Five hot hatch heroes at Geneva

Ford Fiesta ST200

Ford is savouring something of a performance fest in Geneva this year, buoyed by what it says is its “most exciting and comprehensive line-up of Ford Performance models ever.” While most eyes are drawn to the street version of the Ford GT on the stand – soooo cool in 1966 Heritage Edition livery of Shadow Black with silver stripes – it’s a little hatchback behind it that’s actually the newer car… 

It’s the latest-generation Fiesta in eagerly-awaited ST form, looking pert and zippy as only a sporty Fiesta can, and with loads of promise to cement its position as the best-driving small hot hatch around. To do that the ST200 has 197bhp from a new three-cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine – it’s the first three-pot hot Ford ever.

It is also the first Fiesta with selectable drive modes – yup, here’s a Ford Fiesta with a Track setting! Engine response, stability control, steering and level of exhaust noise can all be tailored for maximum fun, says Ford.

0-62mph: 6.7 seconds

When: summer

How much: price to be confirmed 

Toyota Yaris GRMN

One of the pocket rockets out to steal the Fiesta’s crown is the first hot Yaris from Toyota, making its world debut in Geneva. If the idea of a potent Yaris sounds unlikely, like its unwieldy GRMN badging, be aware that the Yaris is no stranger to a bit of hi-po' tuning in Japan at least, where Toyota’s Gazoo Racing outfit have fettled it for a while. This is the first time they have let one escape to Europe to battle it out in the hot hatch market, timed to coincide with Toyota’s return to the World Rally Championship.

And as you’d expect for the roadgoing version of a rally rocket, it has plenty in its spec to tempt. Such as a 1.8-litre supercharged (yes, supercharged) engine producing 205bhp. It’s front-wheel drive, comes with a six-speed manual, Torsen limited slip diff, uprated brakes and suspension and sportified exterior and interior makeover. No figures yet but Toyota says the made-in-France car will have best in class 0-62mph acceleration.

0-62mph: ??

When: Early 2018

How much: ???

Renault Zoe e-sport

The inoffensive little electric Zoe – Europe’s top-selling electric car – is not instantly hot hatch raw material, but just look at what a great job Renault Sport has done in transforming it into this Formula E-inspired high-voltage baby bombshell. With its carbon fibre body, race-car suspension, 20-inch alloys and Recaro seats, it’s a concept but one that looks good enough to go in our book.

And go it will with twin electric motors, 460bhp, all-wheel drive, and a weight of 1,400kg (including the batteries). Performance is of the order of 0-130mph in 10 seconds, says Renault. Just how long it will go on doing that for is another question entirely…

0-62mph: 3.2 seconds

When: alas not yet

How much: how long its batteries will last is the bigger question 

Honda Civic Type R

Aggressive looks, front-wheel drive, manual gearbox, 316bhp of turbocharged VTEC power, made in Britain – it has to be the Honda Type R, doesn’t it? It is, but in all-new Civic tenth-generation form. We waited eons for the current model but now just a couple of years on we have its replacement. And like every Type R before it, it’s a car that anyone considering a seriously sporty hatchback cannot afford to overlook.

So how does the new one change things? It looks… well, how a Type R should look. There’s a lot to take in but under the lights at Geneva, it does look the business. As a new-gen model it brings with it a round of improvements denied the outgoing car, from a new interior and much-improved dashboard, to a stiffer chassis, better aerodynamics and revised suspension. Will the new one handle its power as effectively as the old one? We look forward to finding that out. 

At 316bhp it has 10 more horses than before, and the same 295 lb-ft of torque. There are no acceleration times yet but we expect small improvements – Honda will be wanting to keep the new Type R at the front of the hot hatch pack, including at the Nurburgring where it will be keen to reclaim the front-drive record from VW. It sure won’t have things all its own way, though (see below…)

0-62mph: in 5.7 seconds (outgoing car)

When: summer

How much: £30,000 (outgoing car)

Seat Leon Cupra 300

The big news for Seat at Geneva is the fifth generation of the Ibiza, but for hot hatch fans all eyes are on the Leon Cupra, sharing stand space in Geneva with the new supermini. The latest version of this wild child from Barcelona will take its place among the hottest of hatches when it goes on sale in the UK in the next few weeks. It’s the fastest car Seat has ever made.

We have known much of its spec for a while – such as 296bhp and 280 lb-ft from the 2.0-litre TSI engine, along with DSG or manual gear options, all-wheel drive of course and a circa £30k price. One number we didn’t know until now is that it will spring from 0-62mph in just 4.9secs. And that’s really going to put the car among the hot hatch pigeons...

0-62mph: 4.9 seconds

When: March 2017

How much: £30,455