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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.

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