Battle of the hot hatches: Five of the best hot hatchbacks

Thrilling drive meets everyday practicality – the hot hatch has to do it all, and the five on this list truly deliver

Perfect for people who want the excitement of a sports car but need to easily pop to the shops or collect the kids, the hot hatchback has been a British favourite since the term was first coined back in 1983.

Most hot hatches follow the same winning formula.

Take one sensible hatchback, crank up the engine power, beef up the suspension, add some aggressive styling – and voila!

You’ve got yourself a hot hatch.

It’s the perfect marriage of performance and practicality. Hot hatches make brilliant daily drivers, they’re genuinely fun to drive on your favourite B-road, and they’re an excellent car lease option too.

If you’re a driving enthusiast who wants a car that can genuinely do it all, read on to discover our top five picks in the ultimate battle of the hot hatches.

Honda Civic Type R

It would be automotive sacrilege to miss out the Honda Civic Type R from any Hot Hatch Hall of Fame.

This is a car with sporting heritage stretching back decades and, in its latest form, it’s better than ever.

It might not look quite as hardcore as the previous generation model, but there’s nothing soft about what’s hiding under that bonnet. The 2.0-litre petrol engine churns out a hefty 325bhp and absolutely loves to rev all the way to 7,000rpm.

The result?

A blistering 0-62mph sprint time of just 5.4 seconds that feels every bit as rapid as it sounds.

When you’re not enjoying all that performance on your favourite country road, the Civic Type R transforms into a practical and comfortable cruiser. The sporty interior matches the Volkswagen Golf R for quality, and there’s actually more space for rear passengers than you’d find in pricier rivals.

The boot is absolutely huge by hot hatch standards too, meaning it’ll easily swallow your luggage for that spontaneous weekend getaway.

What really sets the Type R apart is its brilliant limited-slip differential, which does an outstanding job of distributing power to whichever wheel can cope with it best. The result is a car that drags you out of corners with hugely impressive speed and stability – all while that engaging manual gearbox keeps you firmly in control.

Browse our latest Honda Civic lease deals

BMW 1 Series M135i

Does the BMW 1 Series M135i have it all?

We’d argue yes – even if it is a bit of a mouthful to say.

This pocket rocket packs a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, a part-time four-wheel drive system, sleek and athletic design, plus an advanced communications package that’ll keep you connected on every journey.

All of this combines to make the M135i a serious contender for the hot hatch crown.

Sure, it’s not equipped with massive amounts of room for back-seat passengers (particularly of the tall variety), but the M135i is still brilliant for everyday life. You’ll get a 380-litre boot, a slick touchscreen infotainment system, and all the connectivity the 21st century demands.

With the ability to hit 62mph in just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph, the BMW 1 Series M135i earns its place on our hot hatch leaderboard without breaking a sweat.

Browse our latest BMW 1 Series lease deals

Hyundai IONIQ 5 N

Who says electric cars can’t be proper hot hatches?

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N proves there’s definitely a place for EVs in the hot hatchback class – and what a place it is.

Powered by two electric motors (one on each set of wheels), they combine to produce a whopping 601bhp. That jumps to an eye-watering 641bhp in 10-second bursts when you activate N Grin Boost mode.

Yes, that’s actually what it’s called.

Using launch control, this electric beast will hit 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds. That’s properly rapid by anyone’s standards.

But the IONIQ 5 N isn’t just about raw power and pace – it’s got some genuinely clever party tricks up its sleeve. Or in its glovebox? We’ll workshop that one.

The most notable is the N e-Shift and N Active Sound Plus driving modes. The former makes the car drive as if it has an eight-speed automatic gearbox (you can shift the simulated gears up and down with steering wheel-mounted paddles), while the latter pumps artificial engine sounds into the both the interior and outside of the car.

This combination, along with the car’s playful handling, creates an electric vehicle that’s genuinely great fun to drive.

It’s designed to be part old-school hot hatch, part high-tech electric car – and it pulls off both roles brilliantly.

Browse our latest Hyundai IONIQ 5 N lease deals

Alpine A290

Meet the go-faster cousin of the Renault 5.

Alpine took the charming 5 and added a lot more power, boosting the output from the single motor driving the front wheels to either 178bhp or 212bhp, depending on which version you choose.

The most powerful model slams you back into your seat with a ferocity that few combustion-engine hot hatches can match when you put your foot down.

It’s properly impressive stuff.

With more power comes wider wheel arches, bespoke tyres, and new underpinnings that transform this from cute city car to confident hot hatch. The A290 is Alpine’s first electric car, but not the last – the A290 is testing the waters before the entire range goes electric.

So, no pressure there then.

But it ticks all the boxes. The 52kWh battery delivers a WLTP Comb range of 226 miles, while the sporty, smart interior feels every bit as special as you’d expect from a performance-focused brand like Alpine.

What really impresses about the A290 is the entertaining handling and confidence-inspiring feel.

It’s proof that electric hot hatches don’t have to be all about brutal acceleration – they can be genuinely engaging to drive too.

Browse our newest Alpine A290 lease deals

Volkswagen Golf GTI

No hot hatch battle would be complete without the big daddy of them all.

Popular since its launch in 1976, the Volkswagen Golf GTI has been described as the ‘father’ of hot hatches – and that legacy continues today.

Whether it’s tearing up the tarmac on a deserted B-road or carrying you through the daily commute, the Golf GTI can do it all. There’s a reason it made the hot hatch category so popular all those years ago, and the latest version upholds that reputation brilliantly.

This is one of the more ‘liveable’ hot hatches on our list.

The interior is superbly built and includes a touchscreen infotainment system, plus a whole host of safety features as standard – perfect for your next family car lease.

With the ability to hit 62mph in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 155mph, the Golf GTI rightfully claims its place in the Hot Hatch Hall of Fame. And, luckily for you, a Volkswagen Golf lease is an affordable way to experience this piece of automotive history for yourself.

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The verdict

After all that, how can we possibly choose a winner?

Each hot hatch on our list brings something unique to the party (and yes, this is definitely turning into more of a celebration than a battle).

Every single one could claim victory if judged on its own merits.

The Honda Civic Type R brings that proper old-school hot hatch thrill with its screaming engine and manual gearbox.

The BMW M135i perfectly balances speed with everyday usability. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N proves electric can be just as exciting as petrol (and maybe even more so). The Alpine A290 shows that French flair and electric power make a brilliant combination.

And the Volkswagen Golf GTI?

Well, it’s the icon that started it all.

But if we absolutely had to choose a winner, we’d pick… actually, we’d take them all. Life’s too short to choose just one brilliant hot hatch.