Have electric hot hatches caught up to petrol ones? – car pictures of the week
In the current issue of evo, we test two of the best electric hot hatches against a pair of ICE benchmarks – these are our favourite shots
It’s no secret that EVs are struggling to build momentum at the high end of the market. To serve as genuine alternatives to characterful ICE sports cars and grand tourers, the instantaneous acceleration and sophisticated dynamics of electric cars simply isn’t enough. Porsche is proof of this – just look at poor sales of the objectively brilliant Taycan, and the fact it’s scrapped plans to make the Boxster/Cayman electric-only.
But what about in lower segments of the performance car market – hot hatches, for example? Do EVs have a chance here, where engines are often supplementary to the driving experience rather than central to it? To find out, we gathered a mix of electric and petrol-powered hot hatchbacks to take stock of how the sector is progressing, and discover whether EVs have a hope of capturing the character and enjoyment of the best of the breed. You can read the feature in issue 345 of evo, available in-store or online via the evo shop.
In the battery-powered corner we have Alpine’s A290 GTS and the Abarth 600e. The former is a more sporting take on the Renault 5, with wider tracks, more focused suspension and 217bhp, while the Abarth is a hotter version of Fiat 600e. That means a peppier 276bhp electric motor, lower, stiffer suspension and an external sound generator designed to mimic a combustion engine.
Our ICE rivals come in the form of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Clubsport and the recently departed Honda Civic Type R. The GTI isn’t the benchmark it once was but the GTI Clubsport is still a solid reference point for any daily hot hatch, with an uprated 296bhp turbocharged four-pot engine and revised chassis electronics over the regular GTI. The Type R, meanwhile, stands as the best hot hatch of the modern era, with almost Porsche-like levels of precision and finesse, and one of the best manual gearboxes in the business.
Do the EVs have a chance of matching them? Here’s what we said:
‘The Alpine makes a good first impression. On the road it’s missing the locked-in sense of focus and excitement of, say, an old Renault Sport product, but on track it’s able to fully express itself and there’s a much more playful side to its character. Powertrain aside, traditional hot hatch traits are present and correct. It feels small, connected and really mobile in its handling, in many ways more transparent and communicative than the Golf.’
To read the full test, pick up a copy of evo 345 in-store or online.
