Best hot hatchbacks to buy 2025
The very best hot hatchbacks offer giant-killing performance and an engaging drive, all wrapped up in a family-friendly package
Over several decades, the best hot hatchbacks have offered strong performance and genuine driving thrills all wrapped up in a practical body. This recipe makes these models some of the most user-friendly performance cars on the market, and many of them boast a price tag that makes them genuinely attainable.
Today, the best hot hatchbacks all come in very similar shapes, but it’s underneath where they can vary considerably. Front, rear or all-wheel drive, naturally aspirated or turbocharged engines and even fully electric power can all be found in the modern hot hatch market. One thing remains the same with all of these cars, though: performance is the priority.
So whatever your personal preference, there will be a hot hatchback for you. In order to make your search as straightforward as possible, our road testers have put every hot hatchback you can buy to the test. During their evaluations, our experts carefully weigh up multiple areas on each car that matter to owners, such as performance, practicality, running costs and efficiency.
Read on to find the top 10 best hot hatchbacks you can buy, according to our in-depth test verdicts.
1. Honda Civic Type R
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- Prices from £50,000
The FL5 Honda Civic Type R is a two-time Auto Express Hot Hatchback of the Year award winner, and it’s not difficult to see why. The previous-generation FK8 Civic Type R was an already great hot hatch and New Car Awards winner, so rather than reinventing the wheel, Honda made small improvements in every area when developing the latest model.
Getting straight to the point, the Honda Civic Type R operates on a different plane that, for now, is unmatched by any rival. This hatchback, with five doors, a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive might sound mundane, but in reality each of those elements are as finely honed as they would be in a Porsche 911 GT3.
Some people might say the new car’s firmer ride quality makes the current Type R drive with less fluidity than the old model, but with that comes a level of resilience that will have you pounding down even the most challenging of British back roads without worrying about anything other than the thrill of the drive.
Honda has tweaked the styling on this latest model, which will no doubt be more pleasing to some. With these bold looks, together with a brilliantly laid-out interior and strong equipment levels, there’s no doubt that the FL5 Civic Type R is one of the hot hatch greats.
See our Honda Civic Type R deals
2. Mercedes-AMG A 45 S
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- Prices from £63,500
Mercedes and Audi have been quarrelling over the hyper-hatchback crown for generations now, but the latest Mercedes-AMG A 45 S has really set a new bar in terms of performance.
The Mercedes A 45 S has the most powerful mass-produced four-cylinder engine ever under the bonnet, delivering 415bhp and 500Nm of torque from a 2.0-litre capacity. This makes the A 45 a highly strung beast, but then its chassis isn’t any different, with a fantastically fluid feel to the suspension and playful all-wheel-drive system.
There’s still something to be desired when it comes to overall driving feel or engine sound, but we can’t argue that it’s not impressive, and it remains one of the best Mercedes models you can buy.
See our Mercedes-AMG A 45 deals
3. Toyota GR Yaris
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- Prices from £44,300
The indomitable Toyota GR Yaris remains an entirely unique proposition in the hot hatch space – a genuine homologation special shot through with motorsport knowhow and expert engineering. Considering the car’s rallying DNA, the exterior is somewhat subdued, but that only extends the Toyota’s appeal for some.
Powered by a willing 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, the GR Yaris puts out 276bhp to all four wheels, and it’s utterly unflappable in all kinds of weather. It feels squat, muscular and taught as it flicks through corners, inviting the driver to carry more speed and commitment to stretch its capabilities.
For those who’d prefer this performance to be delivered with more fanfare, the Civic Type R requires more thought to thread down a damp B-road, and ultimately, offers marginally higher rewards. Nevertheless, the GR Yaris is a triumph from behind the wheel and this, combined with its revised interior design and slick optional eight-speed direct automatic transmission, makes it one of the best hot hatchbacks on the market.
4. Ford Focus ST Track Pack
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- Prices from £44,300
Ford’s stunning Fiesta ST is no longer available to buy new, but its big brother, the Focus, still has plenty of fast Ford magic. The Ford Focus ST is a car that feels like it’s constantly tugging at the leash – a model that relishes being driven hard, and never lets you forget it.
The Focus ST is best in Track Pack form which adds adjustable coilovers, lightweight wheels and Pirelli P Zero tyres for a sharp and playful attitude. In this guise, the ST has a sophistication to its chassis that puts it among the best hot hatches on sale. The 276bhp four-cylinder engine has strong performance, but the augmented sound won’t suit everyone.
What makes the Ford Focus ST a unique entry on this list is the ability to order the car as an estate if you need the extra practicality – and there’s nothing quite like a fast estate car, as we all know.
5. Audi RS 3
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- Prices from £60,200
With Audi moving steadily towards full electrification, it’s possible that the current RS 3 will be the last five-cylinder car to wear the four rings. Fortunately, it is also one of the brand’s best RS models in years, so it would at least mark a fitting end to the era.
The RS 3 produces 395bhp from its 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged motor, so the Mercedes A 45 S has it pipped when it comes to outright power. However, the Audi makes full use of its output thanks to its RS Torque Splitter rear differential. By apportioning up to 100 per cent of rear-axle torque to the outside tyre, the RS 3 can pull off balletic powerslides, and allows the driver to indulge in oversteer on the exit of corners.
When pootling around, the slick double-clutch gearbox, relatively forgiving ride and tech-laden interior give the RS 3 an impressively wide operating window, while the swollen body panels give a pleasingly subtle hint at its performance.
6. Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport
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- Prices from £42,800
The latest Volkswagen Golf GTI didn’t immediately capture our hearts like some of the firm’s earlier efforts, but it remains a formidable, well rounded package that sneaks ahead of the Cupra Leon 300 that uses similar VW Group technology.
The GTI Clubsport feels muscular and urgent on the move thanks to its 2.0-litre turbocharged motor, which sends nearly 300bhp to the front wheels alone. While the latest Golf GTI doesn't tackle undulating B-roads with the finesse of some of its forebears, the GTI Clubsport is more willing to change directions and tackle back roads, thanks to its firmer ride and extensive drive-mode options. The latter lets you tailor the Golf’s responses for different moods, ensuring it always feels surefooted and grippy. The steering is accurate, and provided you keep the entry speed in check, the GTI hooks around apexes very neatly.
It's a fraction less spacious than the Cupra Leon 300 inside, but the Golf GTI's interior is as intuitive and as usable as the standard Golf.
See our Volkswagen Golf GTI Deals
7. Audi S3
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- Prices from £47,500
The Audi S3 has always been one of the best hot hatches on the market, but previous generations of the model came under fire for being a bit bland to drive. Audi has addressed these complaints and given the S3 an overhaul in a bid to make it the drivers’ hot hatch of choice.
The 2.0-litre unit under the bonnet might be the same engine found in the previous S3, but Audi has extracted an extra 22bhp, boosting the overall power output to 328bhp – making it more responsive and characterful. Other tweaks include the addition of a torque-vectoring differential, new suspension springs and dampers plus larger brakes. All together, the chassis tweaks and changes make the new S3 one of the best Audi ‘S’ cars to drive.
The interior feels upmarket and makes use of lots of premium-feeling materials. It comes across as more polished and accomplished when compared with its BMW M135i and Mercedes-AMG A 35 rivals.
8. Alpine A290
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Prices from £30,500
The age of the electric car is upon us, and we’ve already seen a few fully electric hot hatchbacks making their debuts. The Alpine A290 marks the beginning of this French performance brand’s transition to EVs, and it’s a highly desirable one at that.
Take one look at the A290 and you’ll quickly realise that it shares plenty of DNA with the Renault 5. However, fun is the name of the game here, with either 178bhp or 216bhp on tap depending on your chosen trim level. It’s nowhere near as quick as a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but the Alpine follows a more traditional route by being relatively lightweight and an absolute blast to chuck down a B-road.
9. Cupra Leon 300
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- Prices from £42,200
The Cupra Leon does everything you want a hot hatch to do: it's fun to drive, extremely rapid, looks good and carries a reasonable price tag. What's not to like? Okay, the brand might still be a bit of a mystery to some, but if you do your homework you'll know that the Cupra Leon is a deeply capable, athletic machine that also offers the essential practicality of a great hot hatch.
When we first tested a Spanish-spec Cupra Leon 300, its supreme grip and poise on track took us - and the Golf GTI Clubsport we pitted it against - by surprise, but we’ve since driven UK models which fell short of that first impression. Still, the Cupra’s 296bhp hauls it from 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds, and the power is well contained, thanks to an approachable handling balance.
The cabin tech can be fiddly at times, but the Leon’s plentiful rear legroom and 380-litre boot make this a versatile hatchback with sports-car pace.
10. Cupra Born VZ
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- Prices from £56,000
The Cupra Born was an early entrant into the increasing world of electric hatchbacks, and during its time on sale, the brand has been gradually making some key improvements along the way. The range-topping VZ is fitted with an uprated 321bhp motor on its rear axle, and this is combined with some light tweaks to the suspension and uprated steering components.
It could be argued that the result is what the Cupra Born should have always been: a fiery family car that’s amusing to drive when pressed hard. It’s not quite the sharpest EV on the market, but it is much more befitting of its badge.
Best hot hatchbacks: prices and ratings table
| Best hot hatchback rating | Model | Prices from | Engines, performance & drive rating (out of 5) | Overall Auto Express star rating (out of 5) |
| 1 | Honda Civic Type R | £50,000 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | Mercedes-AMG A 45 S | £63,500 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 3 | Toyota GR Yaris | £44,300 | 5 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Ford Focus ST Track Pack | £41,000 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 5 | Audi RS 3 | £60,200 | 5 | 4.5 |
| 6 | Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport | £42,800 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| 7 | Audi S3 | £47,500 | 4.4 | 4 |
| 8 | Alpine A290 | £33,500 | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | Cupra Leon 300 | £42,200 | 4 | 4 |
| 10 | Cupra Born VZ | £56,000 | 4 | 4.5 |
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