Hands up if you've been lapping long enough to recall the 1980s and 1990s when hot hatches' fate seemed sealed by increasingly tough emissions and safety rules… And the bite of heightened insurance imposts.
Thankfully, the hot hatch segment proved itself a field of dreams where, if the makers build 'em, buyers will come. Model by model, the hotties have returned and renewed, growing both in numbers and strength.
Today, hot hatches are pillars of the sporty-car scene. That's particularly true in the $30,000-40,000 bracket, which currently hosts ten models offering turbocharged thrills. For tamer tastes, there are seven non-turbo models (see bottom), but they're another story for another day.
Alphabetically, the Turbo Top Ten consists of Ford Focus XR5, Holden Astra SRi Turbo, Mazda 3 MPS, MINI Cooper S, Peugeot 207 GTi, Renault Sport Megane 225, Subaru Impreza WRX and three variations on Volkswagen's go-go Golf theme: namely GT Sport TSI, GT Sport TDI and GTi.
Although the ten present a sometimes telling variety of differences in size, styling, performance, handling and other aspects, they also share many common threads. Their safety specs, for example, typically contain front, front-side and curtain airbags, dynamic stability control, traction control, anti-lock braking, electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency braking assistance, and front belts with pre-tensioning and load limitation.
Similarly, in this field it's usual to find that equipment lists include at least air-conditioning (if not climate control), power windows, power mirrors, two-way steering wheel adjustment, driver's seat height adjustment, cruise control, trip computer and remote locking. Beyond which are many instances of other creature-feature touches.
On the other hand, most don't offer an optional automatic, and (with one diesel exception) they require at least 95 RON premium petrol.
Mostly importantly, each hot hatch has character to call its own and, at heart, is all about sporty spirit. To that end the hotties have appreciably more squirt and perceptibly more athletic handling than their cheaper garden-variety stablemates.
So if you're seeking more than mere vanilla transport, sit down, buckle up and appreciate that these turbo hatches are cars built for driving, and for enjoying.
FORD FOCUS XR5 (more here)
See, this is what happens when a good lookin', able-bodied Euro hunk hooks up with a long-legged Swedish sweetie. Wham, bam and heavy breathing all around!
The coupling can't help but be steamy because the lauded driving dynamics of Ford's inherently sporty Focus are highly receptive to the powerful charms (166kW/320Nm) of Volvo's spunky 2.5-litre five-cylinder thrill seeker.
Taking any excuse for a fling, this engaging combo dispatches the 0-100km/h rush in just 7.5sec, and puts paid to the 400m dash in 15.5sec, without sounding or feeling particularly hard done by.
Priced from $36,490, the Focus XR5 comes as a five-door, six-speed manual, and no optional automatic. No cruise control either. Equipment includes sports suspension, 18-inch alloys (with space-saver spare), upgraded brakes and Recaro seats.
Metallic paint ordinarily costs $310 extra, unless you opt for the visually (and financially) outrageous $1800 'Electric Orange'.
Offering one of this group's roomiest packages, the XR5 ranks third for overall length, though its 2640mm wheelbase is equal longest (with its Mazda 3 cousin). The 362-litre boot is the group's largest, as, less conveniently, is the 11.7m turning circle.
Three-year resale prospects of about 62 per cent, add to the XR5's ownership appeal.
HOLDEN ASTRA SRi Turbo (more here)
Holden may call it a coupe, but the squat-roofed three-door Astra SRi Turbo is a dinky-di hot-hatch in any language. And at this level the $34,990 Astra undercuts most rivals by at least $1500. Its projected 60-something per cent resale is right on par for the class.
Red, silver and black are the only colours offered, but they're no-cost metallics. A slick six-speed manual transmission is standard, with no automatic alternative.
The 147kW/262Nm 2.0-litre turbomotor injects back-slapping acceleration while also offering easy-driving tractability through the rev range. If the 1400kg SRi Turbo is a tad heavier than the class average, you'd never guess so from the way it rips to 100km/h in just over seven seconds and nails the standing 400m mark in a whisker over 15sec.
Although the Astra SRi Turbo needs 98 RON to realise the quoted peak outputs, it (like most here) readily accepts a 95 RON diet with very little decline in performance.
Besides all the usual features, the SRi Turbo has the distinction of continuous damper control (CDC) to vary the ride and handling characteristics to the road and driving conditions. The Holden's also alone in providing a full-size spare wheel.
Mazda 3 MPS (more here)
Medium-price hatchbacks don't come any hotter than Mazda's 3 MPS. Available only in a five-door body and as a six-speed manual, the $39,990 3 MPS has a pumped-up 2.3-litre direct-injection engine delivering best-in-class 190kW/380Nm.
Weighing a sliver over 1400kg, the 3 MPS boasts a knee-trembling 135kW per tonne power-to-weight factor; far ahead of its peers.
Now, putting such power to ground through just the front wheels would have been virtually unthinkable a few years ago. But sophisticated electronics-based torque management, traction control and stability system, plus a limited slip differential, not only make the front-drive 3 MPS possible, but also quite remarkably driveable. Well developed chassis dynamics also help harness the drivetrain's extraordinary thrust.
The Mazda's mighty spirit can be gauged from its mere low-6sec 0-100km/h time, while its 400m spurt occupies just 14.5sec. And its rolling response is like warp-speed time travel.
Curiously, the 3 MPS doesn't have a trip computer, and the six-monthly service schedule is one of only two such relics in this group.
However, due recognition of the 3 MPS's above average prowess and popularity is seen in the Redbook's forecast of 68 per cent value retention -- the highest among these here hatches.
MINI Cooper S (more here)
In the MINI Cooper S you not only get the car, but, also, admission to the cult. Although cynics mutter about the MINI being a triumph of marketing over size, style, and economic rationalism, the little bugger's great success is largely due to its visible, tangible sense of design and highly personable individuality -- prized rarities these days. Hence the likelihood of mid to high-60s value retention.
The MINI's compact packaging embraces the group's shortest (2467mm) wheelbase, briefest (3714mm) overall length, smallest (160-litre) boot and lightest (1130kg) weight. Not the cheapest price, however. The six-speed manual Cooper S kicks off from $39,990 and offers elastic budgets a swag of extra-cost options.
To suit its size, the MINI is the only one here with 16-inch alloys, alone has run-flat tyres, and no spare. No specific service intervals either, for apt intervals (typically 15- 20K km) are determined by an onboard computer according to driving conditions.
Chances are those conditions will have a frisky edge because that's where the Cooper S is in its Goliath-humbling element. Its driving dynamics are excellent and the performance decidedly nippy, as 0-100km/h in low 7s, and 400m in under mid-15s emphatically go to show.
Peugeot 207 GTi
Engine sharing between different models and/or makes is increasingly widespread, if not openly publicised. For example, the punchy 128kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbomotor that powers the Peugeot 207 GTi to such good effect, is the same co-developed unit that gives the MINI Cooper S its sparkle.
However, that (and three-door body configuration) is where the similarities cease. The 207 GTi is a little roomier all round, weighs 1250kg, is just over four metres long, has a 270-litre boot, 17-inch alloys, space-saver spare wheel and a five-speed manual gearbox with no automatic alternative.
The Peugeot has its own styling, of course, and the group's most affordable pricing at $33,490. Extras are limited to metallic paint for $680 and a fixed glass roof for $1000 while the extensive equipment list includes all the usual niceties plus tyre pressure monitor, cruise control with speed limiter, dual-zone climate control and rear parking sensors.
The 207 GTi's performance has plenty of flair, with 0-100km/h executed in the low-7sec bracket. Full throttle rolling response in third-through-fifth gears is boosted, literally, by a short burst of extra turbo puff to temporarily lift maximum torque to 260Nm.
Not least among the 207 GTi's featured attractions are yearly service intervals, industry standard three-year/100,000km warranty and anticipated three-year 63 per cent retained value.
Renault Sport Megane 225 (more here)
The Renault Sport Megane 225 costs $37,990 in three-door form, whereas the door-door version asks another $4500. About two grand costlier again are the so-called Cup and R26 variants. All are six-speed manuals and, except for the slightly more powerful R26, share the same brilliantly responsive 2.0-litre turbomotor that peaks with 165kW and 300Nm.
Weighing a trim 1325kg, the RS Megane 225 is equal second (with Mini) to the Mazda 3 MPS in the power-to-weight stakes. Not surprisingly, it's among the group's most accelerative cars, as quickly attested by locally recorded 0-100km/h in 6.7sec and 14.7sec 400m sprint.
Besides, it's not only in a straight line that the RS 225 impresses, for the exhilarating engine and perfectly suited six-speed are complemented by mighty brakes, accurate steering and road-hugging, corner-carving handling that make the Renault particularly brisk and rewarding from point to point.
The RS 225 comes with a full suite of covetable features including climate control, speed limiter, understeer mitigation and chilled glovebox.
On the serious side, no car here has more safety features or higher crash-test rating. The only notable downers are six-monthly servicing and below average resale expectations.
Subaru Impreza WRX (more here)
Controversy again ferments in the Impreza WRX. Earlier iterations revolved around sedans, with hatches almost incidental, and divided opinions with some distinctive styling, um, miscues.
The latest lone model ruffles some feathers as a $39,990 five-door hatchback, and, to some eyes, a fairly anonymous one at that. But never fear; from behind the wheel it's soon obvious that the WRX hasn't gone soft.
Not as refined as some, the Rex is a bit raw (still, again): in the gruffness of its big 2.5-litre (169kW/320Nm) flat-four engine; its snatchy dislike of going slow; its dated and slightly notchy five-speed manual 'box; the one-size-doesn't-suit-all front seats; a marginal drinking problem; and an impression of being a bit heavier than it actually weighs. The latter aspect is partly due to all-wheel-drive of course, and having a lot of mass forward of the cabin.
But when you put your foot down, the WRX's few sins are forgiven as it unleashes hard-charging acceleration and breathtakingly swift times rivalled only the Mazda 3 MPS and RS Megane 225.
Accepting stop-go urban commuting under sufferance, the WRX is in its element when slashing time and distance on rewardingly winding roads. Undiminished credibility as a demanding and rewarding driving tool help explain the WRX's continued standing near the top of resale projections.
Volkswagen Golf GT Sport TSI / GT Sport TDI (more here)
The Golf GT Sport TSI and GT Sport TDI are virtually identical five-door twins. Externally they're identified only by respective badges, while on the inside the TSI has a boost gauge with coolant warning light, the TDI a coolant gauge and no boost indicator.
The price differential isn't vast either -- $34,990 for the TSI and $37,490 for the TDI, both six-speed manuals. Either way, six-speed DSG automated transmission is $2300 extra. Metallic paint adds $690, rear parking sensors $790, anti-theft alarm $590, sunroof $1890 and leather trim $2990.
The differences that really count are beneath their bonnets. The TSI has a unique and superbly engineered 1.4-litre twincharger petrol engine. Behind the 125kW, 240Nm outputs, a supercharger boosts the performance from low to middling revs, and a turbo takes over from middling to high revs.
If you think 1.4 litres too small for Aussie tastes and driving conditions, think again. The TSI works like a beauty and performs way above its capacity, thrusting the GT Sport to 100km/h in under eight seconds and reaching over 200km/h where legalities allow.
The 2.0-litre TDI turbodiesel also cites 125kW maximum power and puts a massive 350Nm torque underfoot from less than 2000rpm, which assures 0-100km/h in just over eight seconds. The TDI's fuel economy is even better than the TSI's (6.6L v an also-excellent 7.7L/100km), but the petrol model is lighter by about 35kg and has a slight tho' discernible edge in razor-sharp driving dynamics.
Both models cite yearly servicing and rate about 63 per cent in resale prospects.
VW Golf GTI (more here)
The best saved till last? You can be the judge of that, but there's no question that the Golf GTI is regarded as the daddy of the hot-hatch market.
Although pre-dated by a couple of small fry such as the Simca 1100 and Renault 5 Alpine, it was the iconic Golf GTI Mk1 (from 1977) that cemented the hot-hatch segment's identity and led it to stardom. The success was no flash in the pan -- Golf GTIs, including the current (fifth) generation are habitually the benchmarks by which other hot hatches are judged. Which also explains their better than average used value retention…
In its platform and package, the GTI is essentially the same as the GT Sport duo; just a little longer overall, but no heavier than the 1340kg GT Sport TSI. A bit costlier and more powerful, however.
The GTI is the only model here offering three and five-door variants under $40K. The six-speed manual three-door asks $38,490 while the extra doors lift the ante to $39,990. The DSG transmission, metallic paint, sunroof and most other options are priced parallel to the GT Sport.
The GTI's technically advanced 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI engine delivers its 147kW/280Nm maximum outputs with palpable enthusiasm throughout its broad rev range. Emphising its efficiency, the GTI is on average also more economical than other hotties of its size, thanks to a combined consumption of 8.1L/100km.
Like the GT Sport TSI, the GTI's lusty turbo requires 98 RON fuel, but yields excellent performance -- like 0-100km/h in low 7s and standing-400m in low 15s -- which can constantly be appreciated in a car that's as refined, functional and personable as it is fast.
The Carsales Network's picks
HARDHEAD: It's not easy to regard cars as emotive as these with anything approaching dispassionate objectivity, for their respective performance and driving qualities inevitably overshadow the less entertaining but functional and hip-pocket aspects of ownership and useage.
But, everything considered, while there are quicker (and costlier) models available -- and also several lower priced -- the Ford Focus XR5 strikes arguably the best balance overall between sporty delivery and real-world considerations. Or, the VW Golf GT Sport TDI for something that's encouragingly brisk, yet has its turbodiesel feet firmly on the ground.
HEARTBEAT: Given a budget stretching to the upper reaches of the price bracket, the safe-bet shootout involves the Impreza WRX and the Golf GTI.
As well as inspired handling and gung-ho performance, the GTI scores with greater refinement, more inviting comfort and the perception of class-leading build quality. The still slightly raw Rex quickly answers these attributes with eye-watering performance and the convincing surety of its AWD handling.
However, other tastes' short lists could also include the Mazda 3 MPS and the Mini Cooper S. The MPS stands out for those who can appreciate all the technology that not only wrings humungous power from the engine, but also keeps everything quite manageable by taming what would otherwise be tyre-frying wheelspin and excessively pushy understeer.
Anyone needing the Mini's unique appeal explained simply doesn't get what the (bigger) brick is all about. Beyond feisty performance and brilliant driving dynamics, the Mini is a lifestyle thing, an expression of individuality that snubs many conventions while applying its own rules. And yours?
More research
Our pre-configured car comparator here
For more information on retained value visit Redbook here
These hatches too big? Check out our Baby Boomers hatch buyers guide here
Used Car Advice: Hot Hatches (December 2007) here
MicMac's 'must-drive' list of non-turbo sporty hatchbacks
Alfa 147 Twin Spark
Citroen C4 2.0 VTS Coupe
Astra 2.2 SRi
Civic Type R
Mazda 3 SP23
Peugeot 207 GT [Ed: yes, we know it's got a blower -- but it's low blow!]
Volvo C30 2.4LE
Compare these cars' specifications here
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