Agile, quick, fun and practical, the hot hatch is the enthusiast’s do-everything car, but which one is best?
- Which models made the cut?
- The judging process
- Safety
- More on hot hatch safety here
- Technology
- More on hot hatch technology here
- Comfort and convenience
- More on hot hatch comfort and convenience here
- Driving performance
- More on hot hatch driving performance here
- Ownership costs
- More on hot hatch ownership costs here
- Read the carsales Best Hot Hatch 2022 verdict here
The light and small passenger car segments are in serious decline in the face of SUV popularity. Yet there’s a particular type of hatchback model that continues to buck the trend. That, of course, is the hot hatch. Much has changed with the hot hatch since Volkswagen popularised the concept in 1976 with the Golf GTI. This athletic but basic Golf upstart began a revolution that has brought us to today’s mature market of highly sophisticated, whip-quick sports cars clothed in practical hatchback bodies. That the hot hatch segment is by no means dead yet is evidenced by familiar nameplates such as Volkswagen and Ford being joined by relatively new ones like Hyundai. There are more coming too, to bring a whole lot more heat into the market – and a broad smile to the face of everyone who gets behind the wheel.
Welcome to carsales’ Best Hot Hatch 2022, where we have lined up the top models in this category available in Australia and put them through their paces to find the best of the lot.
We’ve driven them on the road and racetrack and carefully examined each and every aspect of our six shortlisted contenders to determine a winner.
The hot half-dozen are drawn from both the ‘light’ and ‘small’ car segments, as defined by the car industry, and while some might argue the point on what truly defines a hot hatch, we’re sticking to our guns and testing only those that fit the original brief: that is, a high-performance, front-wheel drive hatchback.
Sorry, but that means no SUVs or sedans, no all-wheel drive models or even rear-drivers. No diesels and no six-cylinder-engined cars are on the starting grid either.
Let’s get back to basics, folks, and climb into six of the best hot hatches from mainstream brands that are affordable, fun and always ready to get the heart racing.
Which models made the cut?
Just three brands are represented in carsales’ Best Hot Hatch 2022, with each offering an outstanding entrant in both the light and small car categories:
• Ford Fiesta ST
• Ford Focus ST
• Hyundai i20 N
• Hyundai i30 N
• Volkswagen Polo GTI
• Volkswagen Golf GTI
We don’t have to look far to obtain a reference point for the high-performance front-drive hot hatch: the Volkswagen Golf, like the original, is available in hot GTI form.
Cheek-to-cheek in the small car class with the Golf GTI are the Ford Focus ST and Hyundai i30 N.
Meanwhile, in the light car category, there are three firecracker hatches worthy of our close scrutiny: the Ford Fiesta ST, Hyundai i20 N and Volkswagen Polo GTI.
The most recent new-generation model to launch in Australia is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which arrived in Mk8 form last year.
The updated Volkswagen Polo GTI arrived just a couple months ago, bringing a premium edge, loads of new technology and the almost obligatory higher price tag, while the MY22 Ford Focus ST is just about to land in showrooms with a broad update similarly headlined by major safety and tech upgrades.
The Ford Fiesta ST has also just been refreshed, with a MY22 update bringing improved engine torque, better headlight performance, new infotainment tech and a bunch of other detail changes.
Like the Blue Oval brand now does with the Ford Fiesta ST and Focus ST, the only Hyundai i20 model offered in Australia is the performance version. The firecracker Hyundai i20 N arrived fresh last year.
Of course, no hot hatch mega-test would be complete without the model that kicked off Hyundai’s N performance division here in 2018: the Hyundai i30 N.
The fastest and most furious Hyundai N car was fettled last year with updates including a bump in engine power and torque and the addition of a DSG transmission for the first time to sell alongside the six-speed manual.
We would have liked to bring the Renault Megane RS along for the ride, but none were available for testing and, good as it is, the current model is nearing the end of its current lifecycle.
The all-new entrant to the hot hatch market for 2022, the Cupra Leon VZx, has been plagued by delays. It missed the cut-off for our Best Hot Hatch 2022 testing, but we look forward to the Spaniard joining us next year.
As for the Honda Civic Type R, there is a new-generation car due early next year and the current model is sold out. So, again, it’ll be a case of waiting in the wings until later next year.
Even among our six contenders, we’ve had to make allowances for the rollercoaster ride that is the current Australian new car market.
Due to delays, the 2022 Ford Focus ST did not arrive in time for the road/track testing component of this mega-test so we instead used the outgoing Focus ST-3. While the new model does have both cosmetic and equipment improvements, the Focus ST-3 is identical to the new Focus ST X in every way that matters on the road.
We also learned during testing that Hyundai Australia has put the Hyundai i20 N on an ordering hold, due to stock shortages and an ever-growing waiting list of buyers.
This super-popular model is still very much relevant to the hot hatch market, and so we decided it should remain a contender.
The i20 N has not been withdrawn from sale due to either unpopularity or end-of-series production. Hyundai is still delivering the i20 N to customers, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. You just can’t order a new one for the time being.
With the current computer chip shortages, some manufacturers are having to remove some standard equipment in cars. So if you want to take the plunge, check first with a dealer that they haven’t had any downgrade in spec since this mega-test was written.
Even though the admission requirements for this test were driven by simplicity, the contenders themselves are evidence of a car market that is more complex and fragmented than ever before.
The judging process
Our finalists for carsales’ Best Hot Hatch 2022 are split evenly in two camps – light and small cars, with all three models in each segment standing as direct competitors.
We’ve not chosen one winner in each class, but lined them all up against a proven criteria that will shake out the best traditional hot hatch that Australia has to offer.
And it will be a close contest.
The experienced carsales judging panel, which this year included Bathurst 1000 champion Luke Youlden, has examined more than 100 test criteria elements for each car, split across five separate categories.
These are: safety, technology, comfort and convenience features, driving performance and ownership costs.
Safety
That a hot hatch will be enjoyable to drive on a favourite stretch of road should be a given, ably supported by a range of active safety measures and vehicle attributes.
These include solid chassis dynamics, accomplished handling, high grip levels, sharp steering, strong braking performance and a raft of electronic traction and stability aids that provide measured assistance during the drive.
But by their very nature, hot hatchbacks are not one-dimensional, uncompromising sports cars.
These are practical cars that are used as a daily driver and as a practical city run-about for singles, couples and families alike.
Buyers might be drawn to the car’s strong acceleration times and nimble handling, but there’s no room for overlooking safety equipment that apply to regular cars.
As we’ve found, not all hot hatches are created equal in this department.
Not all of them carry a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, and some miss out on safety equipment we’ve come to expect from high-grade and high-spec new cars such as these – systems like rear cross traffic alert when reversing out on a city street, or even tyre pressure monitoring.
More on hot hatch safety here
Technology
Given that hot hatches are not just track tearaways but also all-purpose daily drivers, there are times when the engine’s soundtrack is simply not enough.
Those who are in the market for a hot hatch generally expect no less than the latest in infotainment systems.
Having a hi-fidelity audio system and an embedded sat-nav can be a make-or-break deal for some buyers.
There is an increasing expectation that performance-focused cars like these will also have ‘easter eggs’ such as selectable digital performance screens that display the likes of turbo boost, g-force and engine and oil temperature. Not all offer this.
Comprehensive infotainment and multimedia systems are important, but they need to work well. If they’re difficult to master, or the operating system is slow, they become a driving distraction and detract from what should always be a grin-inducing experience when you’re behind the wheel.
Not all these performance hatches tick off the in-car technology requirements some might expect for their hot hatch dollars.
More on hot hatch technology here
Comfort and convenience
Although a hot hatch is typically not dripping with luxury equipment, most buyers do expect far more than stripped-out track cars.
The hot hatch market increasingly demands the latest in features that will make driving more comfortable and convenient, on track or in traffic.
Many features have become non-negotiable items in a hot hatch. Supportive and well-bolstered front seats, for example, are important not only for a comfortable city commute but also for a spirited drive in the mountains or a track day.
Having a touch of leather or Alcantara here and there adds to a more premium sports feel.
While heated seats or a heated steering wheel might not make for a faster or more rewarding drive, these kinds of features are important for buyers spending upwards of $60K on any car.
Also the convenience of automatic windscreen wipers and auto high beam and the like make the difference for what is, after all, a car used for multipurpose trips.
There are also features never thought of years ago that can now make the difference for some hot hatch owners.
A lap timer might seem over the top until you realise this is very much a convenience item for those increasingly taking their hatch out on the track.
Launch control might not be something used for the daily commute, but is another nice-to-have advantage for those taking circuit times more seriously.
More on hot hatch comfort and convenience here
Driving performance
Where a hot hatch will succeed or sink will come down to how it drives. Simply put, the mission statement for any hot hatch – to be called such a thing – must be that it is competitively quick in a straight line and in corners, above all else.
Knowing just how fast a hot hatch is compared to others will be of more than academic interest for many buyers.
At a time when roads have lower speed limits, are more heavily policed and have a higher traffic load than ever, for many keen hot hatch buyers racetrack time is where they can really explore the performance potential of their cars. There’s not much use for a hot hatch that handles traffic tasks beautifully but wobbles its way around a track.
What will also appear front and centre for hot hatch buyers is the fun factor. Knowing you can bludgeon a car around track corners fast is one thing, but will it leave you grinning or grimacing? A hot hatch that is playful and engaging is just as important as being quick.
Yet these hatches also have to make a fair go of being good road cars, with supple enough ride to not make every bump a jaw-clenching moment. They need engines that not only sing to their redline, but won’t be unbearable the moment you try a lazy second-gear roll-on in slow traffic.
A transmission that is set up only for hot laps and not slick, low-rpm upshifting will soon get tiresome in the daily commute.
While these firecracker hatches might keep up with a six-cylinder or V8 in the right hands on the track, hot hatch buyers won’t want them to keep up with the big boys at the fuel pump. Even though the point of these cars is to be fast, it cannot be at the cost of having to revisit petrol stations constantly.
Even though all the contenders here offer much, much more driving performance than any run-of-the-mill hatchback, there is a demarcation between the best and the also-rans.
More on hot hatch driving performance here
Ownership costs
The present rate of inflation is putting a sharp focus on costs for everyone, and here too there will be many who put their prospective hot hatch purchase under the ownership costs microscope.
After all, this is not a Sunday drive purchase for most. Rather, it’s one intended as a daily driver.
More than ever, buyers will be interested in the ownership cost equation of these hot hatches.
As it stands, it is relatively easy to work out what a hot hatch will cost to own once you’ve got it home. The extremely competitive market has made it easier than ever here. Ownership costs and owner benefits are much more transparent.
New car warranties are now much longer, and often manufacturers provide extras such as free roadside assist.
Authorised dealer servicing prices, which was once a guessing game, is now transparent across all brands offered here, and can increase resale value.
Tyres on these high-performance cars can be expensive and wear out more quickly, so more than most segments, buyers will want to know about likely replacement costs. This is much easier to estimate with the likes of online tyre websites such as tyresales.com.au.
For a long time the largest ownership cost for a new car was how much it depreciated. Getting a low offer at trade-in or turn-over time can save or sink your replacement car plans.
Value estimates are much more accurate and you can now more easily work out what likely depreciation costs will be when the time comes to sell. With a new-vehicle market hit with stock shortages and price rises, a new hot hatch today doesn’t necessarily wear the same value depreciation hit it might have before.
Just the same, some models are better at retaining value than others, as our analysis with the experts at RedBook.com.au shows.
There are many differences in a hot hatch’s service costs, depreciation and warranty provisions as measured in this group, with some having bigger bills to pay than others.
More on hot hatch ownership costs here
Now let’s see which of our contenders is carsales’ Best Hot Hatch for 2022…
Read the carsales Best Hot Hatch 2022 verdict here
Keyword: Best Hot Hatch 2022