Around 50 years ago, the concept of a car that combines excellent handling and performance in a compact, practical and easy-to-drive hatchback body was unthinkable. Usually, if enthusiasts wanted those two qualities from a car, they had only one choice; own two cars, where each was good at only one of those things. But then, in the 1970s, the hot hatchback was born. There are many disputes as to who pioneered the segment, and many believe it was the Alfa Romeo Alfasud. Whoever did pioneer the segment, they definitely struck gold.
The idea was simple; a hot hatchback would be based on an existing compact car sold by the manufacturer, except with upgrades to the powertrain and drivetrain. This would make it only marginally more expensive, keep it cheap to maintain and repair, it would remain practical, but would offer tons of performance and handling. Since the 1970s, there have been tons of great hot hatchbacks, but only a handful can be considered the best ever.
10 Peugeot 205 GTI
When the Mk1 Golf GTI launched in the mid 1970s, everyone thought it was unbeatable. Indeed, for a while, the Golf GTI was on top of its game. That was until a different kind of GTI, one from France, joined the party in 1984; the Peugeot 205 GTI.
The 205 was a part of what is considered to be one of the golden eras of Peugeot, and for some people, it's the best Peugeot model ever made. It was initially launched with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 115 hp, but then it was replaced by a 1.9 liter with 130 hp. The 1.9 also had disc brakes all around, and is the preferred version if you want a 205 GTI with a better response and more torque. Both versions are excellent, though.
9 Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk1)
While the 205 GTI is a brilliant little car, we can't forget about the original GTI. The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf was intended to replace the Beetle, and even though it was a gamble for Volkswagen, it paid off several times over. The GTI version is often considered to be the first true hot hatchback, or at least the first one to get the formula just right. In other words, a hot hatch legend.
A lot of versions of the Golf used carbureted engines, but the GTI's engines were both fuel injected. The exterior was mostly the same, meaning parts were easy to find and cheap to replace. As for the driving experience? Basically nothing else on the road came close at the time.
8 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione
We're very glad that Lancia is about to be given a new lease of life under the leadership of Stellantis, because they were once a truly incredible brand. While build quality on their cars was less than sound, they dominated the World Rally Championships, and to this day, the 037 is the last ever RWD car to win the championship.
After Group B was canned by the FIA, Lancia threw their hat into the WRC ring again with the Delta Integrale. As well as being one of the most successful rally cars in history, the rally car spawned the iconic road-going version, the Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione. This turbocharged rally car for the road boasted 215 hp from its turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which was unheard of at the time. It also had AWD, and to this day, remains one of the most valuable hot hatchbacks ever made.
7 Honda Civic Type R (EK9)
After seeing the potential of the hot hatchback market in the late 90s, Honda decided to give it a shot by spicing up the Civic. They took their extensive motorsport knowledge and expertise and applied it to the legendary compact car, creating the even more legendary Civic Type R.
The heart of the Civic Type R was the excellent 1.6-liter B16 4-cylinder engine. VTEC took the place of forced induction, allowing for a screaming 8,000 RPM redline. The Type R put down 182 hp, which also gave it the highest specific output of any N/A 4-cylinder at the time. It was all sent to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission and a helical LSD.
6 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Of all the awesome performance cars that Ford has knocked out over the past decades, the Escort RS Cosworth is one of the most instantly recognizable and beloved. Not so much in North America, but in Europe and the UK especially, the Cosworth is the stuff of legend.
We have to address the elephant in the room; the Escort RS Cosworth is not an Escort at all. The chassis was taken from the larger Sierra, then adapted to fit the Escort body. Despite that, the highly tunable Cosworth Y-series 4-cylinder and AWD made the RS Cosworth unstoppable in the corners and in a straight line. Not to mention, with that wing, you can't possibly miss it.
5 Ford Fiesta ST
Onto a more recent effort from Ford. A hot hatchback that's so good, even the United States got to enjoy it. Stuff like that doesn't always happen, which is a testament to how good the sixth generation Fiesta ST is. For a lot of enthusiasts, this is everything a hot hatchback should be.
Ever heard of an analog supercar? Well, this is an analog hot hatchback. A 1.6-liter turbo four delivers 197 hp to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission. The 6-speed is the only option, and the stability control can be turned off completely for some lift-off oversteer fun. With a 0-60 time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph, it wasn't exactly slow in the straights. But the corners are the Fiesta ST's forte.
4 Toyota GR Yaris
Yes, the GR Yaris may be the most recent hot hatchback on this list. But, basically everyone who has driven this car says that it's one of the greatest hot hatchbacks ever made, and without a doubt one of the best modern Toyotas.
The GR Yaris was developed as a homologated road-going version of Toyota's planned rally car. Even though the rally plans fell through, Toyota still decided to put the GR Yaris on sale. A bespoke platform facilitates a wider body with only three doors, and a 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder sends 268 hp to all four wheels (rear-biased) through a 6-speed manual transmission. No one expected this from Toyota, but we're all glad that they did it.
3 Citroën Saxo VTS
Straight from the late 90s and early 2000s small hot hatch craze, we have the Citroën Saxo VTS. It was the hot version of Citroën's popular subcompact offering, sharing a lot of the oily bits with the Peugeot 106 GTI.
The VTS was powered by a 1.6-liter 16V 4-cylinder engine, developing 118 hp. That might not sound like a lot, but the Saxo tips the scales at around 2,000 lbs. That, combined with the excellent chassis tuning, made it a fantastic small hot hatchback. What's more, they're a dime a dozen on the used market.
2 Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5)
Yes, it's true that there's already one Golf GTI on here. But, the Mk5 is also getting a spot because it's almost as historically significant as the Mk1. The two GTI generations prior were way softer. They weren't really hot hatchbacks, but rather appearance and trim packages.
Volkswagen realized the error of their ways, and with the Mk5 Golf in 2004, the GTI was back in full force. A 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder developing 200 hp drove the front wheels, and there was almost nothing that the GTI couldn't do. That's still very much the case today, but the Mk5 was the car that brought back the GTI badge properly.
1 Renault Clio RS 182
Surprisingly enough, the Clio RS 182 wasn't all that common in Mainland Europe. However, enthusiasts in the UK absolutely swear by these things, and it's easy to see why. While other cars in the same segment remained relatively conservative with their outputs, here comes the Clio RS 182 pushing, you guessed it, 182 hp from a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder.
Various different iterations and upgrades were available, but they all had one thing in common. They were so good to drive and so well put together in the drivetrain department, they were almost silly. This is why everyone loves them so much, and why their values may be on the rise in the coming years. Considering they weren't built in huge numbers, it seems well deserved.