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Best hot hatchbacks to buy 2023

Published 21 April 2023
By Sunday Times Driving
In a world full of SUVs, it's good to know that the hot hatchback is still going strong. We pick six of the best for 2023.
2023 Honda Civic Type R sets new front-wheel drive lap record at Suzuka Circuit

New Civic Type R breaks Suzuka record

The upcoming Honda Civic Type R has broken the front-wheel-drive lap record at the Suzuka racing circuit in Japan.
Published 07 April 2022
2022 Audi RS 3 Sportback

The 2021 Audi RS 3 is outrageously fast

The Audi RS 3 is a giant-killing hot hatch that’s ballistically quick. Dave Humphreys gets to grips with it.
Published 05 November 2021
New Volkswagen Golf GTI goes on sale with manual or automatic gearbox

New Volkswagen Golf GTI goes on sale

VW has opened the order books for the new duo of Golf hot hatches, the GTI and GTE plug-in hybrid..
Published 24 September 2020
Sunday Times Motor Awards 2019 Best Hot Hatch of the Year. Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

Motor Awards 2019: Best Hot Hatch nominees

The Sunday Times Motor Awards 2019, Here is the rundown of all the contenders for Best Hot Hatch of the Year.
Published 12 August 2019
2019 Mercedes-AMG A35 vs Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR Jeremy Clarkson review

Clarkson: Mercedes-AMG A 35 vs VW Golf GTI TCR

Jeremy Clarkson has shaken things up for his latest review for The Sunday Times: for the first time this year, he's testing two cars in one go.
Published 28 July 2019

Honda Civic Type R turned into rally raid monster

Honda has shown off the "oveRland", a rally-raid version of its Civic Type R hot hatch.
Published 27 May 2019

Renault reveals record-breaking Megane Trophy-R

Thanks to its new Mégane R.S. Trophy-R, Renault has reclaimed its crown as "maker of the fastest front-wheel drive car around the 'Ring".
Published 21 May 2019
2019 Hyundai i30 Fastback N review

2019 Hyundai i30 Fastback N review

The Hyundai i30 N is one of the best hot hatchbacks around right now. Does the car retain that magic in its saloon-esque Fastback guise, though?
Published 01 February 2019
2019 Kia ProCeed GT review

2019 Kia ProCeed GT review

When it appeared in the UK in 2013, the first Kia Proceed GT – then known as the grammatically questionable Pro_Cee’d GT – was...
Published 30 January 2019
Hyundai i30 N Performance review by Jeremy Clarkson for Sunday Times Driving

The Clarkson Review: 2017 Hyundai i30 N

I was driving along in a dreary, ugly and unnecessary Mini Countryman the other day when an important message flashed up on the dashboard.
Published 03 January 2018
As Vauxhall launches the new Insignia GSi, here are five fast Vauxhalls that set roads on fire

Five fast Vauxhalls that set roads on fire

Not all drivers after a sports saloon choose an Audi, BMW or Mercedes. Rewind by a couple of decades, and you’ll return to an era when...
Published 21 July 2017
The Sunday Times Driving Placeholder

Battle of the hot hatches: VW Golf GTI v Ford Focus...

A decade after Driving first pitted the VW Golf GTI against the Ford Focus ST, we line up their latest offspring. So which rules the road now?
Published 09 February 2015