For people living in an urban landscape, subcompacts seem to be one of the top choices when it comes to choosing daily commuters, as their small dimensions make parking in tight spaces and zipping through traffic a breeze. Oftentimes, they also come with engines that sip as little fuel as possible, combined with attractive pricing, that's a package that's hard to ignore.
Recent offerings in the subcompact hatchback segment have become more enjoyable than ever, as most manufacturers now have their smallest cars go from 0-62 mph in the sub-7 second range. This is all thanks to their engines with more than 150 hp, which is far-flung from the classic hatchbacks from past eras. The good news is, modern hatchbacks achieved all of that without ever becoming less practical for everyday use.
Of course, we don't condone street racing at all, but you wouldn't want to see these cute little cars on our list pull up beside you in a traffic stop, because when the lights turn green, they'll launch like rocket ships and will leave most cars in the dust.
10 Hyundai i20 N - 6.7 Seconds To 62 Mph
Hyundai impressed many enthusiasts when the i30 N first came out, as it possessed direct handling together with its firm-riding suspension, which gives off an old-school feel. The i20 N is more of the same, albeit in a smaller package. Oh, and for those who didn't know, Hyundai uses an i20 in the WRC, and that's what they based this i20 N hot hatch on.
Both versions have a six-speed transmission, and both weigh a little over 2,600 lbs. But more importantly, the road-going i20 N also has launch control, which effectively transfers all 201 horses via the front wheels to the ground to take the car from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.7 seconds.
9 Abarth 695 - 6.7 Seconds To 62 Mph
Now to our smallest car on this list — the Abarth 695. It's a souped-up version of the adorable Fiat 500, with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbo with 178 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, and goes from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.7 seconds. Keep your foot planted, and the car will eventually reach a top speed of 140 mph.
The Essesse version of the 695 comes standard with an Akrapovic exhaust with a titanium tip, and has KONI FSD (Frequency Selective Damping) shock absorbers on all four corners for that stiff-tuned ride designed for the track.
8 Ford Fiesta ST - 6.5 Seconds To 62 Mph
Of course, we won't talk about hot hatches without ever mentioning the Ford Fiesta ST. It's really one of the best performing examples out there pound-for-pound, and it has a Top Gear Car of the Year Award to show.
Ford installed a smaller engine for the new one while keeping up-to-par with the previous model, and thus, the new three-cylinder turbo is a lot more economical but not at the expense of performance. The new ST can still sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds. Safe to say, this old-school, fun-filled hot hatch still ticks all the boxes when it comes to driving thrills.
7 Honda Civic Type R - 5.8 Seconds To 62 Mph
There will be a new Honda Civic Type R coming in 2022. While we still don't have details about what chassis code it will use, it's got a tall task at hand to beat, or even match, the wicked performance given by the outgoing FK8 model.
In its most recent update last year, the FK8 Type R had revised grille openings to aid cooling, and the dampers have been further retuned to turn in a lot sharper. But nevertheless, the power stayed the same at 316 hp, and its 0-62 mph time of 5.8 seconds is still a proper competitive figure for the tightly contested hot hatch segment.
6 Toyota GR Yaris - 5.5 Seconds To 62 Mph
Two words; Homologation special. Toyota brought rally closer to their fans with the GR Yaris, a proper road-going hot hatch that shares its components with the title-winning Yaris WRC. Citroën, Volkswagen and Peugeot have dominated WRC in the past, but as far as we can remember, they never made cars like this one. And that's what makes this performance car from Toyota all the more special.
Similar to the Yaris WRC, the car has an all-wheel-drive system, and when combined with the most powerful production three-cylinder engine ever made, the Toyota GR Yaris does 0 to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds. Not just that, its rallying pedigree makes it an enjoyable car to drive in all kinds of road conditions.
5 MINI John Cooper Works GP - 5.2 Seconds To 62 Mph
Here's the fastest and most powerful Mini ever made — the John Cooper Works GP. It's the third-generation Mini GP, and it comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 302 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque.
It could go from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.2 seconds, and is built to find serious pace on the track. Quite simply, this car means serious business, which, for some, took away the fun factor of the Mini Cooper S.
4 BMW M135i xDrive - 4.8 Seconds To 62 Mph
Fun fact; the BMW M135i xDrive shares the same engine and eight-speed auto with the Mini JCW GP, but the M135i is faster to 62 mph at 4.8 seconds. How come? The answer lies in its name - xDrive, which is a BMW variant for all-wheel-drive models.
Plus, it's much more sedate and softer sprung than the hardcore Mini GP, making it a liveable, everyday-friendly hot hatch that's effortlessly quick. For some, that may sound boring, but you'll thank the car later for not breaking your back after some spirited driving.
3 Volkswagen Golf R - 4.7 Seconds To 62 Mph
The Volkswagen Golf R's got a trick up its sleeve that other cars on this list won't be able to match, and that's the Drift mode. That's right. It's a GTI-looking Golf hot hatch that can go sideways.
Thanks to the clever engineering of its all-wheel-drive system, the Golf R could have 50% of its 2.0-liter turbo engine's torque transferred to one side of the rear axle to help the car rotate for some drifting fun. And if you're not a fan of that, the Golf R can reach 62 mph from a standstill in 4.7 seconds.
2 Mercedes-AMG A45 S - 3.9 Seconds To 62 Mph
Here's the most powerful hot hatch in series production today — the 415 hp Mercedes-AMG A45 S. The last A45 proved Mercedes knows how to build an all-wheel-drive hatchback just as good as their sports cars, and this new one's another step in the right direction.
The bombastic hatch now has a 0 to 62 mph time of 3.9 seconds, and could go all the way to 174 mph. Needless to say, that's basically supercar territory right there.
1 Audi RS3 - 3.8 Seconds To 62 Mph
If you thought the AMG A45 S already has outrageous performance for a hot hatch, this one takes it up another notch. The Audi RS3 trumps the A45 S by a tenth in going from 0 to 62 mph, and deals the final blow by having a 180 mph top speed despite having a 15 hp deficit.
Furthermore, the RS3 proves the old saying that there's no replacement for displacement, as its 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo delivers power better than its four-pot rivals. It offers a unique noise and character that's right up there with the finest V12s and flat-sixes of internal combustion engines.