Hot hatches

The blacked-out MINI JCW 1to6 Edition is around £7,000 more than a standard car, but offers exclusivity and a big specification

Two models have been added to the Abarth 500e range bringing with them a fresh new design

Picking up from where the R 20 Years left off, the VW Golf R 333 dons a new hue but won’t be offered in the UK

Honda reclaims hot hatch record on the Nordschleife

Cupra is giving the Leon a refresh this year in a fresh attack on the hot hatch market

We mark two decades of VW’s performance sub-brand by driving some of the models that have worn the blue R since it all started with the Golf R32 back …

New Honda Civic Type R locks horns with most powerful VW Golf R ever for bragging rights

The V1 is the cheapest version of the Cupra Born, but it certainly doesn't scrimp on quality

Can a performance SUV compete with a four-wheel-drive hot hatch for driving fun? We find out, courtesy of Porsche and BMW

The sporty Mk1 Skoda Octavia vRS showed how far the Czech brand had turned itself around

The Audi S3 hot hatch will receive a mid-life facelift later this year

We sample the one-off Volkswagen ID. X hot hatch from the passenger seat

We drive the stunning new Civic Type R in the UK and back-to-back with its predecessor. Is it worth its sizable price hike?

47 years of Renaultsport has come to a close with a special edition of the Megane R.S.

A UK drive in the refreshed M135i further proves BMW’s improvements have worked nicely, but be aware that your configurator choices have a sizeable in…

Honda’s new Civic Type R gets a bump in power and a more premium interior

The Audi RS 3 Performance Edition is an exclusive version of an already talented hatchback, but it's sadly not coming to the UK

Volkswagen has teased more power out of the Golf R, but can the 20 Years edition trade blows with the Mercedes-AMG A35?

Customers can choose between the Abarth 595 or the feistier 695 variant, with Turismo or range-topping Competizione trims available

New ‘warm’ options for Cupra range add new pure petrol options to the mix

Both the A 45 and less powerful A 35 will gain updates inside and out

Limited to just 300 units, the Audi RS 3 performance edition is faster, more focused and louder

The Track Pack adds uprated suspension, brakes and tyres to Ford’s hot hatch

New special edition posts a 7:47.31 Nurburgring lap time to beat the standard Golf R by four seconds

The latest Ford Focus ST gets a tech boost and other tweaks to bring it up to date for 2022

The Hyundai i20 N is the 2022 Auto Express Hot Hatch of the Year, with the Ford Fiesta ST and Mercedes-AMG A 45 commended

Drive-N Limited Edition specifications brings tweaks inside and out to Hyundai i30 N hot hatch

Does the revised Ford Fiesta ST have the beating of the Hyundai i20 N? Or is the VW Polo GTI finally worthy of its famous badge?

Few Cupra Leon buyers opt for this entry-level version of the car. Is it a hidden gem, or the derivative to avoid? 

Huge adjustable rear wing, plus redeveloped exhaust system and tweaked suspension feature on rally-inspired limited edition Abarth

The sensational new hot hatch, which won’t be coming to the UK, prompts Matt Robinson to consider what a ‘proper’ hot hatch really needs

The first hot Toyota Corolla in around two decades has been revealed, but sadly it won't be coming to the UK

Toyota entered a GR Yaris with an automatic gearbox in its Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge

The Audi A1 has been a wildly successful premium supermini for over a decade, and continues to sell well in its latest generation. Here’s how to buy t…

Two of the hottest hatches on sale do battle as we pitch the new Audi RS 3 against the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S

Final report: we’ve got mixed emotions as the Cupra Leon hot hatch leaves our fleet