Hatchback

As part of the BMW Group, the Mini brand is also slowly moving toward electrification. The British brand is now offering a hybrid version of the Countryman and an all-electric variant of the Cooper (called Mini Electric), but it wants to expand further. Next on the list, according to Mini, is a John Cooper Works model, and the company is already working on concept cars that will preview a high-performance EV.

This is a Mercedes-AMG A45 S, or at least it used to be. Don’t be fooled by what you see here; It still looks like the AMG A45 S, but underneath that bright yellow paint, black decals, and gimmicky taxi lamp on the roof lies a different beast altogether - one that’s going to rip your heart out the second it gets the chance. This used to a Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Now it’s called the Posaidon A45 RS 525, and best be warned, “mercy” is not in this hot hatch’s vocabulary.

Carwow has been a constant supplier of drag races, and this time, the YouTube channel lined up what is arguably the most talked about hot hatch today, the Toyota GR Yaris, and put it up against one of the kings of the segment, the Honda Civic Type-R.

It’s not a fair fight on the surface — the Type R is far more powerful than the spunky GR Yaris — but this is the type of drag race where outright power and speed don’t immediately spell out victory. Add the element of rain into the proceedings and what looked like an unfair fight doesn’t look as lopsided now. Does the GR Yaris have what it takes to take down the Civic Type R? Time to find out.

The partnership between Toyota and Mazda might spawn a new car, one that’s going to replace the current Mazda2 sold in Europe. If the rumors are true, then the new Mazda2 could be based on the Yaris Hybrid supermini.

The fourth-generation Mazda3 looks hotter than its predecessor, but it’s also available with a selection of updated SkyActiv engines. But the really big news is the 2.5 Turbo trim, which features a beefed-up 2.5-liter four-cylinder that puts the Mazda3 into hot-hatchback territory. Much like the Mazdaspeed3 did more than 10 years ago. But is it powerful and fast enough to take on the market’s most popular performance compacts? The folks over at Throttle House hosted a three-way drag race to find out.

Last week was a big one for Honda and its followers alike. There’s always great buzz whenever a new generation Civic is announced and Honda’s unveiling of the 2022 Civic prototype made no exception.

Now, we’ve already learned what we had to learn from the Japanese carmaker’s PR talk, but it’s time to delve deep into the 2022 Honda Civic topic with a little help from Gary Robinson, Head of Product Planning at American Honda.

Remember earlier this year when it was revealed that the Toyota Supra actually produced more power than Toyota advertised? Well, it looks like it isn’t the only Toyota that’s more powerful than we thought.

A recent dyno test conducted on the GR Yaris revealed that Toyota’s firecracker of a hot hatch comes with a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produced more than Toyota’s claimed output of 268 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque. A video of the GR Yaris getting tested on a dyno shows just how much more power the turbocharged three-cylinder can crank out, and without dumping any spoilers, it’s a lot of extra power that we didn’t think the GR Yaris had at its disposal.

Diesel cars have a bad reputation for being slow. And that’s because old diesel cars were indeed slow and this fuel type was usually associated with trucks and busses. Modern diesel cars are still somewhat slow compared to their gasoline counterparts, but there are a few notable exceptions. The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTD is one of them and this new video from Automann-TV reveals that it’s impressively fast.

The 2021 Toyota GRMN Yaris is an upcoming high-performance version of the fourth-generation hatchback. Toyota has yet to confirm the GRMN Yaris, but word has it the Japanese brand is planning to introduce a range-topping GRMN version of its GR-badged cars in a variety of segments. What’s more, Toyota recently tested a beefed-up GR Yaris on the Nurburgring and its appearance hints at an upcoming GRMN variant.

Just like the GR model, the GRMN is being developed by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division. However, development takes place under a more hardcore performance arm called Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nurburgring. The 2021 GRMN will arrive with a sportier exterior and various upgrades to the drivetrain. Let’s find out more about it in the speculative review below.

The Volkswagen Golf has been on the circuit for almost five decades now, but it is still as popular as ever. In recent times, it looked like Volkswagen is paying all the attention to strengthen its SUV portfolio, introducing a new model every year for the last four years in the States. This led to people assuming that the enthusiasts are left out to dry. However, the company re-instilled the faith by announcing the return of the Golf R after a small hiatus. Arriving as a 2022 model year, the new Golf R will be the most powerful Golf ever built!

The Volkswagen Golf is one of coolest hatchbacks out there, especially if it wears a "GTI" or an "R" badge. However, there’s one sports car feature you don’t get with a Golf. That’s rear-wheel drive.

The Golf has been a front-wheel-drive car since day one, even though some versions are offered with AWD. Ever wondered what’s it like to drive a rear-wheel-drive Golf? Well, someone from Finland converted a seventh-generation Golf to RWD and dropped a BMW engine under the hood.

For over 40 years the Golf has been defining and refining the hatchback formula. With generation eight, we get plenty of performance. And with the recent rise in performance in the hot hatch scene, the German brand had to bring a bigger gun in order to stay competitive. The Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8 is tailored specifically to the harsh terrain of the Nordschleife. Could they have made the ultimate hot hatch, or is it just an overly stiff grocery-getter? Let’s find out.

Manhart Racing is back with a new aftermarket program. This time, the German tuner has set it sights on the Mini John Cooper Works GP, the 301-horsepower performance-spec version of the Mini JCW. It’s an intriguing choice on the part of Manhart Racing. On its own, the JCW GP already fits the profile of an edgy hot hatch with enough power and performance characteristics to make some of its rivals look tame by comparison.

The 2021 Hyundai i20 N is the high-performance, range-topping version of the subcompact i20 hatchback. The third N-badged model from the Korean company, the i20 N joins the slightly bigger i30 N and Veloster N.

Unlike its larger siblings, the i20 N features a smaller, less powerful engine, but it looks just as mean on the outside. Does it have enough oomph to compete with popular models like the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Fiesta ST? Is it a match for the new and wild Toyota GR Yaris? Let’s find out in the review below.

Toyota joined the subcompact hot-hatchback segment in 2017 with the Yaris GRMN. Powered by a Lotus-sourced engine and developed by the company’s Gazoo Racing division, the Yaris GRMN enabled Toyota to compete with popular hot-hatches like the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta ST. Come 2020 and Toyota unveiled a new performance model, this time around based on the brand-new, fourth-generation Yaris. It’s called the GR Yaris and comes with 257 horsepower on tap. That’s mighty impressive, but a new video suggests that Toyota is testing an even more hardcore version of the hatchback.