See all Motoring AdviceThere are several good reasons why hot hatchbacks are so popular. It isn’t just the speed or the fact they can blend in with the other humdrum family cars, but it’s the way they can do everything. If you want a bit of performance, a hot hatchback will gladly oblige, but if you want to take the kids to school safely, it can do that too. It’s the car for all occasions, and that breadth of capability is difficult to argue with. So, if you’re interested in something sporty and sensible at the same time, check out our list of hot hatchback bargains, all of which can be found on Carzone.ie now.
Some may dismiss the Fiat 500 for all sorts of reasons, but the Abarth 595 is proof of the talent that lies beneath the retro style and customisation options. Fitted with a lively, fizzy, turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine, its performance figures may not be all that impressive, but the Abarth makes up for that with the eagerness of an excited puppy and a growl that would make the angriest rottweiler sit up and take notice. It isn’t the most refined or the most comfortable thing in the world, but it’s fun, interesting and exciting, and you can have a tidy, low-mileage used example at a very affordable price.
The car most people think of when the words ‘hot’ and ‘hatchback’ are put together, the Golf GTI has become the default choice for a reason. Marrying performance, style, quality and practicality, it’s arguably the car that defines the genre, doing everything a good hot hatchback should do and doing it very well indeed. From the tartan seats to the golf ball gear knob, this car has become a legend over the years, and there’s plenty to choose from on Carzone.ie. But for less than €20,000, you can find a well-cared-for example with sensible mileage and a clean bill of health.
Peugeot has stopped making the 208 GTi, and the world is a poorer place for it. While it may not have had the appeal of the Ford Fiesta ST or the Volkswagen Polo GTI, it had a sense of fun and style that was hard to match. Funky, fast and very agile, it’s still a great compact hot hatchback, with a meaty 1.6-litre petrol engine and a tiny but very responsive steering wheel. Yet it still has the space and practicality of a conventional 208, and despite its rarity, second-hand values aren’t that strong, so you can pick one up at a competitive price. Do that, and you’re getting one of the hot hatchback bargains of the century.
While everyone bangs on about Focus STs and Golf GTIs, there’s a new generation of hot hatchbacks on the way, and the MG4 XPower is the first of those. While handling may not be its forte, straight-line speed certainly is. With enormous power from its two electric motors, it has the sort of performance that would make some serious sports cars blush, and it does it all at a surprisingly low price. Nearly new examples sell for less than you’ll pay for some well-used petrol-powered equivalents, thanks to MG’s uncanny ability to build competitive cars at a bargain basement price.
While the Golf GTI may be the VW hot hatchback everyone talks about, the Up! GTI is a bit of a hidden gem. Flying under the radar with subtle style, it’s a classy and surprisingly capable hot hatchback, thanks in no small part to the brilliance of the conventional Up! on which it’s based. But with a 115hp petrol engine and some other performance-orientated tweaks, it takes the Up!’s solid foundations and adds some genuine hot hatchback performance, while retaining the standard car’s impressive handling and joie de vivre. And because it’s always been small and cheap, you can pick a well-presented example up for sensible money.
The car that really put the Volkswagen Golf GTI’s nose out of joint, the Ford Focus ST is one of the all-time great hot hatchbacks. Slightly better to drive than the Golf GTI but with a little less comfort and refinement, it’s the keen driver’s choice, and one that we can whole-heartedly recommend. In the right colour and the right specification, it doesn’t draw too much attention to itself, but it’s still a rewarding car to drive and a capable family car to boot. And because it has proven so popular over the years, there’s a good selection to choose from on Carzone, so finding a low-mileage, well-priced example is easy.
The Fiesta may have gone out of production, but the Fiesta ST legend has already been secured. One of the best hot hatchbacks ever made, the compact Ford had it all. The basic 1.0-litre Fiesta was already great to drive, so Ford made the ST that bit sharper and a little sportier to look at but retained the Fiesta’s practicality. The American company fitted a great turbocharged engine, too, using its know-how to pump out as much as 200hp in a little pocket rocket. The resulting riot goes down in history as the best in its class, and its departure from the new car market is a crying shame. But that doesn’t stop you picking up a well-presented, low-mileage car for a song on Carzone.ie.