​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – affordable new performance cars

The hot hatch has had a rough run over the last few years, with tightening emissions regulations and slim profit margins claiming Renault Sport and Peugeot Sport wholesale, the Ford Fiesta ST, Hyundai’s brilliant i20 N, i30 N and Abarth’s petrol-powered 595 and 695. Soon to bow out too, the Ford Focus ST and horrifyingly, the Honda Civic Type R. Even ‘warm’ hatches have fallen, like the Volkswagen Up GTI and the Suzuki Swift Sport.

It’s not all doom and gloom, of course. Signs of life for the hot hatch in an electric future come courtesy of the new Alpine A290, which while it has a little way to go, is an encouraging tentative step along the way. Joining it soon as well will be Peugeot’s return to the game with the e-208 GTi.

There’s still petrol power to be enjoyed too. The updated Toyota GR Yaris is as excellent as ever, even at its heightened price, while VW has just put out the Golf GTI Edition 50, otherwise known as the most hardcore, driver-focused Golf since the Mk7 Clubsport S. The group as a whole persists too, with the Audi’s RS3, S3 and the Cupra Leon refreshed recently too.

Having extensively tested every current hot hatch, we've come up with a list (in no particular order) of the models you should shortlist in 2025.

Best hot hatchbacks 2025

• Honda Civic Type R
• Toyota GR Yaris
• Mercedes-AMG A45 S
• Cupra Leon 300
• Ford Focus ST
• Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50
• Mercedes-AMG A35
• Alpine A290 GTS
• Audi RS3

Honda Civic Type R

• Star rating 5
• Price from £51,905
• Honda Civic Type R review

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The only way Honda ever disappointed us with the FL5 Civic Type R was when it announced its imminent discontinuation. Indeed it is soon to be taken off sale, though you can still grab one new throughout the rest of this year and indeed, get into the new Ultimate Edition too.

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.  

‘With single steering inputs you carve neatly through the turns, while adding to the sense of precision and calm is the chassis, rotating the car just so and filtering out noise from the road surface. There’s a rare and wonderful quality to its dynamics, a clean, effortless precision that genuinely does bring to mind the 911 GT3.’ – Richard Meaden, evo editor-at-large, who tested the Civic Type R on evo Car of the year.

Alternatives to the Honda Civic Type R

It’s difficult to find many weaknesses in the package, but the Type R’s near £52k price tag does sting a little. Context is important, though, because a well-specced Golf R can cost over £50k. The Mercedes-AMG A45 S is £13k more expensive and the Audi RS3 is now over £60k. The Honda feels more special and rewarding than both.

Toyota GR Yaris 'Gen 2'

• Star rating 5
• Price from £44,250
• Read our Toyota GR Yaris review

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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.

‘It may carry advanced hardware but there’s an honest and robust feel to the way the Yaris goes about its business, with grumbly tones from the engine, heavy and communicative steering and a sense of solidity in the way it tackles bumps.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the GR Yaris in the UK on road and track.

Alternatives to the Toyota GR Yaris

The GR Yaris is without conventional rivals simply because in a world where the hot hatch is a dying breed, a rally-bred homologation special is a glaring anomaly. The Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 are as close as it gets, in terms of the levels of engineering they boast. They also make over £40k for the Yaris look cheap… More akin to the Yaris? The old Subaru Impreza Turbo has a similar dynamic alacrity on all roads, in all conditions.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S

• Star rating 4.5
• Price from £65,045
• Read our Mercedes-AMG A45 S review

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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. A shame, that like so many other hot hatches, its days are numbered, with Mercedes not set to replace the A-class at all.

‘Once you start trusting it you can add more aggression to your driving and the A45 gives you more options. Turn in hard on the brakes and there’s a sense of mobility at the rear, and with the revs up high you can carry this attitude through as you jump back on the power, straighten the wheel and fire onto the next straight. Suddenly you realise how the A45 wants to behave and how rewarding it can be – it just takes a bit more time to get there.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the A45 S against rivals in the UK on road and track.

Alternatives to the Mercedes-AMG A45 S

The Mercedes-AMG A45 enjoys what is a rare thing in the hot hatch space these days: a direct rival. The Audi RS3 has recently undergone a significant update, with a new torque-splitter differential at the rear for some welcome adjustability in its driving dynamics. The best indirect rival? Front-driven it may be, but the Civic Type R is unmatched in its capability but also its intensity.

Cupra Leon 300

• Star rating 4
• Price from £43,775
• Read our full review of the Cupra Leon 300

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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 that allows 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. The standard Dynamic Chassis Control is great too, allowing you to tailor the ride to the demands of the road surface but not to the detriment of platform control. While not the last word in interactivity, it feels more alive than any Mk8 Golf GTI yet produced.

The recent facelift has also given it a more ‘Cupra’ identity, too, which is handy in the fight to have it seen as more than a hot Seat. On the inside it’s a bit sharper too with an updated infotainment system and praise be, physical controls on the steering wheel.

‘Do you almost wear the Cupra Leon 300 like you do the total-engagement Honda Civic Type R? Not at all. It’s still no pretender to Golf Mk7 Clubsport S or Leon Sub8 status in the VAG hot hatch hall of fame but it delivers a pleasantly surprising level of enjoyment by comparison with its current VW-badged cousins.’ – Ethan Jupp, evo web editor, who ran the Cupra Leon 300 as a long-term test car.

Alternatives to the Cupra Leon 300

While the Cupra Leon is for the moment the best Golf GTI you can get, you can still count the Mk8.5 GTI Clubsport as a firmly appealing alternative. It’s less bold and brash, less frenetic, which some people surely welcome in their hot hatch. Want more anger? There’s no better than the Honda Civic Type R, though the Focus ST Performance is a fine thing.

Ford Focus ST

• Star rating 4
• Price from £38800
• Read our Ford Focus ST review

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The Focus ST has never shone quite as brightly as rivals but the announcement of its discontinuation is a shame nonetheless, especially given the form it found in later iterations, particularly the Performance and Edition spec. For now the last bastion of Ford’s signature hot hatch flavour, that will soon be extinct after five decades. 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.

‘The real positive of the suspension changes is just how connected to the road the ST now feels, more eager to turn into a corner and more adjustable once you’re partway through the curve. The Focus Edition encourages you to drive with real flair.’ – Sam Jenkins, evo senior staff writer, who tested the Ford Focus ST Edition on the road in the UK.

Alternatives to the Ford Focus ST Edition

The Ford offers a nice compromise, of something not quite so focused (ha) and frenetic as a Civic Type R but still offering a more analogue experience with its manual transmission, than say, the new Golf Edition 50, which is DSG only.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50

• Star rating TBC
• Prices TBA
• Read our first impressions of the Golf GTI Edition 50

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The Mk8 Golf GTI didn't quite hit the spot like its predecessor did and while the Mk8.5 facelifted Golf GTI Clubsport moved things in the right direction, it’s to the Golf GTI Edition 50 that we look to as the best hot Golf Volkswagen currently makes. Edition 50 spec yields extra power, with the EA888 producing a Type R-beating 321bhp and 310lb ft here. That power goes to the front wheels via the seven-speed DSG and ane-LSD with tweaked control software.

The big changes to the Edition 50 are in the suspension. Spring rates are up by 57 per cent at the front and 63 per cent at the rear. Roll is down by 13 per cent, while there are new front uprights to allow increased camber. New bushings and stiffer mounts (the rear toe links in particular) make it tauter and stiffer, with less flexion in its suspension under load. The DCC dampers remain with 15 stages of adjustment that have been tweaked in accordance with the rest of the changes to the Edition 50.

‘Some exploratory waggles of the steering wheel reveal a more positive connection to the front end than in the Clubsport. Not the synaptic connection and precision of a Type R, but less of the standard GTI’s woolly on-centre feel. The stiffer springs keep the car flat and stable through quick lane changes, and you don’t need to wait a moment for the suspension to settle and the tyres to dig in. It’s more precise and keener to respond.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the Golf GTI Edition 50 on track.

Alternatives to the Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50

The Edition 50 is the most hardcore Golf GTI since the fabulous Clubsport S of 2016. That said, it’s still not as pure a hot hatch driving experience as the Honda Civic Type R, or even the Ford Focus ST Edition. These are the true driver’s hot hatches that remain, though it is fabulous all the same.

Mercedes-AMG A35 

• Star rating 4
• Price from £47,610
• Read our Mercedes-AMG A35 review

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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 a 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.

‘Driven hard, the A35’s immense traction, impressive braking and undoubted agility mean it covers ground at an astonishing rate. It’s a more grown-up experience than that of the terrier-like hot hatches of old, but it does feel hugely capable.’ – Jordan Katsianis, former evo staffer, who tested the A35 on the road and on track in the UK.

Alternatives to the Mercedes-AMG A35

The A35 is a good match from Mercedes for a number of alternatives that punch around the same weight. There’s the Audi S3, the Volkswagen Golf R and most recently, BMW, with a refreshed M135 hot hatch. All are AWD, with punchy four-cylinders, that don’t throw out the essential usability and drivability that makes a great all-round hot hatch. 

Alpine A290 GTS

• Star rating 4
• Price from £37,500
• Read our Alpine A290 GTS review

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There’s a lot riding on the A290 – the future of Alpine, the future of the French hot hatch and the future of hot hatches as a whole. For as much as it follows in the footsteps of other highly-decorated machinery from Dieppe – the Renault Sport Megane R26.R is an evo all-time favourite – it also leads the charge, so to speak, for the hot hatch as a breed, if it is to experience a resurgence going into an uncertain new era. 

Here is a car whose power, performance and dynamics have been very carefully judged, to deliver a potent if not uproarious small sporty electric car, that isn’t compromised at the point of real use. That’s to say, it still rides well, it’s still (relatively) light, it still has usable range and it’s still practical. No, 217bhp in top level A290 GTS trim isn’t spectacular, nor the 6.4sec 0-62mph time. But 1479kg is a commendably low mass figure and 236 miles is an adequate maximum range.

So how is it? In a word, good… if not outstanding. Judged by the standards of its forebears, it is a lukewarm, slightly inert device. Judged by comparison to contemporary machinery like the Abarth 500e and Mini Cooper SE, it’s a big step in the right direction – lighter (than the heavyweight Mini), better to drive, with more range (than the Abarth) and with a really engaging design. It does have a sense of humour, it does have dynamic polish. The R5 is a car Renault was very careful to get right. Alpine has taken a similar approach, albeit erring on the side of caution.

Is the A110 DNA Alpine claims it's baked into the A290 luminous in the driving experience? When we got Alpine's outgoing sports car and its new hot hatch together, it was clear they were two very different cars. But the A110's serving as a heady benchmark is clearly part of why the A290 is as good as it is.

‘The A290’s fundamentals are sound, though, the handling neat and intuitive. It doesn't have a mechanical locking diff, but the front end still finds good bite and traction, and if you lift off into a corner you can feel the rear taking an attitude to set you up for a straighter exit. It’s not as expressive as Renault Sport hatches of old, or the A110, but there is fun to be had – and you sense that an A290 S or R would unlock an extra edge to its performance.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the A290 on the road in the UK.

Alternatives to the Alpine A290

The small hot hatch market and the electric small hot hatch market are now one and the same, given there pretty much aren’t any petrol-powered cars left in the segment, unless you want your teeth shaken out by the latest Mini Cooper S JCW. There’s the Abarth 500e if you don’t like going as far and having less fun while doing so, than in the Alpine. What we’re really looking forward to is getting it alongside the new e-208 GTI for an old-school French hot hatch showdown with an electric twist.

Audi RS3

• Star rating 4
• Price from £61,525
• Read our 2025 Audi RS3 review

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The Audi RS3 has always been a bit of a charming pariah in the hot hatch arena. Its 2.5-litre turbocharged engine is bewitching but it’s never been attached to a car that can match it for addictive charms. Happily, over the years, Audi has committed to its hyper hatch with incremental updates, edging it closer and closer to a balanced all-round star. But even this latest model with its revised chassis can’t quite match the granular tactility of the likes of the Honda Civic Type R as a devoted driver’s car.

It remains devastatingly fast of course, managing 0-62mph in under four seconds thanks to its 394bhp, 369lb ft, all-wheel-drive and dual-clutch transmission. On top of that the engine that lends the RS3 all that shove is still a joy. It’s also a much more balanced, neutral car than early RS3s ever were thanks to its trick torque-splitter rear differential. You can play with the RS3 to under or oversteer depending on your inputs. It’s controlled and devastatingly effective on track, in acceleration, braking and cornering. 

But it does take speeds appropriate only on track, for the RS3 to really come alive. We found as much during our three-car hot hatch test, where we pit the RS3 against the Mercedes-AMG A45 S and the Toyota GR Yaris Auto. It proved to be monstrously capable, with a strange split personality on track, with traits of both a front- and rear-driven car.

The optional (£2000) carbon bucket seats get you closer to the action of course and indeed being an Audi, it’s a proper quality item with which to interact. In its genre of hyper-hot hatch, it and the Mercedes-AMG A45S are without peer, even for £60k.

‘Fully unleashed, the RS3 is really exciting, with the brutality and muscle you’d expect of a fast Audi underlined with real edge and adjustability. On a damp, bumpy road you need to stay right on top of it, not just because of how quick it is, but because of how excitable the rear end can get as it skips across the surface and you learn to exploit that diff. It’s a very different thrill to the one you get from a traditional front-drive hatch, but a thrill it most definitely is.’ – Yousuf Ashraf, evo senior staff writer, who tested the RS3 against rivals in the UK.

Alternatives to the Audi RS3

The Germans have their own little thing going on at this level, with only Mercedes-AMG’s A45 S there to meet Audi’s RS3 as a proper level-pegging rival. Want less performance, expense and intensity? Go for a Golf R. Want more intensity, if not the same AWD capability? Get a Honda Civic Type R.