This is the hottest ticket in town and out of six cars in contention for the coveted title of carsales’ Best Hot Hatch, there’s only one winner…
- 6. Volkswagen Polo GTI
- 5. Hyundai i20 N
- 4. Volkswagen Golf GTI
- 3. Ford Fiesta ST
- 2. Hyundai i30 N
- 1. Ford Focus ST
The hot hatch has been part of the Australian automotive landscape for more than 30 years, stirring a spicy dose of performance into the heart-warming goodness of a versatile small car. Of course, without a carefully curated powertrain and a chassis honed for dynamic prowess, there is no heat to be found. Happily, that’s not the case here. All six contenders for carsales’ Best Hot Hatch 2022 deliver the goods in abundance, but having said that, only one provides the best performance thrills while not selling buyers short on their more practical motoring needs. That car is…
Even though traditional light and small passenger cars are gradually being eroded by the rise of the SUV, there remains a strong, significant demand for the hot hatch.
If you love driving – and plenty of people still do – the hot hatch remains an affordable and practical choice that fulfils the brief as a fast commuter, spirited city runabout, weekend touring car and even track day warrior.
Many of the leading car-makers agree, sticking with their hot hatches – sometimes at the expense of common donor models – and using them as embodiments of core brand values: sportiness, fun, youthfulness, vitality…
For 2022, we have six short-listed contenders for carsales’ Best Hot Hatch award.
The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf arrived last year, crowned by the high-performance flagship wearing the iconic GTI badge.
The upgraded Volkswagen Polo GTI arrived a couple of months ago, bringing fresh tech to the tiny tarmac terror, while the Ford Fiesta ST and Ford Focus ST have also just received updates that throw a little more sizzle and sparkle into the equation.
That leaves two cracking cars from Hyundai.
The first-ever Hyundai i20 N arrived last year, marking the point – as we already see with the Fiesta ST and Focus ST – where the hot choice stands alone as the sole representative of the model line in Australia.
N has fast become a major drawcard for the South Korean brand, thanks to the inroads made by the acclaimed Hyundai i30 N, which received a long-awaited dual-clutch transmission last year as part of a significant refresh.
Put them together as we’ve done and these six hot hatches have acquitted themselves as outstanding members of the genre.
As we anticipated, they are evenly matched according to our assessment regime spanning more than 100 criteria across five key areas: safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and ownership costs.
In the end, there are just six points separating first from sixth, but a clear winner has emerged.
Let’s count them down…
6. Volkswagen Polo GTI
The 2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI has arrived fresh and full of promise as a hot hatch tear-away.
This smallest hatch from the Volkswagen stable with athletic pretensions has better than average safety, with lots of advanced driver assist systems to go with an up-to-date ANCAP rating.
Its tech score is also quite strong, with no real negatives other than a screen on the smaller side (although with the bonus of gesture control), plus standard features over the odds including a quartet of USB-C ports and wireless Apple and Android smartphone connectivity.
On the flipside, ownership costs are expensive for this light-sized hatch, and although unquestionably fun to drive, the Polo GTI has the lowest dynamic ceiling among this accomplished field.
How much does the 2022 Volkswagen Polo GTI cost?
Price: $38,750 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 147kW/320Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 150g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)
5. Hyundai i20 N
The 2022 Hyundai i20 N is a welcome addition to the hot hatch genre, posting solid results in all areas of assessment but never really setting the benchmark.
It has plenty of safety features, but the lack of an ANCAP rating doesn’t tell us just how well it performs in a crash. It also doesn’t make more than an average statement for ownership costs or with its standard-fit comfort and convenience features.
The i20 N is above average when it comes to on-board technology, with a well-rounded specification that’s complemented by a large centre infotainment screen.
And in the all-important driving stakes, Hyundai’s hot city car is mixed bag.
The i20 N begs to be driven hard and really comes into its own in terms of cornering ability. But its resolute focus on body control comes at the cost of ride quality, and its engine performance leaves more to be desired.
How much does the 2022 Hyundai i20 N cost?
Price: $34,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 150kW/275Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 157g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
4. Volkswagen Golf GTI
We had high expectations for the Mk8 version of the model that popularised the hot hatch genre, and the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI hasn’t let us down.
It’s the quickest and most capable Golf GTI produced to date, striking a fine balance between outright performance and comfort that upholds its status as a quintessential hot hatch.
However, with so much outstanding metal now available in this segment, the Mk8 just isn’t at the top of the field in the driving stakes.
Across other areas of assessment, the latest Golf GTI does score well for safety, aided by a relatively recent five-star ANCAP result and well-rounded equipment list. It also presents a strong argument with its high level of technology and comfort and convenience features.
A fairly high cost of ownership holds it back, but with only 1.5 points separating second and third, the Golf GTI remains a class act.
How much does the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI cost?
Price: $54,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 180kW/370Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 159g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)
3. Ford Fiesta ST
The 2022 Ford Fiesta ST presents a strong argument where it counts, with excellent engine performance and a chassis surely developed by the handling gods – not only with the pure speed it can develop through corners, but also the chassis’ forgiving playfulness while doing so.
It could do with a faster, cleaner launch off the line, and a stronger set of brakes, but on the right stretch of road the hot supermini is a joy to drive.
Diving into the overall package, the Fiesta ST rates well on the tech front, with the FordPass Connect app in particular adding a versatility that’s not often seen in this segment. The car also carries a well-considered list of comfort and convenience features, while reasonable ownership costs are noted too.
The happy, warm glow of what is a highly proficient hot hatch cools a little, however, where safety is concerned. No electronics are available to help out with blind spots or rear cross traffic, and there’s no local crash test results for the Fiesta ST.
How much does the 2022 Ford Fiesta ST cost?
Price: $33,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 147kW/ 320Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 144g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
2. Hyundai i30 N
That Hyundai has a test centre based at the famed Nurburgring circuit in Germany to develop and hone its appropriately named ‘N’ cars is obvious.
In the 2022 Hyundai i30 N, the result is an outstandingly competent and quick machine that’s simply the best driver’s car among our six contenders. In a word, it’s phenomenal; one of the quickest and most engaging hot hatches we’ve seen from a mainstream brand to date.
To be crowned carsales’ Best Hot Hatch, however, the car in question must be a great all-rounder. And while the i30 N earns pole position where driving performance is concerned, it falls to the middle of the pack across other key areas of assessment.
The i30 N achieves only average scores in safety, technology, comfort and convenience and ownership costs. It has no ANCAP rating, and while generally well specified, the i30 N does without a fully digital dash display and wireless phone app connectivity.
As much as we love the drive, the i30 N needs more to be the absolute best in class.
How much does the 2022 Hyundai i30 N Premium DCT cost?
Price: $53,700 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 206kW/392Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 197g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
1. Ford Focus ST
The best hot hatch must be outstanding to drive, but also affirm the buyer’s decision with a rich and rewarding ownership experience.
And the 2022 Ford Focus ST, tested here in top-shelf ST X guise, lives up to the promise.
The Focus ST delivers a strong safety message, offering a high level of features with five stars from ANCAP behind it, while technology is well covered and the comfort and convenience specification extends beyond the norm. It’s the only model here with a standard-fit head-up display, for example.
For ownership costs, the Focus ST is at the top of the class, and to drive, well, it rarely puts a foot wrong.
This is a superbly polished package, so well-rounded that it fails to disappoint in any area. Engine, gearbox, handling, braking, ride quality…
At every turn, and indeed across the entire package, the Focus ST impresses.
It’s a melting pot of the other contenders’ best attributes, and despite the closeness of the competition, the Ford Focus ST is the clear winner of carsales’ Best Hot Hatch 2022.
How much does the 2022 Ford Focus ST X cost?
Price: $51,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 206kW/420Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 200g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)
Ford Focus ST XHyundai i30 N PremiumFord Fiesta STVolkswagen Golf GTIHyundai i20 NVolkswagen Polo GTISafety17.51615181617.5Technology1716.51717.516.517.5Comfort and Convenience17.51716.5171616Driving performance1919.51917.51816Ownership costs1716.516.5141615Total8885.5848482.582Position123456
Keyword: Best Hot Hatch 2022: The verdict