfs, the 1.5 TSI eHybrid is a practical choice that offers tidy handling and rides bumps and potholes well,” said Steve Huntingford, What Car? Editor. “But, crucially, it combines these qualities with an exceptionally long electric range; in our real-world tests, it covered 73 miles on pure electric power – almost double the distance of key rivals.”
Commenting on the Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid, Steve added: “The latest Passat gives you a higher quality interior and more space – for both people and luggage – than some far more expensive estates. What’s more, it is a hushed and comfortable long-distance cruiser, and its huge electric range helps make it a very appealing company car.”
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About the Volkswagen brand:
A total of 162,087 new Volkswagen passenger vehicles were registered in the UK in 2023, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This equated to a market share of 8.52 per cent – an increase of 0.35 per cent compared with the previous year – and made Volkswagen the UK’s best-selling new-car brand for the third year running.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has a global presence, producing vehicles at 29 locations in 12 countries, and employs approximately 170,000 people. In 2023, Volkswagen delivered around 4.87 million vehicles worldwide. These included bestsellers such as the Polo, T-Roc, T-Cross, Golf, Tiguan and Passat, as well as the successful all-electric ID. models. Volkswagen handed over about 394,000 all-electric vehicles to customers worldwide in 2023 and, with its ACCELERATE strategy, is consistently advancing its ambition to become the most desirable brand for sustainable mobility.
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