Car Type | CARkeys

Road Test

Volvo V40 Cross Country T5 Lux Geartronic

The most expensive, and least appealing, car in the V40 range.
Launches

Ford Fiesta ST (2013)

A bit in-your-face for everyday use, perhaps, but there are compensations.
Launches

Peugeot 208 GTi

Peugeot remembers how to make a good hot hatch.
Road Test

Renault Megane Renaultsport 265

How does the most powerful Megane cope without the optional Cup chassis?
Road Test

Ford Focus ST-2

The best Focus ST yet, though not as good as it could be.
Road Test

Audi A1 2.0 TFSI quattro 256PS

Huge power, four-wheel drive and rarity value mean this is no ordinary Audi A1.
Road Test

BMW 125d M Sport Automatic

A great engine and a great gearbox make this a great car.
Road Test

BMW M135i Automatic Three-Door

Staggeringly powerful, but a bit soft.
Launches

Vauxhall Astra VXR (2012)

Nearly 280bhp through the front wheels, yet this VXR has fine road manners.
Road Test

Citroen DS4 2.0 HDi 160 DStyle

Since the DS3 is such a good car, why is the DS4 so disappointing?
Road Test

Renault Twingo Renaultsport 133 Silverstone GP

A fabulous little hot hatch, if you don't mind a lot of interior noise.
Road Test

Renault Megane Renaultsport 265 Trophy

Megane gets a diff, Bridgestone tyres and an extra 15bhp, to great effect.
Road Test

Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring

Road and track experience convince us that this is the best VXR to date.
Road Test

Renault Megane Renaultsport 250 Cup

We're not sure about Renault's hottest Clio, but this Megane is something else again.
Road Test

Volkswagen Polo GTI Three-Door (2011)

VW's fastest Polo combines stirring performance with amazing fuel economy.
Road Test

Volkswagen Polo GTI (2011)

Fastest Polo is one of the finest hot superminis on the market, though far from the cheapest.
Road Test

Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0T FSI (2011)

Similar VW Group cars are more powerful, but that doesn't detract from the Octavia's charm.
Road Test

SEAT Leon Cupra R (2010)

The most powerful and dramatic Leon ever built is also one of the most comfortable to drive.
Road Test

Skoda Fabia vRS (2010)

One of the best hot hatches around, and remarkably cheap.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen gets rid of that silly V6 engine and makes a proper - but very expensive - hot hatch.
Launches

Abarth Punto Evo

It won't outsell the hugely popular 500, but this is Abarth's finest car yet.
Road Test

Ford Focus ST170

This hot hatch caused a difference of opinion at CARkeys - some of us liked it, some of us really, really didn't.
Road Test

Ford Fiesta ST Mountune Stage 2

Top Ford tuning company makes the Fiesta ST even more powerful and appealing.
Road Test

Ford Fiesta ST (2005)

2005 ST was the most powerful production Fiesta Ford had ever built.
Launches

Daihatsu YRV Turbo 130

Daihatsu attempts to make a hot hatch out of the YRV - and fails.
Launches

Abarth 500C

Kitten-rivalling cuteness and stirring performance in one small package.
Launches

Skoda Fabia vRS (2010)

A lot of performance for the money - and there's even an estate version.
Road Test

Citroen DS3 1.6 THP DSport

Fabulous hot hatch is a serious challenger to similarly powerful MINIs.
Launches

SEAT Leon Cupra R (2010)

The fastest - and the best - Leon hot hatch SEAT has ever produced.
Launches

SEAT Ibiza FR TDI (2010)

SEAT creates a diesel hot hatch to expand its choice of sporty Ibizas.
Launches

Volkswagen Golf GTI (2009)

Like the regular Golf, the GTI went through a very mild revision in 2009.
Launches

MINI John Cooper Works (2008)

Possibly the finest hot hatch you could buy in 2008.
Launches

Honda Civic Type R (2007)

Unlike its predecessor, the second Type R was able to cope with the power of its engine.
Launches

Abarth 500

Abarth takes the Fiat 500 and turns it into a hot hatch.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI Three-Door (2009)

Latest GTI is extremely capable, but not exciting.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf GTD Five-Door (2009)

Can there be such a thing as a diesel hot hatch? Of course there can. Here it is.
Road Test

Subaru Impreza WRX (2007)

Not at all elegant, but the handling, ride quality and ease of driving are outstanding.
Road Test

SEAT Leon TDI FR (2006)

Quick diesel León from the bad old days of terrible ride quality.
Road Test

SEAT Leon Cupra (2009)

Suddenly, the Cupra goes soft - and it's outstandingly better for it.
Road Test

SEAT Ibiza Cupra Bocanegra (2009)

Same car as the regular Cupra, but with a few styling tweaks.
Road Test

SEAT Ibiza Cupra (2010)

Equal hottest of the current Ibizas is a very accomplished hot hatch.
Road Test

Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup

It's meant to be one of the great hot hatches of its day - so why do we have a problem with it?
Road Test

Peugeot 308 GT THP 175

Another car which makes us think Peugeot isn't as good at hot hatches as it used to be.
Road Test

Peugeot 207 GTi THP 175

Hottest 207 is great on smooth roads but fails to deliver on most UK tarmac.
Road Test

Ford Focus ST3 Three-Door (2008)

Revised Focus ST still quick but still not particularly exciting.
Road Test

Ford Focus ST2 Three-Door (2006)

Middle model in the ST range gives good compromise of price and equipment.
Road Test

Ford Focus RS (short test) (2009)

The most powerful production RS Ford yet, and a worthy wearer of the badge.
Road Test

Ford Focus RS (long test) (2009)

Living with the RS is bearable only if you don't mind people staring at you.
Road Test

Ford Fiesta 1.6 Mountune 140PS

Famous tuning company turns the Fiesta into a boy racer's delight.
Road Test

Fiat Panda 100HP

The hottest Panda should be great fun, but we found it very uncomfortable.
Road Test

Citroen Saxo VTS

Facelifted version of the car that every car-conscious teenager once wanted to own.
Road Test

Citroen Saxo VTR

Far more than simply the cheaper, less powerful alternative to the VTS.
Road Test

Abarth Grande Punto

The first car in modern times to be marketed solely as an Abarth (though it's Fiat-based).
Road Test

Vauxhall Corsa VXR

A very fast and surprisingly comfortable hot hatch.
Launches

Renault Clio Renaultsport 197 F1 Team R27

Hot Clio inspired by Renault's Grand Prix team.
Launches

Renault Megane Renaultsport dCi 175

Diesel hot hatch version of the 2007 Megane.
Launches

SEAT Leon Cupra 2.0 T FSI (2007)

The most powerful Leon yet, with 237bhp, but not as good as it could be.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 30 Three-Door (2007)

Volkswagen celebrates three decades of Golf GTIs with the most powerful one to date.
Launches

Renault Megane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26

More power and F1 branding for the hot Megane.
Road Test

Skoda Fabia vRS (2006)

Skoda said it hadn't improved the vRS's suspension. We were sure it had.
Launches

SEAT Leon Cupra (2007)

237bhp made the 2007 Cupra SEAT's hottest hatch yet.
Launches

Peugeot 207 GT THP 150

Not quite a GTi - that was to come later.
Road Test

SEAT Leon FR T-FSI (2006)

In 2006 we felt SEAT still didn't know how to build a good hot hatch.
Road Test

SEAT Ibiza 1.8 20v T FR (2006)

Formula Racing Ibiza was unsophisticated but offered a lot of fun for not much money.
Road Test

SEAT Leon 2.0 TDI FR (2006)

Good diesel engine but weird suspension set-up in this hot hatch.
Launches

Renault Clio Renaultsport 197

Clio Renaultsport gains power and sophistication.
Road Test

Renault Megane Renaultsport 225 F1 Team

Special edition Megane wasn't for introverts.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf R32 DSG Three-Door (2006)

Better than the old R32, but not as good as a GTI.
Launches

Skoda Octavia vRS (2006)

A Skoda based on a Golf GTi - now that's an idea we like.
Road Test

Vauxhall Astra VXR (2005)

Quickest Astra of its day had more power than was good for it.
Road Test

Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 CZT (2005)

Quick in a straight line, but not good enough under braking or round corners.
Launches

smart forfour Brabus

One major flaw aside, this was an incredibly good hot hatch.
Road Test

Renault Megane Renaultsport 225 Trophy

Even more focussed version of the already dramatic 225.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf GTI DSG Five-Door (2005)

Volkswagen got back to using the GTI label properly in 2005.
Road Test

Renault Clio Renaultsport 182 Cup

Some said this was the "best hot hatch ever". We thought otherwise.
Launches

Ford Fiesta ST (2004)

First car from the new Ford TeamRS department showed huge promise.
Launches

Renault Clio Renaultsport 182 Cup

Not as extreme as the 172 Cup, but still a potential trackday car.
Road Test

Citroen C2 VTS

One for the lads.
Road Test

SEAT Leon Cupra R 225 (2004)

León finally gets the hot engine we'd been expecting.
Road Test

Honda Civic Type-R (2004)

First-generation hot Civic - tested here in revised form - was an engine surrounded by a car.
Launches

Renault Megane Renaultsport 225

UK buyers love Renaultsport models. This is one reason why.
Road Test

Skoda Fabia vRS (2003)

Performance and economy, fine. Ride and handling, not so much.
Road Test

Peugeot 206 GTi 180

Better than expected in non-sporty conditions, and not too expensive.
Launches

Vauxhall Astra Coupe Turbo

The fastest four-seat Vauxhall of its day.
Launches

Skoda Fabia vRS (2003)

We found Skoda's first Fabia hot hatch very disappointing.
Launches

Renault Clio Renaultsport 172 Cup

Amazing hot hatch ability for a very low price.
Launches

Peugeot 206 SW Si

Peugeot turned the 206 SW into a semi-hot hatch, to surprisingly good effect.
Launches

Peugeot 206 GTi 180 (UK drive)

Our first drive of the hottest 206 on UK roads.
Launches

Peugeot 206 GTi 180 (European drive)

A tale of one man and his goat. Oh, and a quick Peugeot.
Launches

MINI Cooper S (2002)

Original high-performance MINI was a brilliant hot hatch.
Launches

Ford Focus RS (2002)

Original Focus RS was late to the market but worth waiting for.
Road Test

MG ZS 180 Five-Door

Rover 45 is the basis for a spectacularly good performance car.
Road Test

MINI Cooper S (2002)

A great hot hatch, but perhaps too track-focussed for everyday road use.
Road Test

SEAT Leon Cupra R (2002)

SEAT's claim to build exciting cars eventually came true with the first Cupra R.
Road Test

SEAT Leon Cupra (2002)

Not as exciting as the Cupra R of the same era, but perhaps the better car.
Road Test

Skoda Octavia vRS (2002)

Early vRS had more power than it could handle.
Road Test

Honda Civic 2.0 Type S (2003)

Honda came very close, but not close enough, to making this an excellent hot hatch.
Road Test

Citroen Saxo VTR (2002)

Cramped interior, but a fine semi-hot hatch all the same.
Road Test

Volkswagen Lupo GTi

One of the smallest cars ever to justify the "hot hatch" title.
Road Test

Volkswagen Golf R32 Three-Door (2002)

Great performance, horrible dynamics.

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