The Best Hot Hatches of All Time

There's something appealing about sporty small cars. Since the inception of hatchbacks in the 1970s, these small family-friendly cars always had our attention.
The term "hot hatch" refers to the sporty version of a hatchback car, which in turn, is a car body configuration with a rear door that provides access to the interior of the car as a cargo area.
The concept of a hot hatch is based on the upgrading of the powertrain and drivetrain of an existing practical and compact car sold by the manufacturer. Thus, keeping it cheap and easy to maintain.
One of the best qualities of the hot hatches is their versatility, as they combine sports cars performance with day-to-day driving. They also have a high fun-to-price ratio, allowing drivers to have a good time without spending too much.
Nowadays, many old hot hatches are collector's items, with their prices beating some of today's equivalents.
It is hard to identify the best hot hatch, as there are so many different cars to choose from. Therefore, on this list we have picked the greatest hot hatches in no particular order.

Here are the best hot hatches of all time.

Renault 5 Turbo 2 - 160hp, 970kg

The Renault 5 Turbo 2 is a rally derived car, that has a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that delivers 160hp. This mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive car can do 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h (120 mph).

Fiat Uno Turbo - 104hp, 845kg

The Fiat Uno Turbo was launched in April 1985. It has a 1.3-liter turbocharged engine producing 104hp. Equipped with a 5-speed gearbox, it has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 204 km/h (127 mph).

Toyota GR Yaris - 268hp, 1280kg

The Toyota GR Yaris is a car built by Toyota with assistance from the brand's Gazoo Racing (GR) division. This car was designed to meet World Rally Championship (WRC) homologation rules. It has a 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 268hp. The engine is coupled to a four-wheel drive system. The GR Yaris can do 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph).

Mercedes-AMG A45 S - 416hp, 1680kg

The Mercedes-AMG A45 S is the most powerful A-Class Benz. It has an all-wheel drive layout, and is equipped with a 2-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine that produces 416hp. It has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph).

Honda Civic Type R (FK8) - 316hp, 1380kg

The FK8-generation Civic Type R has a 2-liter turbocharged engine that delivers 316hp. This front-wheel-drive car is capable of doing 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and has a top speed of 272 km/h (169 mph).

Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7) - 296hp, 1401kg

The Volkswagen Golf R is the most powerful version of the Golf. This all-wheel drive car has a 2-liter turbocharged engine that produces 296hp. It has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

BMW M135i - 315hp, 1500kg

The BMW M135i combines comfort with hot hatch performance. It has a 3-liter 6-cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers 315hp. This rear-wheel-drive car can do 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Fiat 500 Abarth - 133hp, 1035kg

In 2013, the Fiat 500 became Europe's best-selling minicar. Its sporty version, the 500 Abarth, was introduced in 2008, and is equipped with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that generates 133hp. It has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 205 km/h (127 mph).

Citroën Saxo VTS - 118hp, 910kg

The Citroën Saxo VTS has a 1.6I 16-valve engine with a top speed of 205 km/h (127 mph), and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 8.7 seconds.

Peugeot 106 GTI - 118hp, 925kg

The Peugeot 106 GTI is the most powerful 106. It has a 1.6 DOHC inline-4 engine, with a max output of 118HP/6600 rpm, and a max torque of 104.8 lb-ft//5200 rpm.

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA - 247hp, 1435kg

The Alfa Romeo 147 GTA is equipped with the 247bhp 3.2-liter Busso V6. It can reach a top speed of 246 km/h (153 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.3 seconds.

Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk1) - 109hp, 810kg

The Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk1) brought sports driving to the masses. This 1.6l model pioneered the emerging genre of hot hatches.

Honda Civic Type R EP3 - 197hp, 1204kg

The Honda Civic Type R EP3 has a 2.0-liter DOHC inline-4 with i-VTEC. The "i" in "i-VTEC" stands for "intelligent", meaning it actuated different cam lobes at different speeds, enabling the engine to be highly efficient.

Ford Fiesta ST (Mk7) - 180hp, 1163kg

The Ford Fiesta ST (Mk7) has a turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine. It can reach a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph).

Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 - 104hp, 850kg

The Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 has a top speed of 190 km/h (118 mph), and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 9.5 seconds.

Renault Clio 182 Trophy - 180hp, 1090kg

The Renault Clio 182 Trophy has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 222 km/h (138 mph).

The Mini Cooper S has a supercharged 1.6-liter engine. It has a top speed of 222 km/h (138 mph).

Ford Focus RS (Mk1) - 212hp, 1355kg

The Ford Focus RS (Mk1) has Sachs dampers, a Quaife limited-slip differential and Brembo brakes. The purpose of this car was to give its drivers a feeling of Colin McRae’s Focus WRC car.

Renault 5 GT Turbo - 118hp, 830kg

The Renault 5 GT Turbo 1.4-liter engine allowed it to make 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds.

Volkswagen Polo G40 - 111hp, 830kg

The Volkswagen Polo G40 has a supercharged 1.3-liter engine. It has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 196 km/h (122 mph).

Renault Clio Williams - 148hp, 981kg

The Renault Clio Williams has a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine. It has a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 216 km/h (134 mph).

Suzuki Swift GT - 100hp, 785kg

The Suzuki Swift GT is the lightest on this list. It makes 100 horsepower from a 1.3L 16-valve DOHC engine.

The Renault Megane R26.R has a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. It does 0 to 100 km/h in 6.0 seconds and has a top speed of 237 km/h (147 mph).

Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II - 212hp, 1340kg

The Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II has an inline 4 cylinder turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. It does 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and has a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph).

Peugeot 106 Rallye - 100hp, 810kg

The Peugeot 106 Rallye has a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine capable of a 0 to 100 km/h time of 9.7 seconds and a top speed of 190 km/h (118 mph).

Hyundai i30 N - 247hp, 1400kg

The Hyundai i30 N has a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 6.3 seconds.