Top 10 best hot hatches in 2021
The hot hatchback simply refuses to go away. Existing for over four decades, these sporty versions of regular family motors have delighted drivers with spirited performance and good handling ability.
It’s no secret that the best hatchbacks come in shapes which offer great practicality for our day-to-day lives.
But the hot hatch is more than a merely souped-up regular model: many really are sports cars in their own rights, often nudging supercar performance territory. Yes, they have more powerful engines to make them accelerate faster, but all the other aspects are improved too.
From suspension geometry to allow them to deliver the power safely to uprated steering and brakes for improved responsiveness and stopping ability.
So let’s not get distracted by those copycat models with lukewarm performance; let’s look at the true hot hatches 2021 below. Including the best family hatchbacks, you needn’t squeeze into, perfect to carry the weekly shopping home and put a damn big smile on your face when you meet an empty, twisty A-road.
Toyota GR Yaris
With World Rally Championship pedigree, the remarkable little GR Yaris packs in all-wheel-drive and a quite astonishing 260 PS from its three-cylinder 1.6-litre engine. With a kerb weight of just 1,305 kgs, this isn’t just quick but agile with it making it one of the best small hatchbacks.
Power 260 PS | 0-62 mph 5.5s | Max speed 142 mph
Hyundai i20 N
Following the hot N version of the i30, World Rally Championship DNA has been brought to the compact and capable i20 N so you can enjoy this pocket rocket on the public road.
Power 204 PS | 0-62 mph 6.7s | Max speed 143 mph
Cupra Leon 300
We have associated the Cupra name with quick Seats for some time but the Cupra brand proper was formed in 2018. The fastest Cupra Leon is the 300PS, over half a second quicker from 0-62 mph than its nearest rival, the VW Golf GTI.
Power 300 PS | 0-62 mph 5.7s | Max speed 155 mph
Ford Focus ST
Ford has a grand history of making fun versions of its regular models and the new Focus ST hatchback is no exception. Sensible pricing and good road manners make the Focus ST an easy choice when it comes to the best hatchbacks.
Power 280 PS | 0-62 mph 5.7s | Max speed 155 mph
Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4MATIC+ Plus
It’s the most extreme model in our list, with a sub-four second 0-62 mph time, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination styling and when driven hard, a soundtrack to match. If you want your hatch properly hot, look no further than the Mercedes-AMG A45 S.
Power 427 PS | 0-62 mph 3.9s | Max speed 155 mph
BMW M135i xDrive
The M135i isn’t a true BMW ‘M’ model (that starts with the M2) so visually, it remains interestingly understated which we like. However, don’t let the lack of vents, spoilers and badges deceive: the M135i xDrive is one of the more rapid (and certainly capable) models in our top 10.
Power 306 PS | 0-62 mph 4.8s | Max speed 155 mph
Škoda Octavia vRS iV DSG
It might look like a three-box saloon but Škoda’s Octavia is a hatchback and the vRS performance version has every right to be on our list. In fact, it may be the best family hatchback in our list.
Not the fastest, but the most spacious here so it’s a good choice if you’re balancing family needs with having a little fun. There’s a slightly slower plug-in hybrid vRS too.
Power 245 PS | 0-62 mph 6.7s | Max speed 155 mph
MINI Cooper Works Hatch
The best small hatchback just had to be a descendant of the marvellous Mini. We think the smallest of the MINI range is the purest and in its John Cooper Works specification, it’s rapid too. The Cooper name has been synonymous with quick Minis since the 1960s and it is just as relevant today.
Power 231 PS | 0-62 mph 6.1s | Max speed 153 mph
Volkswagen Golf R
We couldn’t list our top 10 hot hatches without a Golf GTI, right? Wrong, the GTI is too mild-mannered; it’s all about the R. Mixing respectability and performance, the Volkswagen Golf R adds more power and all-wheel-drive sure footedness over the GTI, making it the ultimate quick Golf.
Power 320 PS | 0-62 mph 4.7s | Max speed 155 mph
Audi RS3 Sportback (available Q4 2021)
The new Audi RS3 will be the quickest RS3 ever. It is also - by a whisker - the quickest car in our list. Given how much fun its predecessor is, this extreme version of the Audi A3 will deliver just as many (if not more) thrills.
It’s available to order now with deliveries expected later in 2021.
Power 400 PS | 0-62 mph 3.8s | Max speed 155 mph
Perhaps more than anything, the best hatchback of 2021 is about the styling. Back in the 1970s, the detailing was far more subtle, with small colour accents and external changes such as larger wheels which perhaps only the aficionado might spot.
The 1980s changed that with huge spoilers and body kits. Today, it’s all about balancing those more aggressive looks while manufacturers also feel compelled to temper extravagance in the name of environmental consciousness.
In fact, sometimes it’s hard to tell which models really are hot hatches. Customers desiring the look of the top-end performance models but with less thirsty engines (and lower insurance costs) has led to many manufacturers adding ‘-Line’ trim levels. N-Line (Hyundai), S-Line (Audi) and GT-Line (Kia and Peugeot) are all examples with many of the external visual cues but less of the oomph.
If you are hungry for more, why not take a look at our list of the best hot hatches for 2020 and see if you can spot any leaders in the ever-growing hunt to be the best hatchback.