Volkswagen’s plug-in plans are starting to come into focus. The company announced last week that it will be selling a PHEV version of the Golf in 2015. British car mag AutoExpress got to test-drive a prototype, and called it “very impressive indeed.” The new hatchback will be on display at the Paris Motor Show this September.

VW-watchers expect the Golf PHEV to feature a 1.4-liter turbocharged gas engine and an 80Kw, 107hp electric motor, with an electric-only range of around 30 miles and combined fuel efficiency of 141mpg. The company says the PHEV Golf will have just as much passenger and luggage space as the legacy version.

Will VW favor PHEVs over fully electric cars? Last summer, CEO Martin Winterkorn told the German zine Auto Motor und Sport that he thought plug-in hybrids would be embraced by consumers at a far faster rate than battery-electric vehicles. However, the company announced Tuesday that it would start building EVs in China in 2014.

Image: Volkswagen