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The best hot hatchbacks of the 1990s - pictures

Pictures of the best 1990s hot hatches

by: Auto Express team

16 Apr 2020

Go to: The greatest 1990s hot hatchbacks

The 1990s wasn’t all Britpop and tie-dye t-shirts. The pre-millennial decade was also a hotbed of automotive fun for the masses. The hot hatch was all grown up and, with extra power and just a little more finesse, was ready to give the public what they wa
No turbocharger for the sweet-handling VTS, just a spirited 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and an enviable kerbweight of around 900kg.
The dramatic Escort RS Cosworth made you feel like a World Rally driver, with 227bhp, four-wheel drive and that huge rear wing. Good for 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 137mph.
Ford pursued the ‘just add lightness’ theme with the lively XR2i. At around 850kg it had an impressive power to weight ratio of 121bhp per tonne.
Another motorsport-derived maniac - the Sunny GTi-R paved the way for the Japanese manufacturer to enter the Group A class of the 1991 World Rally Championship. With a 0-60mph of around five seconds, it wouldn’t be behind the pace of today’s hot hatches.
The 205 GTi’s big brother wasn’t the fastest in a straight line, but Peugeot engineered the 306 GTI-6 with a well-sorted chassis, fantastic grip and an ability to deliver just a touch of lift-off oversteer. Perfect.
Not only did it handle supremely well, the 148bhp Clio Williams certainly looked the part with an aggressive wider track and gold-coloured Speedline alloys. Very ‘90s…
One more homologation hero, the 100bhp 106 Rallye was the result of Peugeot’s fettling in order to enter the sub-1,300cc class of the World Rally Championship. And, what a car we were left with - light as a feather, with pin-sharp handling and phenomenal
A more refined approach from Vauxhall, the Astra GSi was too overweight to compete with the best in class, but offered great safety kit and, crucially, much lower insurance premiums.
The supercharged Polo G40 was a typically understated attempt from Volkswagen. With 113bhp and no turbo lag, it had the ability to surprise and, with a top speed of 122mph, had no trouble keeping up with the competition.
Based on the Mk3 Golf, SEAT managed to inject some much-needed dynamism into the Ibiza GTI. With a shorter wheelbase, stiffer suspension and lower kerb weight, the model to have was the 2.0-litre Cupra Sport model with 148bhp.