Hot hatchbacks

The RS3 has one of the most spectacular engines you'll find in a hot hatch, and the rest is just as good. Is that enough to warrant a £60k+ asking pri…

The Polo GTI is now Volkswagen’s smallest hot hatch and one of the last holdouts in its segment. Does it make more sense in a less crowded market?

Skoda’s back in the hot hatch game, albeit not with a full vRS-badged return. Does the new Fabia 130 cut it?

VW were quick to rush the Mk8 Golf into its second phase, but even the Mk8.5 Golf R is underwhelming compared to its distant predecessors

The M135 has lost an ‘i’ and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?

A few choice upgrades have bestowed the latest Audi S3 with something it’s not really had in its 26 years – actual driver appeal

The Mk4 Focus ST went out as an imperfect hot hatchback, but one with appeal and impressive capability if you don’t mind some rough edges

The Cupra Leon estate is the slept-on AWD cousin to the Golf R and S3, utilising the much-lauded torque-splitter differential

Leicestershire tuning firm ZeroNine has given the last-of-the-line Focus ST a new lease of life with a series of performance upgrades – and Ferrari 59…

Audi’s S1 was the product of an era of hunger for hot hatches and a fine addition to the roster it was too

We were always huge fans of the Mk7 VW Golf R. That its successor has never quite lived up to its high standards has only underlined how good it was

Renault has stolen a march on its rivals with the R5, so does its Alpine relative go one further and set the electric hot hatch benchmark?

The FL5 Civic isn’t long for this world, but it goes out as the most exciting and rewarding hot hatch of modern times – perhaps ever

The Ford Focus ST Edition turns an already-capable hot hatch package to 11, and now you can find used examples for much less than they were when new

The limited-run Ford Fiesta ST200 is one of our favourite superminis in its very best form. It's also now an affordable used hero

The Mercedes A-class was thought to soon be discontinued. On the contrary, even the hot A35 soldiers on. It’s still a good hot hatch

The ‘new’ Mini was perhaps motoring’s most anticipated sequel. BMW didn’t get it wrong – quite the opposite, as it transpired

Volkswagen's quintessential hot hatch saw a stunning return to form in Mk5 guise. It’s aged like a fine wine and is an appreciating modern classic tod…