Sunday 7: Great hot hatches
The rise in ute and SUV sales might make it seem like they’re taking over Australian roads.
But hot hatches are still here, screaming for your attention. And, they’re getting louder. Here are some of the best hot hatches on sale today.
Volkswagen Golf GTI
That said, the Golf is still as popular as ever, and the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine offers power, performance and fun.
Hyundai i30 N
With 202kW of power and talks of even more in the future, the i30 N is a hot hatch that looks like it’s gonna get even hotter.
Honda Civic Type R
Its styling definitely won’t get everyone over the line, but the way it drives might. It feels light and rigid when you throw it around and it rewards the ambitious with an involving rear-end. The Honda is another manual-only proposition, but this thing is made to be driven.
Renault Megane RS
The newest Megane RS also features four-wheel-steering known as 4CONTROL - a first for any car in it’s segment. Inside, you get Alcantara sports seats, leather steering wheel and a quirky 8.7-inch portrait-style touchscreen with sat nav, reverse camera and Apple CarPlay. The 2018 Megane RS is priced from $46,480 (plus on-roads).
Read Drive’s more comprehensive review here.
Suzuki Swift Sport
On top of the base model city car, the Swift’s Sport variant gets 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension and bigger brakes. Powered by a 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder, people expecting lots of grunt might be disappointed. But, it is light, nimble, plenty frugal and a blast to whip around town in.
While the new VW Polo GTI is faster and includes more tech, the significantly cheaper Suzuki still wins the cash-race.
Peugeot 208 GTi
But for now, this year's model offers a sporty 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 153kW of power and 300Nm of torque.
The 208 is different from the others, encompassing Peugeot’s i-Cockpit with a smaller, sportier steering wheel and a 7.0-inch touch screen with sat nav. It’s a real drivers car and a joy to drive.
BMW M140i
The M140i isn’t an overt hot hatch, but its sports-car-like credentials quickly reminds you it is. The 3.0-litre turbo six-cylinder engine produces 250kW of power and 500Nm of torque, with its power sent to the rear wheels. If you’re not into stick-shift, the M140i is available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.