Volkswagen has previewed its all-new 2015 Passat GTE plug-in in hybrid ahead of its official debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October. The car will be offered in both a sedan and station wagon variant when it goes on sale in select European markets in the second half of 2015.

A variant of the all-new MQB-based 2015 Passat, the Passat GTE is powered by Volkswagen’s 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 154 horsepower in this application. Supplementing the engine is an electric motor mounted within the car’s six-speed dual-clutch transmission, making 61 horses, for a total output of 215 horsepower and 295 lb-ft between the two propulsion systems.

The most important part of the electric motor is its ability to propel the Passat GTE on its own with no help from the gasoline engine. It receives energy from a 9.9kWh lithium ion battery pack mounted underneath the rear seat, which can be charged through drawing kinetic energy from the car as it’s in motion, receiving power from the engine, or from plugging the vehicle into a charging station. Claimed range for the all-electric mode is at 31 miles, while speeds in E-Mode are limited to 81 mph.

Apart from the drivetrain there is also a 6.5-inch colour screen that acts as a range monitor for the electric battery. Other on-board energy consumption monitoring tools include an ‘energy flow indicator’, ‘e-manager’ and ‘360 degree range’, which can calculate the electric driving range over a pre-planned route.

Visually, the Passat GTE is set apart from its gasoline- and diesel-only counterparts by blue grille accents, a sleeker reshaped front bumper, LED daytime running lamps, GTE decals, and eight-spoke 17-inch wheels. Occupants of the cabin will notice blue ambient lighting, a leather-trimmed flat bottom steering wheel with special blue stitching, and a restyled gear selector.

VW says the Passat GTE will return “over 141 MPG” on the European NEDC procedure, which is equivalent to about 117 US MPG. Overall range for the car is also considerably high, at 622 miles. VW has yet to announced pricing.