2024 Best hot hatchbacks – you can still buy a great hot hatch
The hot hatch market has shrunk in recent years, but the models that remain are some of the best everyday performance cars you can buy
It’s been a tough few years for the hot hatchback. Tightening emissions regulations and slim profit margins have forced the death of iconic nameplates such as Renault Sport and Peugeot GTi, and even the evergreen Ford Fiesta ST was taken off sale in 2023. Hyundai’s brilliant i20 N and i30 N met the same fate this year, so too the Abarth 595 and 695.
It's not all bad news though. Toyota has launched a heavily upgraded 'Gen 2' version of its GR Yaris following better-than-expected sales for the original, while Volkswagen has updated its Golf GTI and R for 2024. Audi has produced new S3 and RS3 models, too, and Honda’s latest FL5 Civic Type R is one of the very best of its kind.
Looking ahead, electric hot hatches will start to replace these established petrol models. The Abarth 500e has already caused a stir with its burbling external speaker system that replicates the sound of a petrol engine, and Alpine has entered the market with its own retro hatch: the Renault 5-based A290. Mini has also joined the party with its Cooper SE, which has launched alongside a new petrol Cooper S.
Given that the EV hot hatch space hasn’t fully developed yet, we're focusing on combustion-engined models in this group. Having extensively tested every current hot hatch, we've come up with a definitive list (in no particular order) of the models you should shortlist in 2024.
Best hot hatchbacks 2024
- Honda Civic Type R
- Toyota GR Yaris
- Mercedes-AMG A45 S
- Cupra Leon 300
- Ford Focus ST Performance
- Volkswagen Golf GTI
- Mercedes-AMG A35
- Volkswagen Golf R
- Audi S3
Honda Civic Type R
Honda's FL5 Civic Type R hasn't disappointed. Yes, its hardware is very similar to the previous FK8 model, but everything from the engine, gearbox, chassis and suspension has been further honed to within an inch of perfection.
The FL5 feels more like a super touring car than a hot hatchback, with a low, flat cornering stance and a level of clarity and precision you’d expect from a bespoke sports car. The Civic’s 2-litre turbocharged engine revs cleanly and pulls hard throughout the rev band, but it could do with a little more aural excitement to accompany the performance. And the manual gearbox? Still one of the best available at any price.
It’s difficult to find many weaknesses in the package, but the Type R’s £50,050 price tag does sting a little. Context is important, though, because a well-specced Golf R can cost over £50k, and the AMG A45 S is £13k more expensive. The Honda feels more special and rewarding than both.
Toyota GR Yaris 'Gen 2'
The GR Yaris had quite some pressure on its pumped up haunches leading up to its arrival in 2020. It was the first genuine WRC homologation road car in decades – a bespoke, highly tuned, finely wrought performance machine that many anticipated would become an icon, even before its wheels hit the tarmac. Thankfully, the GR Yaris turned out to be as brilliant as we’d hoped, and Toyota couldn’t build enough of them.
This meant that Toyota could justify launching a heavily revised Gen 2 version to build on the attributes that made the original great. The new car has the same tenacious character but with added bite and precision, and with a 276bhp three-pot driving through a revised four-wheel drive system, it’s noticeably quicker than before.
But aside from its giant-killing performance, it’s the GR Yaris’s unique, competition-derived DNA that separates it from conventional hot hatches. Few other performance cars have the same built-for-purpose feel.
Mercedes-AMG A45 S
Mercedes-Benz didn’t start the hot hatchback game off particularly well with the original A45 AMG. It was certainly powerful, trading blows with the Audi RS3 for the title of hottest hot hatchback, but it was too inert to be considered a truly great performance car. The same cannot be said for the latest A45 S though, as this model is as far removed from its predecessor as you could possibly imagine.
Gone is the harsh wooden-like suspension and numb steering, in their place a supple feel and an interactive chassis when the right modes are selected. With more power under the bonnet (415bhp), it’s even faster than its predecessor, too.
In some ways, the A45’s adjustability and rear-led balance feels more like an old Mitsubishi Evo than a conventional hot hatch, and when the road allows, it’s hard not to become absorbed in the ferocity of that engine.
Cupra Leon 300
In recent years, Seat (now Cupra) has been able to squeeze just a little bit more out of the same ingredients than Volkswagen with its Golf GTI. The Cupra Leon 300 is a case in point; compared to the Mk8 GTI, it’s more exciting and energetic to drive with a greater sense of fun. It also has a rapid turn of speed thanks to a 2-litre turbocharged engine with 296bhp.
That engine is paired to a crisp-shifting DSG gearbox, and while the paddles themselves are cheap plastic items, they do at least allow easy access to the engine’s potential. The Cupra isn’t an especially great communicator – certainly not compared to the likes of the Civic Type R – but its clean, accurate steering makes it easy to place on the kind of technical roads that hot hatches thrive on.
Downsides? Feel from the Brembo brakes can be inconsistent, and the Cupra borrows its laggy HMI system from the Mk8 Golf. Thankfully, a revised Leon has been launched with the Mk8.5’s larger and more responsive infotainment setup, as well as a tweaked exterior design. Whether the updates will be enough to hold an advantage over the latest Mk8.5 Golf GTI remains to be seen.
Ford Focus ST Performance
The Focus ST has never shone quite as brightly as its smaller Fiesta sibling, but now that the latter has been taken off sale, it represents the only way to experience Ford’s signature hot hatch flavour. The ST feels ‘switched on’ at all times, with super quick steering and a tendency to rotate aggressively on a trailing throttle. This ultra-keen feel defines the Focus’s character.
It’s not for everyone, however. Sometimes, you’ll wish the Focus was a touch calmer and more natural in its responses, and it lacks the breadth of the now-discontinued Hyundai i30 N. There’s no denying that the performance is gutsy enough to warrant the ST badge, though, with Ford’s 2.3-litre four-pot kicking out 276bhp and 310lb ft of torque. It doesn’t zing at the top end like a traditional hot hatch, but the snappy manual gearbox makes it easy to keep the motor in its sweet spot.
Ultimately, the Focus feels at its best on track, where you can use the direct front end and highly adjustable balance to extract the most from it. On the road, the firm, connected ride can be wearing, so too the ST’s propensity to torque steer.
> Ford Focus ST Track Pack review
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The Mk8 Golf GTI didn't quite hit the spot like its predecessor did. Ignoring the questionable ergonomics and HMI controls that were a major step backwards from the Mk7 version, the Mk8 lacked the poise and raw excitement of Hyundai's i30 N – a car that executed the archetypal hot hatch formula brilliantly until it was taken off sale this year.
Thankfully, Volkswagen addressed some of these complaints with the Mk8.5 version. It still uses a touch-based interface but with faster response times and a revised UI, its chassis software has been retuned and its engine has more punch than before. The 2-litre EA888 unit now generates 261bhp and launches the GTI to 62mph in 5.9sec, driving through an XDS locking differential at the front.
The changes haven’t transformed the GTI, but it does feel like a stronger overall package. It’s fast and easy to drive day-to-day, while also offering a level of adjustability and grip to entertain when the mood takes you. It still isn’t the most thrilling or memorable hot hatch, but we certainly wouldn’t mind living with one.
Mercedes-AMG A35
The Mercedes-AMG A35 might look almost identical to the A45 S, but it’s less expressive, less exciting and not as explosive to drive. That’s to be expected, though. This car operates at a much lower price point than the flagship, and when judged with that in mind, it’s worthy of a spot on this list.
Against the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf R, the Mercedes wins out for its more upmarket feel and sense of fun. With a 302bhp turbocharged four-cylinder engine it achieves an swift 4.7sec 0-62mph time, and while it doesn’t have the A45’s clever torque vectoring rear diff, it deploys its power cleanly with a slight sense of adjustability at the rear.
Climb inside and the A35 has a glitzy, tech-packed interior, but it’s one that can be frustrating to use unless you’re intimately familiar with the UI. The infotainment system is controlled via a central touchscreen and haptic steering wheel pads, and we wish there were a few more physical controls to make it easier to operate on the move.
Volkswagen Golf R
The Mk7-generation Golf R had a level of fluidity and dynamic bandwidth that hasn’t been repeated in the Mk8. With that said, the R is stronger than ever in outright performance terms and it remains a formidable all-weather performance car, especially having received a power bump in Mk8.5 guise (which we’ve driven in prototype form).
Central to the Golf R’s handling character is its four-wheel drive system, and specifically its torque vectoring rear differential. On the way out of corners the R digs in to find great traction, and with Drift Mode activated, it’s possible to swing the rear around under power – although this doesn’t always feel intuitive or natural.
From a standstill, the Mk8.5 Golf R beats the Mercedes A35’s 4.7sec 0-62mph time by a tenth thanks to a 328bhp EA888 2-litre engine, and runs to a 167mph top speed when equipped with the optional Performance Pack. The R delivers the goods on paper, then, but whether it can offer a meaningful step up in engagement over the cheaper Golf GTI is another matter.
Audi S3
The Audi S3 hasn’t traditionally been one of our favourite hot hatches. Though previous generations have been quick, stable and well built, they’ve never quite hit the spot when it comes to delivering an interactive, multi-layered driving experience.
The latest S3 is a little different. A 2024 facelift has brought comprehensive dynamic upgrades – including the RS3’s torque splitter rear differential – and the S3 has taken a big step forward as a result. It’s a much more engaging car than any of its forebears, and good enough to give Volkswagen’s Golf R a real headache.
It still isn’t the last word in communication and the ride can be jittery on the standard passive dampers, but the S3 is deeply effective and responds well when you lean on the revised chassis. The new rear diff is an especially powerful tool, encouraging you to work the car harder on the way out of corners and use the engine’s full 328bhp potential. Finally, an S3 that’s fun as well as fast.
