As perfect driving combinations go, a glorious autumn day, a deserted B-road and a quartet of sparky little hot hatches really takes some beating, especially when the hatches in question are the freshest and hottest of the breed.

Not so many years ago, a hatchback with more than 200bhp would have been regarded with awe, yet nowadays a couple of hundred ponies really is the entry level for the serious drivers’ supermini. It’s a fiercely contested niche and one that provides a really diverse and intriguing collection of cars, four of which we’ve gathered for this test.

Renaultsport has come to define all that’s great about hot hatches, and the Clio 200 Cup is a real evo favourite.