![]() There's no torque steer unruliness and the chassis combines tenacious grip and cast iron control with a rare adjustability that allows you tease and tweak your line through a corner by either lifting off the throttle or trailing the brakes. Yet it delivers this performance with real sophistication and civility. The dual-axis front suspension and multi-link rear axle are very similar but the car's track in now 15mm wider, which works in partnership with the 15% stiffer bodyshell to combine even sharper handling with greater compliance - this Civic feels like a more grown-up proposition than the old car, even if the BTCC-style rear wing still suggests it's a bit of a hooligan.Īs you'd expect, it's still a quick car, with 0-62mph done and dusted in 5.4 seconds and 170mph just about within reach. ![]() Under the bonnet, the familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre motor gets a lighter flywheel, revised intake and freer-flowing exhaust that help lift power from 316 to 325bhp, while the six-speed manual gearbox has a tweaked gate for even slicker shifting. Like the 11th generation Civic it's based on, the exterior and interior are new, but the platform is an 'optimised' version of its predecessor's, and that includes the oily bits too. In many respects that's because it's not quite as box fresh as you'd expect. The outgoing version of the hot Honda hatchback was one of our favourite hot hatchbacks, so expectations for this all-new Civic Type R were high - and happily it doesn't disappoint. It also has a chassis and suspension developed with input from Toyota Gazoo Racing's WRC team that is perfectly tuned for fast B-road driving in just about any weather. Underneath its steroid-ally enhanced body, the Yaris has a 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 257bhp, and a four-wheel drive system (with optional mechanical torque-vectoring diffs if you want them) that makes the car capable of 0-62mph in just 5.5sec. We can only imagine what it cost to develop this bespoke piece of high performance art, but the brand’s renewed commitment to delivering desirable driver’s cars meant that it was clearly worth rummaging down the back of the sofa for the extra cash. In fact, in the past a car like this would have been pushed into the corner and forgotten about, but current Toyota boss Akio Toyoda is a proper petrolhead and couldn’t see this motorsport-inspired pocket rocket left to rot. Sure it’s not as roomy and practical as others lower down this ranking, but in terms of scorching performance, handling elan and pure sporting intent, few come close to matching this jewel-like Japanese machine.ĭeveloped initially as a rally homologation special, the Yaris GR was almost dead on arrival when a WRC rule change effectively meant there was no longer any need for such a car. We’re arguably stretching the definition of ‘full-sized’ for the car that tops this list, but the Toyota GR Yaris is so far removed from the supermini with which it shares a silhouette that we reckon that’s okay. The question is, which one do you pick? Well, read on as we reveal our top 10 hot hatches. Internal combustion still rules the roost, but there’s a definite sense that these petrol-powered machines are the last of the breed, and as if to prove the point there’s an entry in our list that runs on electrons rather than super unleaded.Īs a result, there’s never been a better time to buy one of these quick and versatile machines before they’re legislated out of existence. However, increasingly strict emissions regulations mean the full-size hot hatch (if you’re looking for smaller supermini-based models, then we’ve got them covered here) is changing.
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