Latest news with #hotHatch
Auto Car
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Why we need another era of affordable hot hatchbacks
It's taking a while, like closing an ill-fitting lid on a plastic kitchen container. But another corner on the 'affordable hot hatch' tub is clicking shut, and, unlike sometimes previously, I don't think a corner on the other side is about to pop back open again in defiance. Which is a slightly clumsy way of avoiding the 'nail in the coffin' cliché. Also I think it's vanishingly rare (I could be wrong) that a coffin lid's opposite corner creeps open again when someone is hammering down the opposite side. Anyway, what I'm saying is that Ford is preparing to unalive the Focus ST. Production ends in November, and it has been removed from price lists in the UK because all the remaining ones are accounted for. And this time I don't think anyone is about to launch a new affordable petrol hot hatchback you could choose to consider instead. Although do go ahead and prove me wrong, somebody, please. It seems like a very long time, partly because it is, since my mate Jason, when he was a young man, bought a Citroën Saxo VTR on low- or no-interest finance and got free insurance thrown in. It even feels like a long time, although it isn't, since Hyundai offered the i20 N for under £25k. The hot hatches that remain on sale today – and there are fewer than a handful, including the Focus ST – are basically £40k cars. So it has sort of been true for a while, but only now, with the demise of the Focus ST confirmed, does the malaise feel as terminal as it clearly has been for quite some years now. The hot hatch era is gone. Should one be sad about it? I think so. Because not very long ago, if you were young and you wanted to get into cars, you bought an ordinary hatchback with a bigger engine and some tidy suspension, and you had a nice time driving it. Then, when you were older and had a house and some money, you bought a sports car. But the mood was established early on. What's the option now? New hot hatchbacks are too expensive, and while some fun electric cars, like the Alpine A290, are becoming affordable, that will be little solace to you if you live in a rented flat, because buying an Alpine will be too expensive, and your rented accommodation has no charger anyway.
The Drive
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Toyota's Even Hotter GR Yaris Hints at the GR Corolla's Future
Get The Drive's daily newsletter Email address Sign Up Thank you! Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. One thing I really appreciate about Toyota's GR hot hatches is that even though they haven't been around very long, the automaker has given them plenty of updates over that short time. The GR Corolla, for example, got more torque, better cooling, and an available automatic transmission just two years after its debut. In fact, many of the pre-refresh Corolla's improvements were brought back around to the GR Yaris, so that our friends on the other side of the pond wouldn't miss out. And now, Toyota has unveiled a new special edition Yaris that looks pretty sweet, and could tease what's next for the Corolla. It's called the GR Yaris Aero Performance, and, just like the name hints, most of the changes here are visible from the outside. There's that big adjustable rear wing; a cooling vent on the hood; a front splitter; ducts on the trailing edges of the front fenders and the rear bumper; and an underfloor cover to optimize airflow. Toyota says that these parts were all developed from insights the company gained campaigning the Yaris in Japan's Super Taikyu racing series, as well as the Japanese Rally Championship. Toyota showed the GR Yaris Aero Performance in public for the first time at the WRC Acropolis Rally in Greece last weekend. Nikos Karanikolas/Toyota That vented hood in particular came from the world of rallying, and helps the little 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder breathe during hard driving. If you compare the current GR Yaris to the original, you'll note that the front bumper on the refreshed model already leaves far more room for air to pass through, and this tweak enhances that even further. But my favorite touch has to be that adjustable wing, which is now just as functional as it is mean-looking. The 'GR-Four' embossed into the uprights is a nice touch. Now, if we look at that hardcore GR Corolla Toyota teased some months back, you'll note a few of the items on this Yaris appeared on that vehicle as well. There was a big wing, also shrouded by camouflage, plus a new hood with a deep center vent. Not to mention, a hatch with a silhouette suspiciously like it has been observed lapping the Nürburgring since late last year. That spicier GR Corolla has been unofficially nicknamed the 'GRMN' model, a label that Toyota has historically used for some overseas high-performance models tuned for the Green Hell. Should this Corolla—which also appeared to lack a backseat—carry that badge upon its full debut this fall, it'd be the first Gazoo Racing product to do so in the U.S. and Canada. There is indeed much to look forward to in the world of all-wheel-drive Toyota sports cars. 'Born on the track, this vehicle is expected to have improved aerodynamic performance, a bump in torque, and unique tuning,' Toyota said of this GR Corolla development vehicle back in April. Toyota Got a tip? Email us at tips@
Auto Express
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch heading to the UK: here's what to expect
We might be waving goodbye to the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus ST this year, but Toyota looks set to raise the spirits of hot-hatch enthusiasts in the UK because it's about to bring the GR Corolla to our showrooms. We can expect to see the rally-bred GR Corolla launched here within the next 18 months, which isn't much of a surprise after Toyota announced it would build the hot hatch at its plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire to help address lengthy global waiting lists. 'We have a philosophy that you build where you sell, so to build in Europe and not sell in Europe would be counter to that,' Toyota's European COO Matt Harrison told Auto Express. 'The gap between supply and demand is now, so it's about how quickly we can get it. We need to act fast.' Advertisement - Article continues below The Burnaston site was chosen because, as well as its factory capacity, the UK has motorsport expertise that aligns with the specialist nature of the low-volume performance hatchback. 'The GR Corolla is bespoke, it doesn't go through the normal processes', Harrison told us. While the current-generation Corolla has been built at Burnaston in standard guise since its launch in 2019, the GR Corolla's significant performance-related changes will require adjustments to the tooling on the Derbyshire plant's production line.
Auto Express
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Extra-hot electric Volkswagen GTI Clubsport models are on their way
Volkswagen knows a thing or two about making hot hatches. The German firm practically invented the segment with the original Golf GTI 50 years ago and since then we've seen hotter R variants encroach on 'hyper hatch' territory. Recently, the sweetest-driving hot Golfs have been the Clubsport models - and it appears Volkswagen is keen to keep this badge going into the electric age. Advertisement - Article continues below We already know the iconic GTI name will continue with electric power, starting with the upcoming supermini-sized ID.2 GTI. Speaking to Auto Express, the head of Volkswagen Design, Andreas Mindt, told us an ID.2 GTI Clubsport would be 'something for enthusiasts to get excited about' and said Volkswagen is 'looking for this in the plan', before slightly dampening our spirits by admitting that the car is still 'not confirmed'. A Clubsport edition was first seen on the Mk7 Golf back in 2015, based on the GTI but with more power and track-focused tweaks - which were then honed further with the even more powerful Clubsport S. A Clubsport version of the current Mk8 GTI came out in 2021, although more recently we've seen perhaps a more fitting successor, in the form of the most powerful Golf GTI yet - the 320bhp Edition 50. We expect electric GTI Clubsports to have the same brief as the petrol-powered cars, and the most likely EV to spawn a Clubsport is the upcoming ID.2 GTI. This will have around 220bhp from a front-mounted electric motor and a modified version of the current Golf GTI's electronic differential. Mindt further emphasised the need for this layout, saying: 'Clubsport front-wheel drive is special with enthusiasts.' More power for a Clubsport variant could take it closer to the likes of the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior EVs, both of which push 278bhp to their front wheels. We're yet to see the covers come off the standard ID.2, let alone the GTI or Clubsport variants, although larger wheels, more aggressive aerodynamics and subtle GTI design cues will surely make an appearance. Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals… Find a car with the experts New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught New Skoda Epiq vRS to headline brand's hot-SUV onslaught Every future Skoda will get the go-faster treatment, with the brand also working on making cars sharper and more engaging Marcos is back! British sportscar brand's big plan, and swirling controversy Marcos is back! British sportscar brand's big plan, and swirling controversy Development is already underway on the first all-new Marcos cars in roughly 20 years New Volvo EX60 electric SUV: latest details and confirmed reveal date New Volvo EX60 electric SUV: latest details and confirmed reveal date The upcoming, all-electric Volvo XC60 alternative is designed to 'keep learning and evolve with time'
Top Gear
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Meet your heroes: the MkV Golf GTI is one of the great hot hatches
Retro Back in the day, the MkV GTI won TG's 2005 Car of the Year. After driving one for a week, it's not hard to understand why... Skip 16 photos in the image carousel and continue reading The origin story of the hot hatch is cloudy, but VW cut through the murk back in 1975. Has any car ever defined its class better than the MkI Golf GTI? Fifty years on, we're still copying the same template: front drive, useful cabin, lumpy engine, cool without trying too hard. Odd then, that VW lost its way after only a couple of goes. The MkIII was podgy, plain and underpowered. The MkIV was worse. But then, in 2005, came the MkV. It was TG's Car of the Year, it identified the essence of what made the MkI and MkII great, and nailed the modern interpretation. Advertisement - Page continues below Twenty years ago, I saw one at the VW factory in Wolfsburg. As a kid, I was captivated. It had just launched, and I could sense it was more special than other VWs. Photography: Jonny Fleetwood You might like The MkV GTI made such an impression on me that day that I bought one. Well, sort of. I asked my dad to buy me a 1:43 scale model in the Autostadt shop. To this day, that silver replica is one of my favourite possessions. It reminds me of my heritage and personal connection to VW. Visiting my great uncle, who lived in the city and worked for VW from 1960 to 1990, was always memorable. He initially worked in the painting booth, then on the production line inspecting the original Beetle and Golf. The stories he'd recount during our visits were funny, and had special resonance to me as a car mad kid. Advertisement - Page continues below But the MkV GTI memory has the most significance, it was the springboard for my interest in cars. So, when this opportunity came along, I couldn't resist... would the MkV Golf GTI live up to expectations years afterwards? It's analogue and engaging, you just get absorbed in it, driving without distraction Long story short: yes, it does. How it combines both essential elements, Golf hatchback with GTI hot hatch, is so brilliant. The 2.0-litre 197bhp turbocharged four cylinder is easy and uneventful under 3,000rpm, but above that, it's like you've flicked a switch from low to high speed on a food blender. The noise opens up, 0–62mph is chomped in 7.2secs and you suddenly realise there's way more depth to this GTI than you expected. It's rewarding and addictive in equal measure, especially when cornering. It's eager and willing, there's a bit of body roll, but it carries speed lightly and easily. The supple setup gives you the confidence to push harder, you can feel what's happening through the steering, which enables you to thread the MkV GTI through corners, positioning it exactly where you want. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. But I'd been won over before I even started driving. The MkV picked up those classic GTI touches that had been there at the start, but subsequently abandoned for no good reason: the tartan trim, the telephone dial alloys, the red strip around the grille and the golfball gearknob. It shouldn't feel so right sitting in the palm of my hand, but it does. And when you sling it around the gate... well, you never miss a shift. Above all it's analogue and engaging, you just get absorbed in it, driving without distraction. You can dial it up when the mood takes you, so it becomes the focused hot hatch that wants to play. Yet, when the fun stops, you can open the doors, throw kids and clobber in, and no one's any the wiser. I love the way it looks too. Discreet enough to blend in, distinct enough to stand out. Most hot hatches are conspicuous by design, but the MkV GTI has stayed true to its roots, never ostentatious, just a few hints here and there. I drove it for a week and felt very comfortable and at home in it. That time together made me realise it's all the car you really need. When I gawped at it in Wolfsburg all those years ago I knew it would be good, I just didn't realise how good it would be. Now I know.
