Power of Simplicity

The surging popularity in alternative drivetrains reflects the desire for more perfection in cars. While the experimental efficacy of these drivetrains, such as electric and plug-in hybrid, is still being debated, one thing is for sure - there is a strong sense of being cool and modern when piloting these cars.

The GTE can be charged in around three and a half hours from a domestic mains outlet, or two and a half hours from a domestic wallbox

It isn't so much about being seen as clean and green but more of the fact that you're piloting a car that isn't mainstream.

And that's because what we like best about cars isn't just about how fast or cool or nice their sheet metals are. It's the things that make them odd. Or out of the ordinary.

In this case, it's not just a Volkswagen GTI. It's a GTE.

You may be aware that when sgCarMart wants to take performance figures or have some serious track time in a car, there are usually a couple of guys with laptops, coffee and cigarettes. Or just guys without laptops, coffee and cigarettes but with very cool-looking sunglasses.

We wanted neither of these chumps. Not because we could have just taken the figures from Volkswagen but because the GTE is more than just about being fast.

So while the 'E' in GTE stands for electricity, the pre-production car that we briefly tried isn't pure electric. Instead, it's a plug-in hybrid that is driven by a 1.4-litre 150bhp powerplant and a 102bhp electric motor, theoretically combining to produce a max output of 204bhp. And Thanks to a generous 350Nm of twisting force, the futuristic hot hatch will launch from standstill to the 100km/h mark in a respectable 7.6 seconds before hitting a top speed of 217km/h.

After a couple of hot laps around the Berlin-Tempelhof Airport, where you can really door-handle the car like Jimi Hendrix on his electric guitar, you start wondering to yourself if the car you're piloting is merely a pre-production.

The tachometer is supplemented by a power meter, which shows the status of the battery, power usage and the intensity of any regeneration

All the electronics and the materials used seem to be the final piece of art. Everything is there and ready to rock and roll.

Perhaps it's a subjective and an arguable observation but we usually won't find out until there are opportunities to spend more time with the car.

What isn't subjective and arguable, though, is how the German marque has created a modular platform that can produce the same model with different types of drive systems. It's the epitome of how perfection can be based on a simple idea.

Mind you, we're not saying BMW hasn't done a good job with the i3. We're just saying Volkswagen has found a simpler solution for producing the kind of car that's on par with the electric Bimmer.

Either way, it's worth noting that many of today's cars are persuasive enough for buyers to buy them, even if they aren't any good. It's almost as if bad is the new good and blue is the new red. And if a car called the GTE is any indication that alternative drivetrain is the new mainstream, here's to being cool and modern.