Sunday 7: Great hot hatches

But hot hatches are still here, screaming for your attention. And, they’re getting louder. Here are some of the best hot hatches on sale today.

Volkswagen Golf GTI

Golf GTI. Today, the Golf is under pressure from newer rivals and has lost the simplicity of earlier models in the search for more performance.

That said, the Golf is still as popular as ever, and the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine offers power, performance and fun.

Hyundai i30 N

Hyundai’s first attempt at a hot hatch, and as far as we’re concerned, they’ve nailed it. Taking inspiration from the Golf, the i30 N has more power, more features and costs a lot less at $39,990 (plus on-road costs). At the moment it’s only available with a six-speed manual transmission, but there’s an automatic coming next year, as well a Fastback model.

With 202kW of power and talks of even more in the future, the i30 N is a hot hatch that looks like it’s gonna get even hotter.

Honda Civic Type R

Civic Type R stands out as one of the best driver’s cars in its class. More expensive than the i30 N, the Type R sits at $51,990 (plus on-road costs) and dishes out a whopping 228kW of power in return.

Its styling definitely won’t get everyone over the line, but the way it drives might. It feels light and rigid when you throw it around and it rewards the ambitious with an involving rear-end. The Honda is another manual-only proposition, but this thing is made to be driven.

Renault Megane RS

Renault has developed the Megane RS. Now, you can get it in either six-speed manual or with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The newest Megane RS also features four-wheel-steering known as 4CONTROL - a first for any car in it’s segment. Inside, you get Alcantara sports seats, leather steering wheel and a quirky 8.7-inch portrait-style touchscreen with sat nav, reverse camera and Apple CarPlay. The 2018 Megane RS is priced from $46,480 (plus on-roads).

Read Drive’s more comprehensive review here.

Suzuki Swift Sport

Swift Sport is our cheaper option. But don’t be fooled by its price tag of circa-$26,000. It’s still a tonne-of-fun and proves you don’t need lots of money and power to have a good time.

On top of the base model city car, the Swift’s Sport variant gets 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension and bigger brakes. Powered by a 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder, people expecting lots of grunt might be disappointed. But, it is light, nimble, plenty frugal and a blast to whip around town in.

While the new VW Polo GTI is faster and includes more tech, the significantly cheaper Suzuki still wins the cash-race.

Peugeot 208 GTi

208 GTi hot hatch in all its petrol-sipping glory, with talks of the car to go fully-electric in the future.

But for now, this year's model offers a sporty 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 153kW of power and 300Nm of torque.

The 208 is different from the others, encompassing Peugeot’s i-Cockpit with a smaller, sportier steering wheel and a 7.0-inch touch screen with sat nav. It’s a real drivers car and a joy to drive.

BMW M140i

BMW combined hot hatch performance with a touch of luxury in the M140i, but, the current rear-wheel-drive variant is now at the end of its road, set to be replaced by a newer 1-Series with power going to the front wheels soon.

The M140i isn’t an overt hot hatch, but its sports-car-like credentials quickly reminds you it is. The 3.0-litre turbo six-cylinder engine produces 250kW of power and 500Nm of torque, with its power sent to the rear wheels. If you’re not into stick-shift, the M140i is available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.