The Hotlist of Hot Hatches for 2018

The Fiesta ST is probably the safest option there is right now in the hot-hatch market. This is also the newest car on the entire list as the ST has just undergone a face-lift for 2018. Praise for the Fiesta ST is usually attributed to its friendly and compliant nature which makes it very easy to drive playfully. The new model now has a 1.5 litre 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine, whereas the old model featured a 1.6 litre 4-cylinder. This new unit is just as powerful and supremely economical. The industry-standard 0-60 mph takes 6.5 seconds, which is pretty quick in a car this size, but you can also get 47.1 mpg. The new Fiesta ST starts from just £18,995.

The Pro_cee’d GT positions itself as a coupe instead of a hatchback, a bit like Volkswagen did with the Scirocco, but let’s be clear, both are hatchbacks. This new KIA is really something to behold though, as it doesn’t conform to the usual hot-hatch stereotypes. It’s not hugely loud or attention seeking in its appearance ‘nor exhaust volume and, like all KIAs, it comes with a massive 7 year/ 100,000-mile warranty. Interestingly, the 1.6 turbo petrol engine puts out a Fiesta rivalling 200 horsepower, but this isn’t Fiesta size and that figure is about 50 horsepower behind where it needs to be, among the Astra VXR, Focus ST and so on. KIA isn’t trying to compete with these cars though, instead, they want a sporty-enough, well built, reliable and still exciting hatchback that will happily satisfy the market as a niche option. On all of these counts, KIA has succeeded. The Pro_Cee’d GT is on sale now from the extremely reasonable price of just £24,025.

Mercedes have released a new A-Class hatchback and it is taking the premium-hatchback market by storm. It offers the cleanest, most luxurious interior which has essentially been lifted out of the S-Class saloon and scaled-down to fit the hatchback. The hottest A-Class is currently best served as an A35 AMG 4MATIC  model, with a 306 horsepower 2.0-litre petrol. The performance is delivered with a sprint from 0-62 in just 4.7 which is certainly potent and when combined with the supreme luxury, buyers will have few if any complaints. If you do want a posh hatchback that will make an effort to pin your cheeks back when you stomp the accelerator, then this could be the car for you.

Prices for the A35 AMG 4MATIC start from £34,350

Offering the best value for money out of any of the traditional large hot-hatches is the Seat Leon Cupra 300, which has just been reworked and had its power output increased to, you guessed it, 300 bhp. It is also one of the more economical hatches of this class as it can return 41.5 mpg which isn’t going to save any polar bears but it will save you plenty throughout ownership. The engine is the same 2.0 turbo petrol as the one you’ll find in the Golf GTi, Golf R, Octavia VRS and so on, which is a good thing because it’s a very reliable unit and it will get you to 60 mph from a standing start in just 5.7 seconds. Not bad at all considering the Leon is priced so reasonably at just £30,095.

It wouldn’t be a hot-hatch list without a Type R in it somewhere. I mentioned that some of the appeals of hot-hatches nowadays is that they can slip by relatively unnoticed. This absolutely, categorically does not apply to the new Civic Type R. Its looks are so aggressive and so unique that it will always turn heads and drop jaws. Three central exhausts, an outrageous rear wing, a gaping bonnet scoop and numerous shark fins on the roof. It’s like it was designed by an imaginative juvenile. How does it drive? Like an animal. All of those features are functional and they all work to collectively add to the insane performance of the car. The Type R set the Nurburgring lap record for Front Wheel Drive cars when it was released and it’s no real surprise. The car goes from 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds which is slower than rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive competitors, but faster than any of the front-wheel-drive models. The Honda Civic Type R is on sale right now for £31,525.

Where to start with the Focus RS? It is utterly, utterly bonkers. If you’re after a subtle hatchback that can slip by unnoticed then look elsewhere. The 4 wheel drive Ford is the fastest Focus ever built and every model comes factory fitted with a rear wing big enough for a family of 5 to all eat their dinner off. The RS also comes with active aerodynamics at the front and a race-inspired interior. The ride of the RS is particularly dynamic and agile and the grip that is on offer is really inspiring for the driver. Of course, you can turn it all off, though. The Focus RS is highly adjustable so you can change the throttle response, exhaust volume and suspension stiffness at the touch of a few buttons. The 0-60mph time is just 4.7 seconds and the Focus RS is on sale right now from £32,795.

The Golf R is a car that you’ll have undoubtedly seen on the streets. The most powerful Golf ever produced has gone down as a roaring success in terms of sales and performance. The top of the range Golf features a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, as do many cars in this list, as well as the Haldex 4 wheel drive system that provides seemingly endless traction. The 0-62mph time of the Golf R is just 4.6 seconds which is simply mind-boggling and if you don’t constantly drive like a complete idiot then you’ll average about 40 mpg too. One of the biggest selling points of the R, however, is just how understated it looks. If you ignore the twin dual exhausts, it doesn’t look much different from any other well spec’d Golf. The Golf R is on sale right now for £32,880.

The BMW M140i sets itself apart from the rest of the hot-hatch market in many ways. Firstly, it features a turbocharged 6 cylinder engine, whereas most competitors only have 4-pots. Secondly, and most notably, it is exclusively rear-wheel-drive. You don’t need me to lecture you on how much better to drive rear-powered cars are (in the right conditions) but if you’re buying a hot-hatch, it’s fair to say you’re looking for a real driver’s car. The BMW certainly ticks that box. In terms of performance, the M140i is ever so slightly slower than a few competitors but still blisteringly quick with a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds and 335 horsepower to chew the life out of your rear tyres. The 3-door hatch model starts from £33,925 and the 5-door from £34,475.

If you’re looking for luxury, class and sophistication from a hot-hatch, opposed to outright hooliganism, then look no further than the Audi S3. The S3 boasts the most welcoming and prestigious interior on the hot-hatch market, leagues ahead of any other German rival, but the S3 hasn’t lost its inner beast. With the S-Tronic gearbox the S3 will do the 0-62mph run in just 4.6 seconds, which is marginally quicker than both the Focus RS and the Golf R, the latter of which the S3 shares a large number of components with. To match its sophisticated styling the S3 also has reasonable running costs. It can achieve up to 40.9mpg. The Audi S3 is on sale now from £36,475.

Anything from Audi that starts with ‘RS’ is going to pack more than enough performance for the roads and this RS3 is no different. With prices starting from £44,755 for the hatchback and £45,705 for the saloon it is frighteningly expensive but it packs a secret weapon. The Audi RS3 launch control is one of the most potent features about the car and it is enough to take the car from a standing start to 62 mph in just 4.1 seconds. That’s 0.4 seconds faster than the original Audi R8 V8 supercar which cost north of £110,000 when it was released. Of course, you also get a supremely comfortable and spacious interior with the RS3 and their unrivalled ‘Quattro’ all-wheel-drive system.