Back in the days, you needed to have a landline telephone to do long-distance communication, a camera to take pictures, a fax machine for sending important documents, and a desktop computer to send e-mails. Now, all of that can be done by today's smartphones. In short, the smartphone basically is one tool to do it all.
From an automotive point of view, you need to have a sports car to blast through the tracks, a family sedan to transport people from point A to point B, and an SUV to take to the grocery store. However, there are some cars that can do all of those fairly well, and we have gone through the trouble of listing some of the best European candidates here. Quite simply, these cars are the equivalent of smartphones when it comes to practicality and versatility.
8 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Starting off with the original hot hatch, the Volkswagen Golf GTI has been around for a while now, but is still highly regarded as one of the best all-around hatchbacks money can buy.
It seats five, has boot space to carry your groceries, and has a potent 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection engine with 241 hp, enough to give you the thrills on the track with its adaptive suspension dampers.
7 Mini Cooper S
Next on our list is the funky-looking Mini Cooper S. Now in its third generation, its balanced chassis remains one of the best there is in terms of front-wheel drive hatchbacks, and now that it's gotten bigger, the practicality just went up another notch.
Not to mention, it packs a serious punch in the Cooper S version, which has 189 hp from its BMW 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine. Couple that with the six-speed manual transmission, and you're bound to do have Italian Job levels of fun, just not the stunts.
6 Fiat 500 Abarth
They call it the boring car that was bitten by a scorpion, and everything has transformed. Abarth did a great job in livening up the Fiat 500 by making it a lot sportier while remaining a small hatchback you can use on narrow city roads.
160 horsepower does not sound much by today's standards, but when you put it in a car that weighs less than 2,500 lbs, it's a recipe for loads of fun. A quirky, lightweight hatchback you can maneuver easily on slalom cones and tight city streets. Practical, and sporty, just the way we like it.
5 Audi RS3
In many ways, the Audi RS3 poses many similarities to the Golf GTI when it comes to its practicality and usability. However, it has one thing that makes it stand out from the so-called original hot hatch — this car has loads of power.
For starters, Audi fitted the RS3 with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine. Yes, you heard that right. Five cylinders — the same engine with the Audi TT, with 395 hp driving all four wheels thanks to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Furthermore, it does 29 mpg, making it a viable daily driver that unleashes into a beast when you put your foot down.
4 Mercedes-AMG A 45
In terms of power wars between hot hatches, the Mercedes-AMG A45 clearly is the king. With 415 bhp from its 2.0-liter four-pot turbo engine, it can sprint to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds.
Of course, the fact that it's a Mercedes means it also has a sporty yet luxurious interior, which can be considered also as one of the best in its category. In terms of its appearance, it looks excellent inside and out.
3 RenaultSport Clio
French automaker Renault also has a sensible hatchback that can go fast and be practical on a daily basis, starting with the RenaultSport Clio.
The new version grew two-doors, and now has a total of five instead of three. Furthermore, the former 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated powerplant has been replaced with a 1.6-liter turbo. It may have looked mellowed down from its predecessor, but it certainly improved its practicality to cater to more audiences than ever before.
2 Seat Leon Cupra
There are tons of choices in the hot hatch category today, and even the Spanish company SEAT has its own contender with the 296 bhp front-wheel-drive Leon Cupra.
Sharing its platform with the Golf GTI, it has a lot more exciting features if you want a more hardcore version, but remains with a hint of civility, making it a well-rounded hot hatch.
1 Peugeot 208 GTi
Last but not the least is another contender from France, the Peugeot 208 GTi is the latest hot hatch that pays homage to the French marque's rallying heritage, like the great-grandchild of the original 205 GTi.
Powered by a 197 hp 1.6-liter engine, the 208 GTi plans to recapture the glory days of what made the 205 GTi one of the iconic hot hatches of all time, with its speed, fun handling, and affordable price.