Best hot hatchbacks to buy 2025
Sizzle, sizzle
Hot hatchbacks are, in a way, the cars which democratised driving enjoyment for all. Prior to the arrival of the original Volkswagen Golf GTI in 1975, all fast and engaging cars were either impractical, expensive, or both.
But the combination of a useful hatchback body plus a racier drivetrain at an affordable price hit a nerve, and over the intervening decades many wonderful and varied hot hatches have been launched, winning scores of fans the world over.
The UK is a particularly strong market for fast hatches, but although the format had a resurgence through the early 2000s and 2010s, in recent years their numbers have thinned as manufacturers focus on building electric SUVs and plug-in hybrids – thus the idea of a profligate petrol engine in a compact car won’t be around for ever.
Despite that, and further considering that presently there is an almost complete absence of the sort of B-segment pocket rockets that used to represent the affordable hot hatch level – all of the Peugeot GTi, Renault Sport Clio, Ford Fiesta ST and Hyundai i20N models are no more – there’s still plenty of good choice for fans of the practical performance car… including some which are powered by battery, if you want to transition to the future of propulsion while still getting your driving kicks.
Here, then, are nine of the best hot hatchbacks for 2025 and beyond.
1. Abarth 600e Scorpionissima
From £41,975
The Fiat 600e on which this car is based is technically a crossover. However, the Abarth 600e is a genuinely exciting thing to drive, and its proportions are such that we think it qualifies – certainly as it’s the most thrilling Fiat-based machine we’ve driven since the 124 of the mid- to late-2010s.
The Abarth 600e has either a 235- or a 277bhp electric motor, either of which will get it from 0-62mph in around six seconds. The regular 235bhp car represents terrific value and is still fun to steer, but the Scorpionissima with the 277bhp unit is the one to go for as it gains some really worthwhile kit that makes each drive more grin-inducing. Move fast if you want one, though, as only 1,949 Scorpionissimas will be built to mark the year Abarth started trading as a company.
2. Alpine A290
From c.£33,500
Another electric hot hatch and another one with a retro motif, but there can be few cars in recent years which have generated as much hype as the Renault 5 E-Tech source material. Shamelessly (and brilliantly) reinventing the look and shape of the original 5 hatch of the 1970s and ‘80s in a modern, electrically propelled body, the 5 E-Tech is already one of the best EVs on the market, and one of the best-priced.
The A290, though, is the sporty take on the same vehicle, with enhanced styling complete with touches taken from Renault and Alpine’s storied motor sport past, plus a more potent 215bhp motor for a 6.4-second 0-62mph time. It’s also as good to drive as the 5 E-Tech, and as long as prices come in at the expected starting price then the Alpine represents one of the most affordable ways into a truly desirable EV, as well as being the cheapest car on this list.
3. Audi RS 3 Sportback
From £60,105
From the cheapest to the second-most expensive car here. The Audi RS 3 Sportback represents a breed of hot hatch that only really started to appear within the past ten years or so, that of the “hyper-hatch”. Typically, these have powerful turbocharged engines, four-wheel drive and the sort of straight-line performance that can embarrass present-day supercars. They’re thinning out now, with the only real alternative these days being the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, but the RS 3 is the pinnacle of the species.
Chief weapon in its armoury is an incredibly charismatic 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, developing 395bhp and putting it through all four wheels via the company’s fabled quattro system. That results in a 3.8-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 174mph, if you tick the right option box on the order form, but in its current format the Audi RS 3 is as much fun in the corners as it is searing along the straights, singing one of the all-time great motoring soundtracks as it goes. And if you don’t like hatchbacks (then why are you reading this piece…?), there’s even a four-door Saloon variant to choose instead.
4. BMW M135 xDrive
From £43,600
It might have lost its “i” from the model badge, and the recent restyle has made it look a little like a Kia, but the BMW M135 xDrive represents a good halfway house between something more everyday, such as a regular 261bhp Volkswagen Golf GTI, and something insane and expensive like the Audi RS 3, or even the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (below).
The M135 has a turbocharged 2-litre, four-cylinder engine good for 296bhp, which it channels through an xDrive all-wheel-drive system. So, despite the fact it is more of a rival for the supposedly lesser Audi S3, instead of the full-on RS 3, the M135 can still achieve 0-62mph in less than five seconds (4.9s) and will run on to a 155mph top speed. Also, even though it is based on front-wheel-drive architecture, the M135 is a BMW at heart so it’s a hoot to drive in the corners.
5. Ford Focus ST
From £37,705
Ford has got a long and illustrious history in the hot-hatchback marketplace, and there have been several rapid versions of all four generations of the Focus over the years – none finer than the Mk3 RS, which was only on sale from 2015 until 2018. However, the engine from that car, a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder unit, has been carried over for the current flagship, the ST.
It’s detuned a little here, but with 276bhp this is still a super-rapid road car. You can actually get in the Focus ST from £37,705 for the standard model, which is brilliant, but it’s worth going for the pricier ST Edition because it comes with the Track Pack as standard, which incorporates KW coilover suspension and massive Brembo brakes for an even more involving driving experience.
6. Honda Civic Type R
From £50,050
This is probably the most evolved version of the ‘classic’ hot-hatch formula on this list. There’s no resorting to four-wheel drive in the latest Honda Civic Type R; just front-wheel drive, a limited-slip diff and a chassis of blinding talent.
Honda layers on top a phenomenal 2-litre VTEC Turbo engine with 325bhp that’s capable of punching the car from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds on its way to a 171mph top speed, but perhaps the best news is that the Japanese firm has toned down the looks from its lurid predecessor, while also significantly improving the Civic’s interior quality in the process. OK, 50 grand is not cheap, but there’s a very good case to be made that the Civic Type R is the finest-handling and most rewarding driver’s car on this list, so it’s emphatically worth the cash.
7. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
From £65,000
The Ioniq 5 N is an epochal moment in the EV story: it’s the first electric car we’ve ever been in where it feels like it was solely developed with the primary purpose of engaging its driver before all else. Even Porsche’s otherwise-sublime Taycan doesn’t quite feel as focused and zeroed-in on the person behind its steering wheel as the Hyundai does.
There are some drawbacks to the Ioniq 5 N, which are its sheer physical size, its weight and the fact it is the most expensive car on this list. But it is also, by some margin, the most powerful car here, with a colossal 641bhp to play with. That means 3.4 seconds to 62mph from rest and the sort of midrange response that’d shame a Porsche 911 Turbo, never mind a Taycan. The crowning glory, though, is that the Hyundai is more fun in the corners than it is when you’re simply unleashing its full electric force, and that is why this is the most important EV going right now, if you’re a driving enthusiast.
8. Skoda Octavia vRS
From £38,670
The updated fourth-gen Skoda Octavia vRS is not only super-affordable, but also the most grown-up car on this list. But don’t for a minute think it’s dull as a result. In fact, it’s one of our favourite hot hatches of all, mainly due to its superb blend of immense practicality – no car on this rundown is more spacious inside, nor do any of them get close to matching the Czech on boot capacity – along with zingy driving manners.
The facelift of 2024 really helped the Octavia’s case, as power went up to a Golf GTI-rivalling 261bhp, simultaneously dropping the vRS’s 0-62mph time to 6.4 seconds and ensuring it hits its 155mph top speed that’s a seeming prerequisite for modern-day performance cars. But the company also tweaked the suspension, brakes and steering, and gave the Octavia a sportier exhaust note, all of which adds up to a supremely talented all-rounder that you could easily drive on a daily basis with little drama. There’s also a vast vRS Estate for those needing the sort of carrying capacity you’d usually get in a panel van.
9. Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport
From £42,780
The original and, some would say, still the best. But there’s a specific performance Golf we think you need to aim at, and it’s not – as you might expect – the flagship, 328bhp, all-wheel-drive R model. Instead, head one rung down to the ultimate GTI, called the Clubsport. It has wilder exterior looks than the regular GTI or the plug-in hybrid GTE derivative, and it also has a 296bhp iteration of the turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine used widely in the Golf family.
The resulting car is easily the finest-driving Golf Mk8.5 of the lot. Further improvements during a 2024 facelift include a better infotainment system and some proper buttons back on the steering wheel of the GTI Clubsport, but the thing you’ll fall in love with most about it is the vivacious way it handles and the feeling that, once it’s on the roll, it doesn’t feel any slower nor less explosive for speed than the R. The Clubsport is a quite brilliant machine, all things considered.
Related articles
- If you liked our article on the best hot hatches to buy in 2025, you might want to check out our Motor Awards 2024, which includes a category for hot hatches
- Also check out what Clarkson said about the previous Golf GTI Clubsport
- And if you like hot hatches, check out this video review of the 2018 Ford Fiesta ST
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