As change befalls the car industry some of our favourite badges, marques and even segments are under threat. With the small car pool dwindling before our eyes, the very breed that is hot hatch comes under threat. Happily, there's a refreshingly attitude-laden crop of 2023 hot hatch machinery that clings on, if only just. What we're saying is, buy a Fiesta ST while you can... We're also saying, consider some of the others we've listed below. They're all interesting cars, plumbing different exschelons of hot hatch heritage.
The ten best hot hatches to buy in 2023
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Ford Fiesta ST – the blue-collar hero
Ford is enjoying something of a hot hatch purple patch at the moment, the Focus RS still looming large as one of the genre’s periodic game changers. Likewise the Fiesta ST, the previous version of which announced a welcome return to hot hatches being (relatively) cheap, simple and fun. The new one is a little more sophisticated and civilised, admittedly. But the addition of a proper mechanical limited-slip differential is proof Ford believes in engineering, not gimmicks. The three-cylinder turbo engine is gutsy, the chassis is playful and you can now enjoy more of the power, more of the time. It’s just been facelifted too, though the tempting low-end prices of a few years ago have swollen with the times.
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Mercedes-AMG A45 – the Top Trumps champ
AMG is better known for its mega-Merc saloons and coupes but we’re now on the second generation of A45 AMG and proof of concept has been demonstrated. At a price, admittedly. In AMG style, the 421PS engine at the heart of it is currently the most powerful production four-cylinder anywhere and powers a clever all-wheel-drive chassis, complete with Drift Mode. OK, it’s following the rubber laid down by the Focus RS on that score. But it’s still quite the party piece and temptingly easy to exploit. If that and the £56,000-plus pricetag sounds too much the A35 AMG still offers 306PS, all-wheel-drive and the understated firepower to occupy the premium hot hatch ground temporarily vacated by the all-conquering Golf R.
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Mini John Cooper Works GP – the collector’s edition
Mini hatches are already available in various degrees of Cooper-branded hotness but the much-teased John Cooper Works GP version takes things to a whole new level, thanks to eye-catching, aero-tuned carbon-fibre wheel arch extensions and a massive rear wing. 306PS calms fears of all mouth and no trousers showboating while the 164mph top speed makes it the fastest production Mini ever. True to tradition the real speed lurks in the corners though, thanks to track-optimised suspension, sticky tyres and body stiffening extending to a brace where the rear seats once were. Of the 3,000 to be built just 575 will be sold to British owners, meaning your £34K should be a safe investment while you enjoy yourself at the wheel.
Ford Focus ST – the grown-up hooligan
Two Fords in one list? No excuses necessary, given its current run of form. Promoted from satisfyingly warm to seriously hot, the Focus ST now has one of the biggest engines in the class, a chunky 280PS and a sophisticated torque-shuffling ‘differential’ the black boxes can use to distribute power across the front axle. The tech also includes adaptive dampers but, fear not, the magic in the mix is still the way Ford’s engineers calibrate and tune it all to work in perfect harmony. With the Golf GTI temporarily absent from the market the Focus is arguably the all-round benchmark for the class, striking a fine balance between traditional hot-Ford lairiness and a new-found sense of maturity. Your move, VW.
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Honda Civic Type R – the one for drivers
There’s a brand new Honda Civic Type R and to the delight of most (and chagrin of some), it’s shed all of its chav-tastic plastic fakery and bravado, in favour of a much more restrained ‘brute in a suit’ look that we’re absolutely in love with. The same goes for the inside, which is bang up to date in terms of the digital stuff and seemingly, made of much nicer materials. Type Rs of old couldn’t hold a candle to the German stalwart on quality but this new car is seemingly a really nice thing inside. To drive, well, we’re expecting much of the same as the old car, given certain commonalities underneath. No bad thing. That thing was an absolute weapon, a tonic to drive and a giant slayer in terms of real-world pace. The best bit? This new car now has an ‘individual; mode, meaning the growly +R powertrain and direct steering can be mixed with a more compliant suspension setting. Prayers: answered.
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Volkswagen Golf GTi Clubsport – the classless one
By most accounts, Volkswagen dropped the ball ever so slightly with the Mk8 Golf GTI. It was by and large similar to the Mk7 that preceded it, just a little more irritating, a little uglier and a little more distant to drive. That was a shame, given the Mk7.5 was near class-leading as a performance car but still a superlative all-rounder. Happily, it wasn’t long before the fast Golf to have arrived. No, not the R. The Clubsport. It added a texture, a slight visceral edge, that was simply lacking in the standard car. It’s still no Mk7 Clubsport S but it’s the Mk8 Golf GTI to have, by every measure. A shame then that it’s rather pricey.
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Hyundai i20N – the sensible option
The car that dares to attempt to best the Ford Fiesta ST at its own game faces an uphill struggle at the best of times. Happily, Hyundai has experience in devising hole-in-one hot hatches, in the superb i30N. The good news is that even with the Fiesta ST refreshed for 2022, the i20N really is close to a class leader, with a playful chassis, strong engine and nicer interior. Its looks may not be as digestible as those of the Fiesta, and its four-cylinder engine is perhaps not as characterful as the ST’s thrumming three-banger, but the i20N overall is a superb small hot hatch that’s pound-for-pound around £2,000 cheaper, nicer to be in and a better daily driver. It’s not as ‘hot’ as the Fiesta but we’d have no trouble recommending the i20N. Pretty soon, it won't have the Fiesta to contend with, either...
Toyota GR Yaris – the rally rep reborn
Toyota obviously didn’t get the memo dictating modern hot hatch norms and, emboldened with a fresh WRC title for the Yaris, has created a B-segment superhatch with four-wheel drive, 257PS from a compact three-cylinder engine and a mongrel blend of underpinnings grafting Corolla front end to C-HR crossover rear to make room for the four-wheel-drive. And then pitching it for a starting price of a smidge under £30,000. This from the brand that also builds the Prius. Nobody saw this revival of the classic ‘90s Japanese rally rep coming. Now that it’s here we’re all gasping for a go.
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BMW M135i xDrive – the controversial one
On the face of it there’s nothing at all confrontational about the new BMW M135i. Pitched head to head with the Mercedes-AMG A35 it’s a worthy player, combining reimagined BMW dynamics with all the premium trappings you’d expect. The M135i’s problem, though, is the predecessor with which it shares its badge. With its gutsy 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo, rear-wheel-drive and low-slung ‘breadvan’ inspired styling, the previous M135i (and M140i it evolved into) offered something truly unique in the hot-hatch market, in terms of performance, styling, character and dynamics. In comparison the M135i xDrive seems disappointingly conformist. Despite, in isolation, being a very good car indeed.
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Volkswagen Up! GTI – the playful one
For a little while there it was a pain to get hold of a Volkswagen Up! GTI. Such was the little warm hatch’s popularity. Now it's back on sale, though naturally, it’s a little pricier than it once was. The price of entry for a three-door (a rare thing in today’s market in itself) is over £17,000. While it’s not the most advanced hot hatch or the fastest, it’s probably the most honest, with the spirit of the original Mk1 Golf GTI resurgent in its scrappy character. Gone are the days when 115PS (84kW) would set one’s hair on fire but this is an honest-to-goodness fun small car that, while it is pricey, still costs a healthily-stocked savings account less than a Ford Fiesta ST. In terms of having fun for less, the little GTI is damn near the best. With our sensible trousers on we can also say it’ll probably hold its value nicely too.
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Which hot hatch would you most want to own?
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