Hot hatches are a popular niche of the British car market. In this guide we explain what hot hatches are and what make them appeal and pick out five of the best hot hatches in the current new car market.
What exactly is a hot hatchback?
Hot hatches are cars based on superminis and family hatchbacks which offer the same practical qualities as their ‘standard’ counterparts. The difference a regular hatchback and a ‘hot’ variant is that the latter look sporty, use more powerful engines, have a much sportier set-up and are more fun to drive.
Hot hatches represent a window into fast and fun driving without needing to comprise on practicality or spend an astronomical sum, like you would have to with most premium sports cars.
If you want to do the weekly shopping or attend a track day, the hot hatch is well suited to both tasks.
Top 5 hottest hatchbacks
Listed below are the five hot hatches which in our view are the hottest of all in the new car market right now. Here at Car Keys, you can get a quote on each of the hot hatch models mentioned in this guide and see how much you could save using our service.
Ford Fiesta ST
The hot hatch version of Britain’s best-selling new car starts from just under £17,500, making the ST one of the cheaper hot hatches around. Crucially, it undercuts two of its biggest rivals – the Renaultsport Clio and the Peugeot 208 GTi, which are priced at around £19-20,000.
Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol unit, producing 180bhp and delivering a 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds. It’s true that the Fiesta ST is slower than its direct rivals, and indeed the majority of other hot hatches. But it’s far from sluggish and the slick gear change from the six-speed manual transmission is a delight.
Where the Fiesta ST truly excels is in driving dynamics. The steering is nicely weighted, accurate and returns plenty of feedback. The chassis is also excellent and encourages an enthusiastic driving approach.
While larger hot hatches are more practical, the Fiesta ST is still suitable for small shopping trips and it comes well equipped as standard. Very little in the market can offer so much fun at a price so relatively cheap.
Volkswagen Golf R
Sitting top of the popular Volkswagen Golf hatchback’s range, the R actually uses the same 2.0-litre turbo petrol unit as the GTI. The power output is increased, however, by as much as 79bhp, giving it an eye-popping total of 296bhp. This engine is linked to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG).
The performance of the Golf R is truly staggering, it will cover the 0-62mph sprint in just 4.9 seconds with the DSG, or 5.1 seconds in manual form. This VW is so fast, its performance figures push it close to supercar territory.
Not only very quick in a straight line, the Golf R utilises four-wheel drive, delivering impressive grip. The direct steering also impresses. The car can be easily adjusted to different driving settings to suit mundane travel and more enthusiastic moments on the road.
The only real drawback with the VW Golf R is the price, which begins at just under £31,000. It’s not the most expensive hot hatch on sale, the rivalling Audi S3 costs more for instance. But it’s understandable that some may still baulk at that figure, especially when you consider some other hot hatches are close to just half the price.
But anyone with enough cash and interest to invest in a Golf R will be pleased with their purchase. As well as being lots of fun to drive, it also boasts practicality and excellent build quality. The VW Golf R is simply a great all-rounder.
Renault Megane Renaultsport 275
Renault has a fine reputation for making hot hatches and the Megane Renaultsport 275 is a good example of why that reputation is deserved. At the top of the three-door Megane’s range is the Renaultsport 275 Cup-S and the Renaultsport Nav 275. The Cup-S is the cheapest one of these two hot hatches, starting at just under £24,000.
Both specifications use a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit with 271bhp – resulting in a 0-62mph time of just six seconds. You can carry plenty of speed through both straights and corners. The Megane offers loads of grip, with barely ever a hint of understeer. The optional Cup pack sharpens up the suspension and drive even more.
The driver-focused set-up is not the most comfortable around, but this car is easy to recommend to driving enthusiasts who fancy trips to a race track.
SEAT Leon Cupra
Available with three or five doors (and even in a more practical ST estate guise), the SEAT Leon Cupra competes against the quickest in the hot hatch market and is heavily based on the Volkswagen Golf GTI. While the Golf GTI has a more prestigious badge and higher quality materials inside, the Leon Cupra does carry its own advantages in comparison.
For instance, the Leon Cupra is cheaper than other hot hatches with a similar output, starting at just under £28,000 for the three-door hatch, or just over £28k for the five-door hatch.
The SEAT uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit that produces 261bhp or 276bhp for the Cupra 280 models. With the latter output, the Leon Cupra covers the 0-62mph sprint in just 5.8 seconds with the manual gearbox, or 5.7 when using a DSG transmission.
Not only does the SEAT impress with its pace, its handling is also sensational. There are three driving modes which can be selected and in its sportiest form the Leon Cupra offers the kind of grip and on-road composure that can match the best in class.
BMW M135i
The BMW M135i is the range-topping specification in the 1 Series hatchback range. It really stands out next to other current hot hatches because, unlike any of the competition, this one utilises rear-wheel drive.
The M135i is agile, accurate and incredibly exciting when taking on corners. It’s also brutally fast, delivering a mammoth 321bhp from a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. That means a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.1 seconds when using the standard six-speed manual gearbox. A superb eight-speed automatic ‘box is also available.
Starting from just under £32,000 for the three-door model, the BMW M135i comes bursting with standard luxury kit.
Because powerful, rear-wheel drive cars tend to be quite tail happy, some looking to buy a new hot hatch may prefer the extra reassurance four or front-wheel drive provides. But the BMW’s set-up will understandably appeal to plenty of enthusiasts and only in the most challenging conditions does this car actually feel tricky behind the wheel.
