Volkswagen Golf GTE running costs, insurance, warranty & tax
While it'll make most sense for company-car users, the VW Golf GTE is pricier than some other models in the range for private buyers
| Insurance group | Warranty | Service interval | Annual company-car tax cost (20%/40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 3yrs/60,000 miles | 1yr/10,000 miles | From £899/£1,798 |
For private buyers, running costs for plug-in hybrid models such as the Golf GTE can be a little higher than their purely petrol or diesel-powered equivalents; there's a little more to go wrong, insurance premiums are steeper and they usually cost more to buy, with higher monthly PCP payments.
However, if you're a company-car user, you'll be more concerned with Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rates. The GTE's low CO2 emissions put it in the 12% band until at least April 2024, while a purely petrol Golf is typically 30-37%. Therefore, the GTE's monthly tax cost is not unreasonable for a car with such a good spread of abilities and performance, but still considerably more than the equivalent BiK figures for the Golf's fully zero-emissions counterpart, the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback.
Volkswagen Golf GTE insurance group
The sole variant of the Golf GTE available right now falls into insurance group 27; for comparison, the 1.5-litre eTSI mild-hybrid petrol version of the car starts in group 20 and climbs to group 21.
Warranty
Like all Volkswagens, the Golf comes as standard with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, coverage that's more or less standard for the industry but is beaten by the likes of Hyundai (five years/unlimited miles) and Kia (seven years/100,000 miles). The GTE's battery is covered for eight years or exactly 99,360 miles (that's 160,000 kilometres) for all material or manufacturing defects.
Servicing
Volkswagen offers a fairly flexible approach to servicing, with intervals and schedules dependent on how the car is used. Its 'Fixed Service' is suitable for cars that cover less than 10,000 miles a year and mostly in urban driving with regular cold starts – the most likely scenario for a plug-in hybrid like the GTE. A 'Flexible Service' plan is available for cars that travel more than 25 miles a day on longer, faster journeys.
Road tax
As it qualifies as an 'alternative-fuel vehicle', the Golf GTE has a £10-a-year cheaper road-tax bill than an equivalent non-electrified model, at £155. You'll pay more if you go mad with the options and push the price over £40,000, however: a £355 surcharge applies in years two to six of ownership, bringing your total yearly bill over that period to £510.
